"A long day of driving was ahead of us, travelling from Kayenta to Williams. We stopped for gas, money, and latte at the Shepherd’s Eye Coffee. The coffee shop also provided tourist information and offered Internet access. We spoke to the owner who indicated he was studying civil engineering. A nice fellow with lots of information about the area and the Indian culture. We fetched a sample of putty from the Jeep and offered it to him. He smiled, asked about how the product was used in a very civil-engineering type of way, and also inquired what we were doing with it.
On the way to the Grand Canyon, we consulted Greta the Garmin on other interesting spots in the area and discovered there was a Hopi Cultural Museum about an hour east of our current location. Seeking possibilities for remote putty give-aways, we headed to the Hopi reservation which is actually inside the Navajo reservation.
It was an interesting side trip. We stopped at the museum and learned about Hopi culture, history, and people. The Hopis had moved to the top of the mesas after forcing the Spanish back to Mexico in the Mid 1500s. We learned that the Hopis received 1.6 million acres of land, while the Navajo got 17 million acres and that to this day they still are in disagreement over the land settlement. We witnessed and read about the arid farming methods they have used for centuries to grow corn, much different than the modern methods we use in the Midwest. Unfortunately, no photos are allowed on the Hopi land…we didn’t want Jim’s camera – or Jim – confiscated!
While exiting the museum we provided putty to museum curator. Putty of any type appears to be a mystery with most of the Indians we have encountered. This has made the giveaways even more interesting and fun for us. After the museum, we drove to an Indian market on the Hopi reservation where we met Harry. Harry talked to us about how land ownership works with different clans and how people are allowed to join a village (pueblo). It all has to do with the chiefs of the pueblos and what dances they want in their village. He explained that much of his family was originally from a pueblo about 40-50 miles away. They were recruited, so to speak, to move. He was a silversmith and talked to us about the stories behind several pieces of jewelry. We purchased a few items and provided putty samples to Harry. For those of you who are interested, Harry has a Web site; you can check it out at http://www.hopimarket.com/
After our two-hour side trip, we moved on pretty quickly through Flagstaff to Williams, a small town probably best known for its location along the historic Route 66. We did stop in Flagstaff rush hour traffic to get a photo of Aaron at the official Flagstaff marker. When we got to Williams, we checked into the Canyon Country Inn, a quaint bed and breakfast. We made a stop for a few necessities and met the proprietor of Clothes for Gracie (that would be Gracie’s mom). She was selling Burt’s Bees products including, get this, marshmallow vanishing cream, really who would want to make a marshmallow vanish? We had dinner and a drink each at Pancho McGillicuddy’s, a sort-of-all-in-one establishment just a few blocks away.
In addition to lots of Route 66 memorabilia, we saw some interesting sights throughout town. For example, there were two bikers decked out in leather sipping lattes. We also found a store with dozens of different types of hot sauce, some with some amusing, but not for polite company, names!"
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