A visit to Homolovi, the mysterious pueblos at the “Place of the Little Hills” as the Hopi word aptly refers to this important ancestral home.

Constructed late, and short-lived in the northern Arizona pueblo world, this series of seven villages represents the flowering of large village architecture, farming, trade, and the new kachina religion.  Between 1260 and 1400 these pueblos thrived along the fertile, yet unpredictable Little Colorado River.

We begin our visit at the modern State Park Visitors Center before driving to Homolovi II, the largest of the pueblos, with 1200 rooms and ceremonial kivas. A paved walking trail with benches winds through the ruin. On a clear day we will easily see the San Francisco Peaks 40 miles to the west, the pastel Painted Desert north, and imagine the LCR (Little Colorado River) ancient cotton fields below.

Before we return home we should stop at the grande Fred Harvey railroad era Hotel La Posada in Winslow. A visit to the Winslow Arts Trust Museum in the old train station will give us more clues to understanding Homolovi. This exhibit (one of several) titled Life Along the River, adds a good insight into the excavation of Homolovi by Arizona State Museum at the University of Arizona, and consultation with the Hopi Tribe.

Lunch and exploring Hotel La Posada and other parts of Winslow.