Day 10: Mesa Verde to Monument Valley, Arizona

By Mesa Verde, breaking camp was finally a well-rehearsed routine, just in time for our final night under canvas. Although we were not in a rush, we were keen to get to Monument Valley to see the famous scenery. Along the way, we took a 10-mile detour to visit Four Corners...which is under construction. Thanks to President Obama's Stimulus Bill, lots of national parks and monuments were under at least partial construction.

Anyways, Four Corners is the only place in America where four states meet at one point. It used to be a signpost in the ground, and they're building a new fancy concrete thing. And it's all the in wrong place, if you believe the crazy people at the US Geological Survey. So, instead of being able to stand in all four states at once, we walked a couple hundred feet outside the chainlink fence around the "official" four corners site, and we visited all four states of Arizona New Mexico, Utah and Colorado. It was also a surprisingly good place for shopping for Native American jewelery and crafts. We girls all picked out a bracelet with a Four Corners bead, and Charles got a t-shirt.

The drive through Utah's most southeasterly corner, and then into Arizona, was spectacular. Lots of photos were taken from inside the van, because the scenery was just too beautiful. A little rain welcomed us to the Valley, which seems unfriendly, but it brought with it a rainbow and some amazing colors in the clouds as the Sun set. Warning to anyone who would like to visit: the Monument Valley Navajo Park campground is VERY basic (1/4 mile walk to the nearest porta-potty and no running water). Of course, we skipped hot chocolate before bedtime to avoid excess trips overnight. But in my opinion, the views were worth it.