April 11

Today we headed west and north of Winslow in a big loop that took us up onto the Navajo and Hopi reservations.

First stop was Petrified Forest National Park.

Then up through the Painted Desert.

When we arrived at Hubbell Trading Post in Navajo Nation, we discovered that they observe daylight savings time, though the rest of Arizona does not.

It was getting late, so we hastened up to Second Mesa, for dinner at the Hopi Cultural Center. The weather was very gloomy as we climbed the steep mesa. At the top we stopped and looked back -- the sun was shining through the clouds down over the valley from whence we had come.

It began to snow as we arrived at the Cultural Center, and there was some discussion about whether we should turn back immediately. The winding mountain road would be difficult to navigate in a snow storm. But our sense of adventure prevailed, and we stayed to eat. The snow stopped, and soon melted, so all was well.