Section 5, West by Southwest, Chapters 1-12 Summary and Analysis

William crosses into Arizona, passes through Phoenix northeast toward the Hopi Indian reservation in Holbrook. William quietly drives through the Hopi village where he finds a good lunch but no one willing to have a conversation. William marvels at the resilience of the people who have the patience and resourcefulness to have lived on this barren land for centuries. When a sandstorm blows up, William takes refuge with some of the villagers in a local store but no one will speak to him, so William drives Ghost Dancing onward toward the Painted Desert.

After days of desert heat, William eschews viewing the Coral Sand Dunes in favor of heading to Cedar City, Utah, where he hopes for cooler weathers. Encountering a sign warning of an elevation of 10,000 feet with impassable roads...