Four Corners ~ Revisited

Hubby and I visited Four Corners in the summer of 1972BK (before kids). We had come to Colorado to see the best man in our wedding while he was in grad school in Greeley. While in the state we decided to make it a vacation by driving to the farthest southwest corner, Four Corners. There may be some very faded photos in one of the early marriage albums, but I don't have access to them right now.

Another visit to Four Corners has been on my bucket list for a few years, especially since we started geocaching. Hubby consented to the out-of-the-way destination on this year's trip home. Four Corners is out-of-the-way from anywhere/everywhere! The last time we came from Cortez CO and Mesa Verde. This time we came from Gallup and Shiprock NM.

snow covered mountains in northwestern NM

a National Monument on Native land

the signage at the entrance to Four Corners

first stop...the restrooms; state park style port-a-potties

the new restrooms are under construction

I can not imagine the lines to these two little buildings

when the tour busses arrive!!!

the medallion is the same

but I think the surrounding medallion has changed

Hubby is sitting on the little 4 states medallion

and sitting IN all four states

there are now 4 ramps and viewing areas for photos

visitors are limited to 3 photos (supposedly)

we were 'required' to take 4 each for geocaching!

plus all the others for blogging and posterity

seating areas, 4 of them, for those waiting to take photos

 or those watching the photo taking process

One of the things we both remembered form the 1972 visit was the hawking of handcrafted items from the Natives. They set up a table and displayed their items, trying to keep them from blowing away, or protecting them from the elements of Mother Nature. We wondered if there would still be the handcrafted items for sale...

again, can't imagine the lines when the tour busses arrive

it certainly wasn't busy when we stopped,

but there was some waiting because nobody takes just 3 photos

...well, of course there would be. After all, it is reservation land, Navajo land. Along with all the new seating and ramps for photos, the Native craftsmen have enclosed stalls. I would guess there are 10 or 12 stalls on each of the four sides of the monument. The stalls are equipped with electricity as one woman told us she had a heater behind the counter. It was windy, but the four sided (open on the corners) protected the interior area, somewhat. No handcrafted items were blowing around.

the state flags at Four Corners, and a few others

Although I took this photo for the flags, it gives a good view of the entrance into the center of the monument area and a great view of the backside of the craftsmen's stalls. Each stall is around 10x10. Maybe a third of the stalls were open for business when we were there, selling jewelry, decorated arrows and knives, sand paintings, horsehair ceramics, dream catchers, and more jewelry.

The parking lot was packed clay, not paved. The ground was uneven, with ruts and potholes. Parking was here and there with no specific designated rows or lines. So that hadn't changed.

signage at the entrance

(no food on the day we were there)

didn't see the Welcome to signs for Colorado, Utah, or Arizona

you can only get there through CO or NM

a mesa along the highway

metal artwork along the highway

and the sign at the elevators in the hotel in Gallup

We stopped at Four Corners primarily because of geocaching. It was a very big deal for the four geocaches to be allowed at Four Corners because it is reservation land. There were placed a year ago last August.  The geocaches do not have containers. We had to answer questions and take photos to prove we were there. Been there. Done that. I can now wait another 47years to see it again. Maybe the parking lot will be paved and the toilets will flush???