Day 15 - Tuba City to Santa Fe

Today we drove some lesser traveled roads on the way to Santa Fe. A lovely, but cold day brought us through Cindy's old stomping ground when she taught on the Navajo Reservation. Alternating between the Navajo and Hopi Reservations, we saw the ancient homelands of the indigenous people, then stopped in Keams Canyon for a snack and to check out the Native Arts store. We drove through Cindy's school in Jeddito. It's changed a bit since then, more housing, athletic fields, a paved road, and an actual bit of a town.
Then we stopped at the Hubbel Trading Post National Historic Site in Ganado. This is a park dedicated to the Hubbel family setting up and successfully running a trading post. The buildings are all still there, and it remains an active trading post for local artists, as well as having a general store. We started at the visitor's center where we were greeted by a Navajo Park Ranger who was fantastic with information and explanations. Apparently the Hubbels relied on treating their clientele fairly, and this particular location became popular with all sides of the trading of goods. What a concept! The actual store is full of native arts and crafts of the highest quality. A really nice quick stop that enhanced our knowledge of the local area.Read more