We stayed a couple of nights at Homolovi State Park located a couple of miles north of Winslow, Arizona. The Hopi spelling of the word is Homol’ovi, which means “place of the little hills.” Before 2011 the park was named Homolovi Ruins State Park, but the Hopi petitioned the state parks board to remove the word “Ruins” from the name because they consider the place spiritually alive. There are 2 ancient sites open to visitors at the park — Homolovi I and Homolovi II — in addition to a more recent cemetery.

Homolovi I

On our initial day at this location, we embarked on a 1.5-mile walk from our campsite to Homolovi I. A dirt path guided us through the site, where we observed a significant concentration of clay fragments and various artifacts. We are fortunate that this site has been preserved, and the majority of visitors honor its historical integrity by refraining from collecting the diverse items. Numerous pieces have been placed on larger rocks throughout the site to make them easier to view.

The desert stink beetles we saw on this walk will stand on their heads as a defensive posture to warn predators (me???) that they are about to release a stinky spray. They can reach up to 20 inches away! Thankfully he didn’t get me.

Homolovi II

The next day, before heading into Winslow for a day trip, we drove out to Homolovi II. This site is completely accessible via a nicely paved path. On our way to the site we saw several groups a wild burrows and on our way out of the park we even met a few wild horses that briefly blocked the road.

Sunset Cemetary

I should note here that I’ve had a full blown case of allergies the past few days. WeatherBug has warned me every morning that pollen levels from Juniper and other plants are very high. After a dose of antihistamine and resting in the air conditioned van for a couple of hours after returning from Winslow, I was up for another hike. Lisa suggesting taking a trail from the campgrounds to the park’s visitor center, and from there to Sunset Cemetery. Unlike the archaeological sites within the park, this cemetery is a little more modern. It was used by a group of 19th century settlers who founded the city of Sunset as part of the Arizona Territory established in 1876. A granite headstone has been erected within the cemetery that lists those buried there, mostly young children and infants.

Home Here and There

Lisa captured the beautiful sunrise shown below on the left from our campsite the morning we left Homolovi State Park. Contrast that with the screen print shown below on the right where a blizzard back home had shut down interstates 35 and 80 along with most other major roads throughout Iowa. Our son, Ryan, who coordinates truck drivers for a Des Moines trucking firm said it was a very painful night of work. Fortunately, temps there are expected to rise quickly throughout the week so hopefully things can get back to normal within a couple of days. We, on the other hand, will continue to enjoy our nice, warm weather in the Southwest for at least another week.