Driving day, Four States

Long driving day on mainly good roads. We left Moab and headed west towards Monticello where Bert had located a Silver Queen mini golf place. It was inside a hardware store. We drove past a Mormon Church and I just had to take a photo. I was a little nervous as I didn’t want to upset anyone. So here are my very quick photos!

The mini golf was great – the theme was a neon mine. And I won!

We then drove onto Bluff for lunch. Great name for a small town. Most of the towns we passed through have been small. But we picked a winner with Bluff. The lunch spot was called Twin Rocks cafe. And this was why:

Happily, we had a 15-minute wait for a table so I went to the Trading Post next door for some retail therapy. There were some amazing handmade rugs, beautiful jewellery and gorgeous pots. The prices reflected the authenticity and were just a little too high for me.

The food was really good. Again far too much and I have started worrying about whether I will fit into any of my clothes or get charged for excess baggage (aka my expanding belly). But I am impelled to try things on menus that I have never eaten before. Today’s ‘must try’ were Navajo blue corn pancakes. I tried to persuade the waiter to give me just a small one to try but he could only serve me two. And they weren’t small. They were delicious.

And I also had to try the Navajo fried bread – which was also very tasty and could only come with lashings of pork canitas, two eggs and refried Anasazi beans. I am not joking when I say I am worried about my clothes…

I just couldn’t have any deserts but the Polygamy Porter Cake caught my eye. I guess we were in Utah.

Full to bursting, we turned off the official route as Bert had seen that we weren’t far off the Four Corners Monument. This is the only place in the US where four states meet at a single point. Breaking Bad fans might remember that Skyler goes to the Four Corners Monument and tosses a coin to see which state she should go to. It was 100 degrees Farenheit with very little shade and a queue to be able to stand in four different states. Luckily, only 3 photos per group were stipulated on the sign and most people stuck to the guidance. Just in front of us was a family with 7 kids – so they all wanted single photos of each kid, then mum, then dad, then the whole family. At least we had got to a shady bit. My idea was to do a downward dog with one foot in New Mexico, one foot in Arizona, one hand in Colorado and one hand in Utah. Didn’t realise how hot the ground would be but I managed it for a few seconds and Bert got the shot. It was all worth it.

Four Corners done, we re-joined the official route – was interesting driving back into Colorado, then briefly into Arizona and then back into Utah. The roads in Utah were not as smooth. And the speed limits vary a lot too. Keeps me on my toes!

Our overnight stop is a cabin in Monument Valley. It’s beautiful. But am knackered. They were showing Stagecoach after sunset in the main hotel. But I am too tired. We have been driving through the backdrop of every spaghetti western you can imagine. I even saw some tumbleweed bounce across the road in front of me, and we had to slow down as wild horses crossed over. There was even a turn off that looked just like those places in Breaking Bad where dodgy things happened.

This is tonight’s view directly from our cabin.

And the same view after sunset.

The heat has started to build and it’s getting a bit too hot even for me.

More adventures tomorrow with an early start. Grand Canyon by way of Antelope Canyon. Night night.