Depending on the route you take, driving East from California means miles and miles of desert. In the summer months, that means heat. At other times, the desert can be windy… very, very windy. Half of California and most of Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico tend to be vast miles of open high desert that run through Indian reservation land, agricultural communities, remote military instillations, and even the occasional casino. Even rarer are larger cities with names older than the territories that became states.
Sleepy from miles and miles of warm rocking highway and constant sage bushes, I pulled into a town for a cup of coffee. I discovered Williams, Arizona… “Gateway To The Grand Canyon.” Initially I thought it was a Native American town… perhaps an old gold mining town. But only 2.89% of the population is African American and only 1.32% is Hopi, Navajo, or Akimel O’odham (formerly the Pima). Yet, everyone seems to be happy together… including the 32.34% Hispanic or Latinos, the 77.13% whites, and the 1.34% Asians. Go figure.
I strongly encourage anyone who is interested in finding a slightly quirky, very friendly, attractive, historic place to live. You may read more about Williams, Arizona by clicking on this link.
Black Traveler 