Colorado/The 4 Corners

DAY 6 TUES 2 OCT 2012 Had my first taste of tequila ever in my life, here. Needed it - to calm my nerves after the terrifying and nerve-wracking drive along the cliffside hairpin twists and turns to Mesa Verde National Park; not far from here. We were drawn to this small family-owned and run restaurant, and ate here twice. Enjoyed it thoroughly. The owner (Gustavo) was just starting out. Given the choice of fast-food corporate chain restaurants that exist in every town, we would deliberately seek out establishments that struck us as unique and original, with menu choices that reflected local and cultural cuisine, prepared fresh and in-house. Located on the main road that runs through town (Hwy 160), 1430 E Main St., on the corner of N. Edith St. Since this pic was taken (Oct 2012), I'm not sure if they're still there, or whether they've moved to another location.

DAY 6 TUES 2 OCT 2012 Coyote stole the stars laid out by First Man and scattered them, willy nilly, across the heavens. Yet, from Coyote's mischievous behavior, changes came about that made life better. From Coyote's foolishness, mortals gained wisdom, learned what, and what not, to do. Coyote is a prominent figure in Native American lore and mythology. The Navajo regard coyote as a trickster - mischievous, cunning, alert. Both sacred and profane, Coyote gives birth to mischief and promise, he is a deceiver, but also a deliverer of good. Through his actions, change becomes possible; and change, through good and bad, brings newness and breaks conformity. - Gerald Hausman, The Gift of the Gila Monster, Navajo Ceremonial Tales ; 1993

DAY 7 WED 3 OCT 2012 Cliff Palace (silly name for an ancient and native ancestral site, if you ask me) Mesa Verde's largest cliff dwelling. This historical and archaeological site is accessible via a ranger-guided tour that makes a 1/4 mile loop and lasts about an hour. I did not go down into the site (but my husband and guide did - since they both seemed to be less afraid of heights than I was), and involves climbing five, 8-10ft ladders, on a 100ft (30m) vertical climb. The tour begins at Cliff Palace overlook, which is a 23-mile (37km), one-hour drive from the Visitor and Research Center.

DAY 8 THUR 4 OCT 2012 Drive: from Cortez/Mesa Verde, CO to Chinle, AZ During our drive, we stop at the four corners monument; so named because of where four state boundary lines meet and intersect. The Colorado corner lies in the Ute Mountain reservation, while the Utah, Arizona and New Mexico corners lie in the Navajo Nation. This information plaque bears the insignia's of the U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 1848 (top left), U.S. Public Land Survey System (bottom left), U.S. Dept. of the Interior,/Bureau of Land Management (top right), and the Great Seals of the Navajo Nation, and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (Towaoc, Colorado). Above the Great Seals of the Navajo & Ute, the words read: Indian Lands The four corners area is surrounded by Indian Lands. The Navajo Nation lies in New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. The Ute Mountain Ute Nation is located in Colorado. Respect the culture and traditions of the four corners area. " The plaque (middle section) reads: Four Corners -- A Common Bond This is the only place in the United States marking the common corner of four states -- Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. Who established this corner? The four corners monument was established and perpetuated by U.S. Government Surveyors and Astronomers beginning in 1868. Surveyors Ehud Darling (1868), Chandler Robbins (1875), Rollin Reeves (1878) and Howard Carpenter (1901) surveyed the boundary lines between the states. In 1899, U.S. Surveyors Hubert Page and James Lentz found the four corners monument disturbed and broken. They marked and set a new stone at the original location. Everett Kimmell, General Land Office, remonumented the Page-Lentz stone with a concrete and brass monument in 1931. The Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Indian Affairs poured a concrete paving block around the Kimmell monument in 1962. In 1992, Cadastral Surveyors Darryl Wilson and Jack Eaves officially remonumented the deteriorating Kimmell marker with an aluminum bronze disc. The structure that you see today was rebuilt by the Bureau of Land Management.

DAY 8 THUR 4 OCT 2012 Drive: from Cortez/Mesa Verde, CO to Chinle, AZ An artist I admire and respect.. I first became aware of Bob Lansing 's artistry during a brief stop at the Cameron Trading Post in 2010. I didn't much like this tourist trap, and could'nt wait to leave, but not before visiting the small gallery they have on the premises. That was the first time I encountered the amazing pottery and artistry skills of Navajo artist Bob Lansing. I had NO idea who he was; did not know he was Navajo; never expected to meet him; did not know ANYthing about him - yet here I was gazing at some amazing and intricate pottery - the likes of which I'd never seen before: BEAUTIFUL and INTRICATE carving detail through painted layers of kiln fired, handmade pottery - all carved and incised by hand (no lasers!). The amount of detail and artistry just blew my mind. I know artistry, quality, and talent when I see it. Alas, I couldn't afford any of the prices, but I filed this artist's name in the back of my mind, in the hopes that I may encounter his artwork again someday. Even though I couldn't afford anything in that gallery, I came away with the feeling that there are things in life which are just meant to be admired, gazed and reflected upon - instead of owning. So anyways, flash forward a few years later to this point, where surprise, surprise - as I was browsing through the stalls and kiosks of the Four Corners, who should I come upon, but none other than the artist himself! I was SO overcome with joy and delight to encounter this man at work on his craft - and the creator of all those beautiful vases and pottery that I saw at the Cameron Trading Post years back. I had my eye on that hummingbird pot (bottom of photo) and we discussed price for a little bit, but alas - as at Cameron - I could not afford to pay for this kind of artistry - and I had nothing worthwhile to trade for it. Still, I felt happy to have met this man; and came away satisfied that I now had two memorable encounters locked in my memory forever: that of a Navajo artist and his incredible art.