Four Corners & Mexican Hat, Utah.

Only a short drive through a very bumpy Colorado road to the border of New Mexico and the Four Corners National Monument http://www.navajonationparks.org/htm/fourcorners.htm

Mexican Hat butte

We had to pay $12 to get in ($3 each person) and then a short road to a very rutted parking area. Surrounding us were rocky buttes, and desert. Lining the area to the actual monument itself were lots of joined together stalls, selling pricey Navajo jewellery and art. When we approached the monument there was only one other man there, but once we stepped on to it to get the kids to pose, suddenly all these other tourists appeared from nowhere and swarmed over it - it was bizarre! So we gave up trying to get a good shot and decided to have some lunch in the 5th Wheel first. We bought a couple of Navajo Fry bread from a caravan ($3 each, one with cinnamon and sugar) which were really yummy, and very similar to Maori fry bread. We went back to the monument again, and managed to get some good shots of the kids, and then a lady & I swapped cameras and I took one of her & she one of all of us. On the road again, back through the Navajo Reservation which seems to be a lot of desert type area with small houses dotted around the landscape. In the distance we could see buttes and rocky outcrops of all different earthy colours. On the way to Mexican Hat, Utah (name for the upside down Sombrero shaped rock perched on a butte) it started to rain, so we will probably stay at our campground and visit Monument Valley & the Navajo Tribal Park tomorrow. After dinner the rain eased and the sun peeped through the clouds, so we decided to go for a ride. Rainbows shimmered behind the red cliffs and the clouds were tinted pink as the sun was setting. We had some breath-taking views of The Mittens (mitten shaped buttes) in the distance; their ethereal majesty just visible through the mist.

Kate at Four Corners

Josh at Four Corners

The Alvrez's at Four Corners

Road to nowhere

Start of the Buttes

A donkey grazing without fences

San Juan river

View by campground in Mexican Hat, Utah

Campground at Mexican Hat.

Moden/Ancient

Sunset over buttes

Rainbow over buttes

Monuments in the distance

Famous Mittens buttes in distance

Sunset

Monuments in the mist

Parked at the side of the road

Driving in the desert

Navajo Fry bread

Parked in Four Corners lot

Fred & kids Four Corners

Josh being funny