We were up bright and early.  After  a late night enjoying the Colorado food and drink we fell into bed so we could get an early start.  We began the day with a tour  of the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings.  They were just amazing.  The excavations trace the evolution of the Anisazi people over hundreds of years – from pit dwellers to cliff dwellers.  The cliff dwellings were an incredible feat.  While the Indians were surrounded by rock, the fact that they cut it, shaped it and carried it up sheer rock cliffs to build entire communities is mindblowing. Primarily an agrarian society, the Anisazi died out.  Historians are not quite sure why but they theorize that a less peaceful tribe attacked them.  There is evidence of protective fortifications so it is possible they were attacked by a warring tribe. There are over 600 Anisazi sites in the park which has an elevation of over 8,000 feet.  Those were intrepid Indians.  Almost everywhere you look there are entire communities hanging off the cliffs. Many are open for guided tours. My family opted for the Cliff Palace.  I was more about the fry bread with honey for breakfast.

Leaving Mesa Verde John and I plotted a course that would wander back and forth through Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico.  We planned to stop for lunch in Shiprock, New Mexico – on a Pueblo Indian reservation. We chose a restaurant that the locals favor.  Completely forgetting that the locals are all Indians.  We ordered steak sandwiches and ended up with a chicken fried half of cow on a bun.  It was huge. With entirely different spices than we are accustomed to.  Had I taken longer to look at the menu I would have ordered a Frito Pie – a southwestern favorite that I haven’t had in a restaurant since college.

As we were driving to the restaurant we saw a sign for the Four Corners Monument so we added that to our itinerary.  We pulled out of the restaurant and followed the GPS.  We started out on paved road.  But the road quickly deteriorated.  Signs said that we were on a BIA road (Board of Indian Affairs).  The more we drove, the worse the road.  A black dog appeared out of nowhere and ran ahead of the car.  About that time we began to seriously question the GPS.  John began to mimic the GPS which was urging us on – “Follow the black dog for 1.9 miles.”  Have you ever seen a Toyota Corolla with a cartop carrier off-roading?  It’s not a pretty sight.  We reversed course and the GPS was annoyed.  Back on the highway we took to a major road which lead up to the Four Corners Monument.  And it was HOT.

The monument is on BIA land and the tribe exacts a toll for entering. The monument it self is a huge bronze medallion on the ground. Did I mention it was HOT?  Without a tree in sight.  One young sightseer attempted to lay down on the monument to be in all four states at the same time.  He got up pretty quickly.  I touched the monument and actually burned the tip of my finger like it had been branded.  Nothing else to see here and begging for A/C we were back in the car again and headed for a Utah State Park.

Goose Neck is a 1,000 foot cliff that overlooks the San Juan River.  The river is a dark green and wanders lazily through the mountains.  It’s almost impossible to imagine that this river could have cut the canyons.  Down below rafts floated down the river and I made a mental note for my next trip….

Our final destination for the day was Page, AZ.  As we drove to Page we witnessed a beautiful thunderstorm behind the ragged cliffs.  But it was gone by the time we arrived. Dinner at Bonkers, a local restaurant, capped off a full day.