Raven's Roads
Living an interesting life: the travels and musings
of motorcycling author Linda R. Moore

Apr 13, 2005

Homolovi Ruins

(10th April)

In Winslow, I had noticed on the map some ruins nearby - the Homolovi Ruins state park. I decided to use my last afternoon in town to go visit them, and I am glad I did.

You go into the desert, and it was quite windy still, but nothing like it had been. I was a bit uneasy but went anyway. A narrow road leads out into nowhere, and then you get to the visitor centre where there are views of mesas and the desert for miles around. It’s very lonely and very beautiful.

I took a while to absorb the view, then looked around the visitor centre and paid my dues. There were two sets of ruins, dating back about 700-800 years, and the first set I visited had interpretation signs to show me what I was seeing. I was quite alone up there, and enjoyed the experience very much…the ruins, while not much was visible, still gave a pretty good idea of what used to be there, and I liked the feeling very much.

After that I sat and contemplated the nature of the universe for a while, and felt peaceful. I also had a pretty strong sense that I would be on my way again the next day.

The second set of ruins was not “interpreted”, that is, I almost missed where you went in. Eventually I spotted the gate and figured out that I was looking at an archaeological dig, the raw deal almost, complete with plastic bags lining the rooms. Bits of pottery were lying all over the place, and butterflies flitted here and there. A pair of ravens flew overhead. It was all very empty and all very special.

Even more special to find a single white lily-like flower, just growing there on its own.

Somehow I felt that this was part of why I’d been held up in Winslow - literally, so I could stop and, if not smell, then at least notice, the roses.

Today’s song is “Fool on the Hill”, with the wind blowing in my hair.