Rolling On, We're Rolling On...

SUNDAY, APRIL 26

We did stay at the OK RV Park, in Holbrook, AZ, for a second day – today.  The weather had turned dreary…rainy, windy, and chilly…I scratched all plans to move on to a nearby state park.  Navidad napped on the dining seat right next to me while I did stuff on the computer and watched CNN.  Around 3:45 p.m., the sun came out!  I can see patches of blue sky.  As soon as a sliver of sunlight came through the window and hit Navi’s fur, he woke up and looked around, definitely sensing the change in the weather.  Sure do hope the sun comes out more and sticks around from here on out! 

Navidad and me, chillin' together on a chilly day.

MONDAY, APRIL 27

We woke up to sunshine!  Although the sky was still heavy in spots with cottony clouds – some bright white, some darker - it wasn’t raining.

Our next destination, the Homolovi State Park, is only 30 miles from here, just east of Winslow, by way of I-40 W and Rt. 87 N.  Check-out wasn’t until noon, so I lounged about up on the bed checking things out on my iPad and watching CNN (oh, that’s good, they finally had the swearing-in ceremony for Loretta Lynch).  Navidad dozed on the dining seat and then came up on the bed.  He sleeps at a moment’s notice, a lot.  I wonder if I should feel somewhat grateful for that.  Time passes for him when he sleeps and brings him, every time, a few hours closer to being back home.  He doesn’t try to hide anywhere anymore, even when I retrieve his carrier.  And the intense guilt I felt our first week on the road is no more.  We’re getting there…together…methinks…mehopes…

I had quite the “adventure” with my site selection at the state park.  This is my third Arizona state park thus far, but unlike the other two, I didn’t make online reservations for the two nights I want to stay here.  To get and pay for my site, I headed for the Visitor’s Center and this helpful and friendly [Native American] lady assigned me site #38.  She said it was close to the restroom/shower structure.  I’ve had sites near this type of facility before so didn’t think anything of it. 

The Campground Host greeted me as soon as I got to the campground.  She said her name was Carolyn and she had already been alerted to my impending arrival.  She offered to guide me to my site but I said I would find it since I had the campground map on hand.  When I found #38, I groaned and decided immediately I didn’t want to spend two days and two nights at that site.  It was ADA-accessible (which is truly wonderful, don’t get me wrong), decked out with the “Handicapped Parking” sign, and just steps away from the restrooms.  This won’t do.  I came here to immerse myself in this desert landscape and to be among the non-human critters that live here, whether I see them or not.  I don’t want to be observing people going in and out of the restrooms/showers, their hair all askew or whatever.

I went back to Carolyn and told her that while I do very much appreciate the thoughtful intent of the lady who registered me, I am perfectly mobile and would prefer a different site.  Carolyn asked “…you want to be somewhere by yourself?” to which I said that would be just fine.  Following her to some of the other available sites, I settled on #15.  People do mean well.  I’ve traveled enough in the truck camper now to know that there are many kind-hearted folks who have this [apparently subconscious] need/desire to somehow protect the “solo middle-aged Deaf woman” RV traveler.  Before we parted, I thanked Carolyn profusely and asked her to please convey my thanks also to the lady at the Visitor’s Center for her kind consideration.  Carolyn gave me a hug, a really good hug, said she understood completely, and then told me that she has MS.  As I think about that now, I guess she needed to reveal that personal information as a way of letting me know she has also encountered people who don’t understand or appreciate her own capabilities.  This chance meeting between Carolyn and me is something I don’t think either of us will ever forget.

Our site at the Homolovi State Park.

TUESDAY, APRIL 28

To quote from the brochure, “The park has an elevation of 4,900 feet and encompasses 4,000 acres.  ‘Homolovi’ is Hopi for ‘Place of the Little Hills’ – the traditional name for Winslow, Arizona.  More than 300 archaeological sites have been identified within the park boundaries, including four major fourteenth century.  The Hopi people of today still consider Homolovi part of their homeland.  They continue to make pilgrimages to these sites, renewing the ties of the people with the land.”  The Little Colorado River is nearby (or what’s left of it) and the ancient Indians migrated through this area and also made their home here. 

Studying the park map on the brochure this morning, I determined that the trails to the Homolovi Ruins are too far for me to walk to from my site.  There are other trails, including the Nusungvö (“Place of Rest” in Hopi), a primitive 1.2 mile trail that crosses high prairie grasslands from the campground to the Visitor’s Center.  I’ll give this one a go today.  Gotta be mindful of the alert I received yesterday – “Watch out for the snakes...” – specifically, the kind that rattles, which I won’t, of course, hear.  The ruins I do want to see, so I struck up a conversation with Navidad and told him –

“Okay, Lovey Dovey, here’s the deal.  There are some ruins here I want to see but the trails are too far for me to get to from our site.  So, tomorrow we’re going to do the experiment I’ve been hesitant to do.  We’re gonna close up the camper in the morning and leave our site, say at 8:00 a.m., with you in your carrier in the truck.  When I park at the Homolovi I and Homolovi II parking lots, I will set you free inside the camper, where you will have access to all your essentials, while I go walk the trails to see the ruins. You’re not going to notice anything different, except maybe the retracted slideout.  Alrighty, Baby Boy?” 

Just before 12:00 noon I set out on the Nusungvö Trail, equipped with my water bottle, camera, and camcorder.  The trail was soft dirt and easy to walk on.  The weather was ideal - the breeze was gentle and there were just enough clouds to hide the sun now and then, cooling me down momentarily.  I kept my eyes on the trail, not only to watch for snakes, but to see what else might be on the ground…such as scat.  I did find scat and also spotted some bones, what looked like ribs and vertebrae.  I stopped often to scan the horizon and take pictures/video.

High prairie grasslands, seen from the Nusungvö Trail. 

Bones, spotted along the Nusungvö Trail.  

Forty-five minutes later, I’d arrived at the Visitor’s Center parking lot.  Nearby was another trail, about a half-mile walk, to the Sunset Cemetery.  Buried here are members of a group of 19^th century settlers who founded the city of Sunset – “…Sunset Cemetery stands as a mute testimony to the undaunted spirit of the brave pioneers who forged a living from this once desolate and forbidding land.”   

Sunset Cemetery.

A tombstone at Sunset Cemetery.

I was back at the camper just before 2:00 p.m., having accomplished a 3.4-mile hike in two hours.  Navidad meowed a greeting when we locked eyes.  He was just fine, content, and happy when I later brushed and combed him.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29

8:30 a.m. - I put Navidad in the truck.

8:45 a.m. - I arrived at the Homolovi I parking lot and put him back in the camper.

9:00 a.m. - I reached the Homolovi I ruins and walked around.

9:30 a.m. - I got back to the parking lot and put Navi back in the truck.

9:50 a.m. - I arrived at the Homolovi II parking lot and put him back in the camper.

By 11:00 a.m. we were both in the truck, him in his carrier next to me, and left the state park for the drive, via I-40 W and I-17 S to Munds Park, AZ.

I’m happy I made the time to see both ruin sites.  Archaeology is such a fascinating field.  Over so many centuries, sites like these are buried under mounds of dirt and rock, it’s a wonder they are eventually discovered. 

Certain sections of both ruin sites were excavated, recorded, and artifacts collected.  After a time, the archaeologists then carefully covered the excavated sites with some type of black fabric and filled them back up with dirt.  Apparently, with respect and reverence to the Hopi people of today, it is best to leave the ruins be, in silent testament to their ancestors who lived, died, and are buried there.

There were posted signs at each site declaring that it was illegal to take anything – artifacts and shards of pottery.  “Gee, Mapita, with your untrained eye, you think you’re going to recognize an artifact?”  Walking around both sites, I think I may have been looking at such items after all.  There were many – and I do mean many - flat stones on the ground, all along the ruins, and they had smaller pieces of rocks and broken clay-like items on top.  Some of those pieces had markings on them – were they shards of pottery?  If so, then the Hopi people must have great faith that the visitors to these sacred places will indeed not reach down and take a piece…or two… 

Ruins - Homolovi I.

    

Ruins - Homolovi I.

Broken pieces on top of flat stone - Homolovi I site.

Stones and broken pieces, Homolovi I site.

Ruins - Homolovi II.

Excavated kiva - Homolovi II.

My camper at the Homolovi II parking lot - with Navidad inside.

I got a site at the Munds Park RV Resort for tonight and tomorrow.  When I had a moment to reflect, I thought about this morning’s “experiment” with Navidad.  The poor guy was, no doubt, perplexed by the back and forth.  His heart sinks every time he sees the carrier.  So, his heart sunk three times today.  As for me, I just have to deal with his weight – heaving him in/out of the truck and in/out of the camper.  Additionally, with the slideout retracted inside the camper, I don’t have much room to maneuver around.  But we done did it today and hopefully I’ll have another opportunity to do it again.

Hey, Sweet Boy, I'm gonna do my laundry tomorrow, okay?

FRIDAY, MAY 1

I did chores yesterday [Thursday 30^th] – laundry and some clean-up in the camper.  Navidad slept, or tried to.  I don’t think he liked that RV Park.  I-17 is so close – if I can see the cars and 16/18-wheelers zip by, Navidad can certainly hear them.  State Parks are far better places to stay!

Back on I-17 S, we left the higher elevation of the Munds Park area and headed back down to the lower elevations, connecting to Rt. 179 N towards Sedona.  The majestic red cliffs and rocks that Sedona is known for came into view as we approached this truly gorgeous Arizona terrain.  I pulled over into a couple of “scenic view” areas, wanting to take pictures, but couldn’t find a place to park.  Not only is this a beautiful area, it’s also very popular and extensively populated by a breed of people called “tourists.”

It is fortunate that I even managed to secure a site at the Rancho Sedona RV Park – two sites, to be specific.  It occurred to me yesterday that, since the weekend was coming up, it was highly probable that there might not be a vacancy at this RV Park.  I went to the park’s website and it stated that reservations could be made by phone only.  I sent an email anyway, explained why I didn’t have a cell phone, and got a response right away that they will hold two sites for me -- #25 for tonight and I’ll then have to move over to #26 for tomorrow night.  A minor inconvenience, but a huge relief I can stay here for two nights. 

I was in Sedona before so why come back?  Well, I really want to go to a nearby state park but again my brain registered “…it’s the weekend, MAP, ole girl…better check it out.”  Which I did and, sure enough, sites at that state park are scarce until Sunday.  I went ahead and made online reservations – for my fourth Arizona state park - for Sunday and Monday. 

Rancho Sedona is a very nice and well-kept private RV Park.  Something different here, though – they provide Digital Cable hookup at each site.  My Lance Camper is a 2005 model and, being that my TV is not digital, I couldn’t connect to the cable channels the way I always have on my camper trips.  One of the staff here (she goes by the name of Storm) told me, as I registered, to let her know if I needed help.  Spotting Storm walk by, I hollered that I did indeed need help.  When she realized I had an older TV, she got a converter box ($40.00 refundable deposit required) and spent considerable time getting the connections to work.  Knowing that I have to move over to #26 tomorrow, she showed me what all I have to do to reconnect. 

While inside my camper, Storm noticed Navidad in the bathroom.  I told her about this being the first time Navi and I are traveling together in the camper and how our respective adjustments are coming along.  She said she traveled in her RV (I think she said truck camper) with her cats for seven years and explained how she created an enclosed “safe place” for them inside truck and camper both.  Some ideas for me to mull over – if I want to continue to do this with Navidad.

SATURDAY, MAY 2

We moved!  Right “next door” to site #26!  No problems.  Now to get this blog posted…