The Inaugural Journey of the Carly Too
March 28-30, 2020, amidst the Corona virus pandemic, wondering if this was sane
Homolovi Ruins State Park near Winslow, AZ
Top Three Takeaways:
1. You have less space in which to escape the stinkbombs of an older dog's tooty-poots.
2. You join all other camper owners in singing the RV Owner's #1 Mantra: "We gotta get a better mattress."
3. Despite the near-two-hour setup, the hassles of take-down, dumping, and general cleanup, camping in a trailer beats just about anything!
Bonus Takeaway:
4. Just because you named your trailer after your dog doesn't guarantee that will lead to your dog's sudden devotion to its namesake.
Our anticipated weekend at Homolovi State Park, reservations made long before Corona entered our reality, included star-gazing at the park's observatory; visiting a cultural exhibit on the ancestral Hopi people at the architecturally and historically delightful La Posada Hotel in Winslow; and a possible side trip to Grand Falls to see the renowned chocolate-brown cascade of the Little Colorado River. A week before we went, pretty much all three of these adventures were cancelled by the powers that be. We decided to go anyway, as getting outdoors while maintaining safe distances was still considered a good thing to do. Plus, we were really anxious to try out our RV. We'd been staring at our new toy, steadfastly parked in our driveway, long enough.
We left town around noon, joined by neighbors Jim and Cathy in their rig, and together caravanned the two hour drive to Homolovi State Park, just north of Winslow. The landscape here looked rather bleak; an expanse of Mormon tea, rabbit brush, and sand was only broken by rocky outcroppings and the park's two paved roads. While the visitor center was closed, there were personnel curating the reserved camping spots, answering questions, providing maps and information, and generally keeping the place tidy.
Homolovi State Park Campground |
Set up and ready to go! |
Thanks, I'll stay right here. |
Settling in, we took a look around the campground, commenting on the pros and cons of a wide variety of rigs, and noticing that each camping spot had one little tree (still under winter dormancy), and then.....sand and scrubby bushes. But really, it was clean, well-built, and frankly all one could ask for.
We all chatted amiably while the sun set off to our side. Arizona has spectacular sunsets, this one was no exception. We decided since no activities were scheduled to structure the next day, our one full day here, we'd be able to leisurely explore the park's historical sites.
Homolovi Ruins State Park
Overview from the park's brochure: In the high grassland of 14th-century northern Arizona, an ancient people found a home along the Little Colorado River. These people, the Hisat'sinom (known to archaeologists -- and most of us -- as the Anasazi), paused in their migrations to till the rich floodplain and sandy slopes found here before continuing north to join people already living on the mesas to the north, people who today are known as the Hopi.The Little Colorado River, surrounded by non-native tamarisk. Not the lush river valley of cottonwoods and willows these ancient people would have seen.... |
Homolovi means "place of the little hills." Evident throughout the park are, indeed, small hills and outcroppings that break up the largely flat terrain. Two main ruins sites, Homolovi I and Homolovi II, were established on the tops of two of these hills, and offer a wide viewpoint of both the Little Colorado River and surrounding lands. Several other smaller prehistorical sites are sprinkled throughout the park, and there is one historic cemetery, all that remains from the town of Sunset, the first Mormon settlement along the Little Colorado River. Each site includes interpretive signage, trails, and ample opportunity to explore on one's own. From most vantage spots, the San Francisco Peaks 60 miles away popped into view, covered in recent snow, and were a stark contrast to the deep blue sky.
I took out my new electric spinning wheel and basked in the sun while doing a bit of spinning until I was fed up with the wind. I goaded Carly into the Carly Too, knitted a bit, soothing Carly until she fell asleep, and finally went into my own slumber.
Waking up to the sounds of Bruce and Jim getting the grill prepared for burgers and brats, we lunched and then Jim, Cathy, and I walked the near two miles from the campground to the Sunset Cemetery, and returned back to our campsites just in time for cocktail hour. Bob and Moira had struck out on their own after our morning walk to Homolovi I, and they too returned to join us.
Heading home, we reflected on our first trip. So far, all went well other than getting the trailer hitch stuck; a few items we wished we'd brought were put on a list for next time, and upon pulling into our driveway, we were stunned to be faced with Takeaway #5: Make sure you lock the trailer door or it'll open and flop back and forth while driving down an interstate. Fortunately, no damage was done* and while our next trip is completely unknown as of yet (April plans cancelled....dang these pandemics), we can't wait to get back on the road!
*OK OK it was my fault. This was the second, unused door that I popped open to poke my head out to say hello to our friends....and then neglected to LOCK it back in place.