MaLeah's Blog: Four Corners

Four Corners

Saturday, May 31, 2008 MaLeah

Ever since we began talking about our Grand Canyon area vacation, Matthew had said we should go visit Four Corners. He’d been there with his family in 5^th grade and said while it wasn’t necessarily something to write home about that we should give it a look-see. He also said that yes, it was in the middle of nowhere and if you were ever in the area you should stop since you might never be in that particular part of nowhere again in your lifetime. So, after visiting Monument Valley we decided to take the extra couple hours drive (I think that is how long it took) to go on up there.

A few of you may be wondering what exactly Four Corners is. Well, there is only one spot in the country where four states meet at one central location, where their corners touch, hence the name Four Corners. If you’ll remember at the end of my last post I mentioned that my dad (who has to have been a weather man in a former life) said that it was about to come a down pour any second while we were taking the photo in front of the New Mexico sign. Well, this sign is right outside the gate to Four Corners. So, we should have known better than to attempt our next move-actually going in the place.

Apparently, Four Corners didn’t used to charge an entrance fee (according to Matthew) but now it cost $3 per person to get in. A rip off, but what are you going to do after you drove all that way? Turn around and not go in? I think not. So, we paid our $12 and pulled into the little circular driveway around the Four Corners Marker. Usually the place must be bustling with activity as there were many wooden shacks that sell snacks and Native American arts and crafts in a ring around the marker/monument itself. But, the place was a ghost town when we arrived. This was a bad sign, I guess. No sooner did we pay our money and get into the parking area did it come the hardest downpour I have ever seen. Now we had driven an extra 2 hours and paid $12 to get to this place and I was NOT leaving without my pictures! We were only 1 of 3 vehicles in the area. We all sat there stunned in our vehicles while thunder boomed and lightening streaked the sky.

Considering that the 4 Corners marker was surrounded by metal flag poles, a great lightening attractant, I decide that I had to make a move. Matthew and dad say they are not getting out. Mom and I make a run for it while my dad yells out the window that we are crazy and to get back in the car before we fry ourselves. So, naturally he joins in the fun less than 2 minutes later. Matthew on the other hand isn’t quite as nuts and takes pictures of all of us out the window. Soaked to the bone the 3 of us run back to the car after snapping off a few shots and Matthew says, “So, are we good? Can we go?” Not so fast mister! I say, “We aren’t leaving yet. I’m not done taking pictures.” And, he says, “Well, what will it take for us to get to leave?” My answer is, “I’m not going anywhere till we get a picture of the 2 of us together.” So, he says, “Well, let’s go.” The 4 of us jump back out and snap off pictures for 5 or 10 minutes like we are some sort of crazed paparazzi team and then finally, we decide to get out of there.

To make a long story short, I’m glad we got the pictures but this little gem wouldn't be worth driving to on its own merit. But, like Matthew said, you better get a picture of yourself while you are out there in case you never go back again. Good advice Matthew, Good Advice.

First 4 photos: Close ups of the states that make up the Four Corners:

Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, & Utah