Revisiting Hopi Mesas, AZ

The rangers at Navajo National Monument recommend seeing the big Navajo Festival being held this weekend in Tuba City.  Tuba City forms the crossroads between Navajo and Hopi cultures - on one side of a street you are in the Navajo Nation, and on the other it's the Hopi Reservation. This situation can be confusing as these two different tribes use different time zones. Consequently, you can add an hour (or shorten) your day by simply crossing the road.

It's an easy stop along our way so we decide to check it out. Turns out it is a huge festival with hundreds of booths set up selling a wide array of goods and lots of people milling about. The big problem is parking, which seems to be in short supply.  We try Peter's remarkable parking CARma at Basha's the local supermarket. The parking situation is total chaos. Vehicles are swirling around looking for parking spaces while an uniformed Navajo policeman is busy keeping an eye out for people that are trying to use the parking lot to get to the Faire.  Although it never ceases to amaze me, Peter finds a great parking space and heads into the market to pick up a few supplies, giving me some time to quickly look through some of the stalls.

With time at stake, I limit myself to only the closest stalls.  As I'm about ready to give up, I spot a lovely coral necklace of many small beads carefully knotted together. It must have taken many hours to make it. The mother and son running the stall don't have many pieces for sale. Like the necklace I saw in Jacob Lake, her necklace also comes with a silver and turquoise pendant. Again, I ask if it's possible to buy the necklace without the pendant. She quickly agrees and quotes me a price of $120 for the necklace alone. Not being sure of how much cash I have with me, I counter with $100. She says she is already giving me a good price, which I realize and tell her that if I have the cash on me, it's a deal. Turns out I just barely have enough to cover her price and we are all happy to close the deal.

I little later, we stop for fuel and a bathroom break. As I am going into the Women's, a lovely Navajo woman also wearing a beautiful coral necklace passes me coming out. We spontaneously share a laugh when we both realize we are admiring each other's necklaces.  Looks like I made a good purchase all around.

Road to Tuba City

Let's see where we might go next

Although we've been to the Hopi Reservation before, we decide it would be fun to see it again.

Through First Mesa

and onto Second Mesa

We stop at the Hopi Cultural Center on Second Mesa. The center is much improved since we visited in Spring of 2013. Our first order of business is to get some lunch at the cafe. While we are waiting for our orders, three older Hopi couples come in and sit at a larger table nearby. They are dressed in their Sunday best. It looks like they have just come in from church.  The women start talking about  an inspiring sermon they just heard from their preacher. After a few minutes of church talk, the men change the subject to football and the progress of their favorite teams. People are a lot alike, no matter what culture they come from.

Fresh new paint and sidewalks

Nice landscaping

View from our lunchroom table

The last time we stopped in 2013, the museum was closed for renovations. This time it's open.

Map of the three Hopi mesas

Bride in traditional dress

Display of Hopi baskets

Beautiful bowl

This one is like ours

Another gorgeous bowl

Looking back at Second Mesa as we leave

We drive south on Hwy 87 towards the Coconino National Forest, which is an area worth exploring more. At Hwy 3, we turn northward toward Happy Jack and Flagstaff. Then we turn westward on I-40.

Driving north towards Happy Jack

Getting close to Flagstaff

Stopping for a break in Williams

That evening we pick Hualapai Mountain Park just south of Kingman as a possible place to camp. It's a bit off the beaten track and being off season in the middle of the week, we hope to easily find a site we like. Sure enough, we end up in a nice campsite with a view and *very* friendly deer.

South toward Hualapai Peak

Hualapai Peak

View from campsite

We have visitors

Will you feed me?

FEED me!

Even though I gritch at Peter not to feed the wildlife, he gives them a hand full of raw unsalted nuts, which they happily munch and then leave us in peace.  Oh well, at least it's probably healthier food than they get from most campers.

Camped at Hualapai Mountain Park

The next morning dawns clear and bright. After snapping some shots of the peak, we're back on the road generally heading towards home.

Close up of Hualapai Peak

Back down the mountain towards Kingman AZ