Summer 2013 - Southwest
Take Two

An easy drive today. It would have been a bit shorter, but we wanted to stop at the Four Corners Monument to take pictures of us straddling four states at the same time. It only added about 30 minutes to the ride so it was not a big deal. We had visited the monument 18 years ago when we traveled through the area with the kids on our last family vacation. Of course, like everyone else there, we took pictures of us and the kids on the marker. Today we updated the pictures without kids.

Since our last visit to the monument, things have changed dramatically. The four corners and the marker are still in the same place, but they really updated the surroundings. Eighteen years ago there was a series of wooden shanties that served as sales stalls for Navajos selling various crafts. If you had to use the toilets there were a couple of outhouses. The outhouses are still there, but the shanties have been replaced by brick and concrete stalls. There is a new structure being built that was not marked, but I assume it will serve as a visitor center. I don't know if the new structure will include toilets because there is no running water in the monument.

After we left the Four Corners we headed for Santa Fe. One of the things we wanted to see and photograph was Shiprock. As you approach the town of Shiprock, NM, you can see the formation known as Shiprock from miles away, on US 64. All we wanted to do was to find a spot where we could photograph it. When we got to the point that we felt was closest to Shiprock, I slowed down (hoping that no one would run us down on this high speed road) and Susie started snapping pictures. I finally found a small cutout and Susie was able to take some additional pictures. After photographing Shiprock we headed to Santa Fe.

After arriving at the hotel, Susie did about 10 days worth of laundry. Later we are going to Susie's cousin, Dan, for dinner.