Day 38 - Mile 6,085: Four Corners

As leaving Blanding we entered the Navajo Nation territory.  The first to greet us were horses roaming the highway.  

In a matter of minutes we passed through four states: Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico.  This area, known as "Four Corners", also is one of the biggest trourist traps on the planet. 

The Navajo Nation national park is situated here.  For ten bucks you can visit their national park which sadly isn't much.  There is a monument, but it is over shadowed and encircled by booths of local indians selling jewelry, dream catchers and other wares.  We both felt saddened that this is how people earn a living.  It seems with a little marketing saavy this unique spot could become a destination onto its own rather than the West's version of Pedro's South of the Border (for those not privy to Pedro you need to take a trip down I-95 where the borders of North and South Carolinas meet).

Upon entering New Mexico we stopped at the "Aztec Ruins" national monument.  This park features ruins of an old Pueblo village dating back to between 1,000-1,200 AD (roughly the same time frame during which Notre Dame was built).

The reference to Aztec is a misnomer because the Pueblo have nothing to do with the Aztec culture (but the people who founded the town back in the 1880s did not understand the difference so both the town and the ruins share this name).  

At one time this was a thriving town with buildings as high as 3 stories.  The villagers grew crops and raised livestock.  But is is assumed that a major drought ultimately drove them away and to other parts of New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona.

Later that evening we found another perfect campsite perched on a lake at Navajo Dam state park.  We tucked MerSea 2 in between  Juniper and Pinon trees to steal the only shade available.  As the temperatures dropped it made for a very good night's sleep.