The Four Corners
- slyeabby
- May 21, 2025
- 9 min read
After Big Bend, Dad and I made our way towards Arizona. We stopped along the way at Guadalupe Mountains National Park for a picnic and short hike and then El Paso for the night.
It was goodbye Texas, after that. I was in my first of the four corner states-- Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah.
Tucson, AZ
We had two nights in Tucson before Dad flew out of Phoenix. Leaving Big Bend, I had only a general idea of where I was heading after I dropped him off at the airport. I'd have one week until I needed to be in Utah to start my job so, admittedly, some of our time on those last few days together were spent planning out my next week.
Tucson is a beautiful city. It's still desert, but we immediately noticed some trees among the cacti in its neighborhoods, realizing how much we'd missed them.
We were welcomed there by friends-of-friends who graciously hosted us for our short stay. They had fantastic recommendations around the city. Naturally, we started with tacos and then explored a local shop collective in converted shipping containers nearby.
Later on our first night, we walked to Barrio Brewing for a few beers and watched the sun set over the train tracks. It was beautiful. I think being close to the tracks reminded us each of my Great Grandpa, which made my heart feel extra full.
The next morning, we had delicious coffee with our new friends/hosts-- one coffee was a maíz (sweet corn) flavor that we all loved. Then we headed for Dad's third national park stop of the trip.
Saguaro National Park was unreal.
We'd, once again, found ourselves in another world.
As we drove up the mountain towards the park, we greeted old friends (Ocotillo) and whooped in awe of new ones (Saguaro).
Imagine standing in forest of trees-- each unique, beautiful, towering, stoic. Now imagine no branches. No leaves. Open sky above and below their phantom canopy. That's what it felt like to be among the Saguaro Cacti.
Dad kept saying they all seemed so happy. Maybe it was cartoons and images of the Wild West he'd grown up to. Maybe they were happy. Regardless, there was no denying we were walking among beings as animate as a towering pine, willowing oak or broad maple.
We went to the American-Sonora Desert Museum, which was a museum-zoo-garden hybrid with really cool exhibits about deep time, desert wildlife, geology and the animals that used to call the desert home before it was actually a desert. They had dinosaurs placed throughout the gardens, so that was fun to see.
After a morning at the museum, we actually entered the park to hike among the giant cacti. We had a picnic lunch, viewed petroglyphs left behind by native groups of the region, and wandered among the cacti. The Saguaro were accompanied by Ocotillo, Prickly Pear, and other friends. It's amazing just how big the Saguaro could be. We tried to each find one that matched our own heights for reference.
That night, we had pizza near ASU's campus, shopped for a book for Dad's flight home, then simply enjoyed each others' company until we were too tired to stay awake.
I was emotional that night. I had such a great time with Dad and, before that, Mom. If you think about it, I really hadn't spent much time truly on my own since I'd left home. I'd loved that alone time. But still, I always knew someone was nearby, or headed my way soon. Once I dropped Dad off, I knew I had at least two months ahead of me that were fully my own. As exciting as it was, it was also daunting.
Plus, I love my Dad. Miss you!
The next morning, after packing up and stopping at a Cracker Barrel (tradition) for breakfast, I dropped Dad off at the airport in Phoenix with a very grateful heart and misty eyes.
Flagstaff, AZ
From there, I made my way to Flagstaff for a two-night stay over Easter. On my way, I opted to take the scenic highway through Sedona with a plan to stop for coffee there. My plans were foiled by holiday/weekend traffic in the beautiful tourist town. So I settled for a (very slow) drive through town and further up the mountain.
On the way a small lodge and cafe caught my eye. It was nestled right into the mountain, high in the pine trees. I'd found my spot for the next few hours. Mexican mocha in hand, I wrote.
The whole drive was amazing. But the final push up into Flagstaff was breathtaking. That morning, I had been in the desert. I'd been among the Saguaro, a see-through forest. It had been hot. In just a few short hours, I was high in the mountains, surrounded by Pines and there was snow on the ground.
A glimpse of my drive... crazy how much change there was in such a short amount of time.
At one point along the drive, there was a chance to pull over and take in the view. It was an easy decision to make. When I got out of Monster I breathed in the mountain, pine-filled air.
Flagstaff was honestly a perfect place to celebrate Easter on my own for the first time in 23 years. I was far from home. But pieces of home were there to greet me. Pines, snow, crisp spring air.
On Sunday, I went for a hike. I didn't see many people on that hike, which meant I needed to make noise on my own so I didn't spook any animals. So I spent the morning greeting the trees, the flowers, rocks, animals, clouds and colors I passed on my walk. I said hello. I said thank you. It was very meditative.
Later, while eating some amazing Thai food that was recommended by a friend, I called the family and made my way through Nana's basement via FaceTime. There was an element of homesickness to that, of course. But mostly, I felt happy to see everyone. My heart was full of love from them and warm sun and mountain air. The only thing that could have made it better was a slice of bunny cake and a hug from the family. Seeing Dad the day before softened that blow.
Plus, there was so much to look ahead to.
Petrified Forest National Park, AZ
After Easter, I headed for New Mexico for a quick stay at a hotel along Route 66. I hadn't explicitly planned to stay along the historic route, but I'm glad that I could. Downtown Flagstaff was also part of the old road. There, it was still drivable for some miles, so I can check that off of my bucket list.
Directly on my way towards New Mexico was Petrified Forest National Park. Naturally, I chose to stop. My book said it was a very small and driving-friendly park, so it was perfect.
I spent the afternoon among yet another forest... this one even more barren than the Saguaro. Petrified wood, in very simple terms, is wood that has changed to rock over a long long time (200 million years). In the Triassic Epoch the park would've been a dense forest/swamp where dinosaurs roamed. The only indication of that on the surface today, are the petrified woods.
Snapshots from the Long Logs and Agate House Loop Trail.
It felt like I was standing in a part of forest that had been completely cut down... I was surrounded by fallen trees, but there wasn't a single living tree as far as the eye can see.
It was neat.
Plus, y'all know how I am: I loved the history of it all.
There were also preserved villages and homes of the Pueblo peoples of the region, petroglyphs and an old car planted right by the mark of the ghost oRoute 66.
People history and rock history? It was a great afternoon.
Seeing the marker for Route 66 was actually pretty jarring to me, though. Behind it were old light posts that signaled where the road had once passed through. Behind that was the interstate. It was exactly like Cars (the movie). I guess, until that point, I hadn't realized how based-in-reality the plot of the movie had been... how Radiator Springs had once thrived on tourism until the interstate took traffic right past them.
Great movie.
And, back to the real topic at hand, great park!
Gallup, NM
I spent just one night in Gallup at a hotel.
As I did my last week of driving, I was running errands and preparing for my move to Hatch, so Monster was extra full... and finding campsites had turned into a headache anyways. So, as I made my way towards Mesa Verde, the stop I was most excited for, I enjoyed the comfort of a VRBO and a hotel.
It was nice... and it meant I had spent at least one night in each of the four corners.
Mesa Verde, CO
This stop requires a backstory.
I've struggled with insomnia for a long time, especially in college. In my years of trying very, very hard to fall asleep at night, one of my favorite strategies became listening to sleep stories. Or rather, one specific sleep story: Blue Gold on the Calm app.
The story is a mediative walk through the lavender fields of Provence, France. It's perfectly peaceful. And since my first listen, I've wanted to vacation among lavender fields.
So, when I was browsing HipCamp to see where I might stay near Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, it felt like fate to see a small camper/wagon on a lavender farm. I booked as many nights as I could.
Mesa Verde Lavender was like a little oasis for me. I was sleeping right next to the fields of lavender. I could see mountains as far as my eyes would let me.
The farm sat above a gorgeous canyon, with the most stoic and welcoming adirondack chair sitting upon a rock overlooking it.
It was all run by Katie and her family who were the sweetest hosts. They made me breakfast each morning and shared their love for lavender and knowledge of the area around the farm with me.
Breakfast on the farm!
I had two full days while I was there.
I went into Mesa Verde National Park for one of the days. For the other, I opted to stay and explore the land around the farm.
Mesa Verde was super cool. It was right in my wheelhouse-- a park that preserved the cliff dwellings of ancient peoples. I learned about the Anasazi people. I learned about their descendants. I admired their architectural feats (truly so beautiful and grand)-- though only from afar.
In the park's peak season, rangers lead tours into the dwellings themselves. It would have been awesome to see the spaces from a closer viewpoint and learn more about preservation that way. I was there in the off-season though, so I found myself hiking above one of the dwellings on a trail called Petroglyph Point. There, I admired artworks left behind on cliff faces and climbed to the mountain's peak.
Moments in the park.
The whole time I was there, I couldn't help but smile because I was just next door to my home state for the summer: Utah. I wondered what formations would be repeated in my daily views there. What sort of new beauty I'd find. All of the places I'd be able to visit from that home base.
I also smiled for all of the places I'd been already.
And because I was going home to a lavender farm for the night.
At nights on the farm, I sipped tea and I read. At first, outside, until I was too cold to bear it any longer. Then I watched the sun set over the mountains and the lavender from the wagon's reading nook.
Each night, I ventured outside again around midnight, to look up at the stars. I located a few constellations with my new guidebook but, mostly, I just enjoyed the peaceful quiet of the farm and the awesome blanket of stars I'd get to spend the summer admiring.
On my second day, after breakfast, I ventured into the canyon. I laid in the sun. I listened to the canyon, then to music, then to the canyon again. And I painted.
Last sunset on the farm.
Mesa Verde Lavender was the perfect way to spend my last days of travel before settling down for the summer. It was easy to recharge and reflect there.
So peaceful.
Home, sweet Utah
On April 25, I packed up in Colorado, skirted around the land where the four corners meet, stopped for lunch, was mesmerized from the driver's seat by my first sight of a big body of water in what felt like a long time (Lake Powell), and found myself in Hatch, Utah.
Home for the summer.
I drove past the turn for Zion on that drive. I'd made it to the place I'd wanted to visit since middle school, the part of the country I knew would leave me mesmerized in a way I'd never been before. And I got to live there. Live here.
I love it.
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