Hovenweep and the Reservations

Hovenweep National Monument is not far away. It was once home to over 2500 people and includes 6 prehistoric villages. Since Hovenweep is in both Colorado and Utah, and there is a Utah entrance, and the governor of Utah has opened all National parks and monuments in the state, I think that there may a chance that it is open.

:-( … Very disappointing …

From here we realize that we need to be heading south, getting closer to Albuquerque. I have a very detailed New Mexico map and we decide to take the roads that go through the reservations and the national preserves and forests of New Mexico.

Long, lonely roads through Apache and Navajo lands. This is not American suburbia. There are no McDonald’s or McMansions around. No housing developments. We got gas at the one lone casino along the way.  The Natives live simply, mostly in trailers or double wides. Almost always horses and pickup trucks. I saw a couple of clusters of modular homes, exactly like each other, each with a propane tank out front.  The modular homes were painted in bright colors. There is no adornment on the homes to make one look “better” than the others.

Again, the land is predominant, not the home. The Natives live on the land.