Day 20 - Four States in One Step

Day 20
Near Four Corners
Salina, UT to Taos, New Mexico
580 miles

I'm a little road weary at this point and I'm having trouble getting "up and at 'em" as my Dad would say. I would probably make better progress if I could hit the road before 9 am, but I'm tired and that's about the best I can manage.

The Weather Channel tells me there are likely to be thunderstorms along my route in the afternoon. I've been extremely lucky so far and have not dealt with any moisture to speak of - the fog encountered going from Tehachapi to Santa Cruz got me wetter and colder than most rainstorms!

I have always wanted to visit the Four Corners - the spot where the borders of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado all converge. I don't know WHY I wanted to go there, other than to see how it feels to have my feet and arms in four different states. The spot itself is completely unremarkable - a monument surrounded by Navajo Nation souvenir sellers and native food vendors. I made my contribution to their economy, then headed east.

At the recommendation of my friend Jeff Tarlton, I chose US Hwy 64 to cross New Mexico. He had ridden it some years earlier and was so enthusiastic about it I changed my original plan to include it. I experienced the greatest extremes of the trip so far today, seeing a high temperature of 110 degrees and a low of 45 degrees. That low came together with the highest altitude I had seen of the entire trip - about 10,500 feet in the mountains near Taos.

I arrived in Taos in a chilly drizzle right about dark, found a Best Western, and arrived in the restaurant just before closing. As an unexpected bonus, I got a ground floor room and was able to put the bike under the eaves to keep it out of the light rain. The area is beautiful, and I made a mental note that I must return when I can explore it a little more completely.