One of my favorite road trip stops this year was Homolovi State Park and Winslow, Arizona. It’s fairly close to Petrified Forest National Park, which we visited as well, and Flagstaff, Arizona. Winslow is on the old Route 66 and is an adorable small town with lots of charm. It sits roughly an hour west of Petrified Forest and an hour east of Flagstaff, making it a perfect midpoint stop.
Beatrix and I checked in at Homolovi State Park on an April afternoon. The sun was shining brightly, but our camp spot was miraculously in the shade!
The traveling Tacoma makes it to Arizona!
We had a nice, slow afternoon, and I even realized the tent pad at our spot was the perfect place to put my yoga mat and do a little stretching. By that time we’d been on the road for a few days, and my body definitely felt it.
The weather was perfect in the shade, so Beatrix and I just kicked back and got some rest until it was time to make dinner.
Enjoying the quiet and the desert landscape.
Beatrix the mini schnauzer, camping goddess.
At first there weren’t too many other campers, but as it got close to evening, the campgrounds filled up and every spot was taken. I had made a reservation in advance, which I highly recommend for this park; it’s in demand.
There are some major upsides to campgrounds, such as a built-in sense of security (whether true or not) and access to trash and bathrooms. In fact, I usually try to get a spot really close to the bathrooms so I can easily take bathroom breaks and brush my teeth, even though I have a sink in my build. It helps save my water, and it’s always a plus when you can actually flush a toilet. But there are downsides, too. It did feel a little cramped with everyone in there, although most people really keep to themselves. But it can feel a little weird doing all my leg stretching yoga poses and downward dog in full view of like a dozen RVs.
When sunset began, I was speechless.
Just breathtaking!
I was really mesmerized by the bright golden light. There is something so beautiful about the flat, vast desert and the endless sky. I’ve always thought tall trees and mountains were my favorite, but doing some desert camping this year has made me change my mind. When it’s not oppressively hot, the desert is one of the most magical places to be.
The sunrise was gorgeous too! The sunlight poured into my truck.
It really got me up bright and early!
There are two historical sites at Homolovi State Park featuring the ruins of native structures. According to the official Homolovi State Park website, “Homolovi” is Hopi for “place of the little hills.” The Hisat’sinom, or ancestral Puebloan people, migrated through this area on the way to join the people now known as the Hopi. This area is considered sacred to the Hopi.
I didn’t visit the ruins because my priority when I travel is Beatrix, first and foremost. I don’t like her to get out in the direct sun, and I try to minimize the time I just leave her in the car with the engine running as much as possible, especially in warm places like Arizona. But I’m also torn on seeing some of these things. I feel like such a colonizer tourist traipsing around the remains of a sacred place that was once the homeland of a thriving and ancient culture. Of course, I also think it’s important as a tourist to remember these places and sit with that discomfort as well.
Through the course of my traveling, I’ve realized that some of the most beautiful places I’ve visited are on the grounds of stolen land. I’ve been thinking about doing a deeper post just about that, so stay tuned.
After leaving the state park, Beatrix and I stopped in at the little town of Winslow to get some gas. It’s a small, slow, cool little town, kind of like Bishop, California, which I talked about in my last post.
Welcome to Winslow!
I noticed some signs for Standin’ on the Corner Park, from the famous line from the Eagles song, so I had to make a quick stop.
Standin’ on the corner in Winslow, Arizona.
Right near the corner, I spotted a massive vintage Santa Fe train on display, so of course I had to grab a photo!
Classic train moment!
One thing I noticed while driving through all of that big, gorgeous Arizona desert was there are trains everywhere out there. Of course I had to take a pic in front of one when I could! After a peaceful night in the desert and a quick corner stop in Winslow, we were back on the road, next stop: Nevada.
Just Get Outside! 