On our way to Canyon de Chelly, we stop at the Hubbell Trading Post National Historic site. To get here, we drove though miles of Navajo Country, wdesert and across a tiny one lane bridge.

On the outside, the building looks as it once did. Adobe bricks baked by the sun form crude walls. A hard pack dirt parking lot, kicks up red dust as we enter.

Inside, a small shop sells everything from pots and pans to souvenirs. The back rooms showcase rugs and blankets woven by local craftsmen. Historical displays tell the history of the post.

Locals sell pumpkins from trucks near the back door. I can’t help but wander the grounds. I keep my eyes open for rattlesnakes. Abandoned wooden livestock chutes remind me that sheep stations used to be big business here. I guess the park service isn’t in the livestock market.

The government shut down has closed the visitor center. No matter. We got the experience we came for. A piece of history and friendly people are all you can ask of a travel experience. Hubbell had both.