Four Corners
by Bob Rosenak

Arizona - Colorado - New Mexico - Utah

Take a few days and head for the Four Corners. That's the only spot in the nation where you can stand in four states at one time. You can visit Utah, New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona all in one minute.

The temptation to turn north at San Ysidro and head into the Jemez mountains is almost overwhelming, but you know that trip is being saved for another day. This time it's straight ahead through the Jemez Indian reservation and on up to Cuba.

..and soon there it is standing like a sentinel over the desert...Shiprock!

Cuba is in a mountainous area and can be downright chilly at some times of the year. We froze completely one Saturday morning on the way north in October. So take along your cold weather gear if it isn't the middle of summer. Stop in Cuba on the west side of the road at the first restaurant you come to and have a bowl of their green chili stew. It's to die for and will warm you both inside and out. Then back on the bike and on north to Farmington. Now you're into farm country and a different view of New Mexico shows itself, but hold on to your handle bars, it isn't far and you have something else to see. Out of Farmington take NM 64 and soon there it is standing like a sentinel over the desert...Shiprock! Take some time and visit the area, chat with the natives, read a mystery by the great southwest writer Tony Hillerman. You won't ever forget Shiprock. Stay on highway 64 and you cut into Arizona then a few miles later you're in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado. Stop!!!! You've reached the Four Corners. It's fun to stand in all four states at the same time. There's a monument and a few merchants selling various items ranging from hand crafted native art work to the questionable stuff you see sold everywhere tourists are prone to gather.

You are now at an intersection of the world that gives you all sorts of choices. North to Utah or into Colorado or southwest into Arizona or back into New Mexico. What a cornucopia of riding options! The nicest thing about this dilemma is that there is no wrong answer. No matter which way you turn you can't lose. In my opinion you have arrived at the nirvana for bikers. On our last trip into the region we headed north to Cortez, Colorado, with Durango as the final destination of the day.

The ride up to the city is beautiful and the riding options out of there are mind boggling. We had a reservation at a motel with the basic requirement, a whirl pool and sat back and relaxed while waiting for friends to pick us up and go out to dinner.

If you are going to Durango during the height of the summer tourist season I reccomend making accomodation plans in advance. Durango is the terminus of the Silverton and Durango Railroad line and a break in your trip can easily include a ride into the mountains on the train. With plenty of great restaurants and lots of fantastic winding roads a day in Durango just doesn't make it. So plan an extra day before heading out. Our latest trip in that direction ended with a run south of Durango on Colorado 172 through Ignacio then across highway 151 to Pagosa Springs then south on highway 84 through Sante Fe and on to home. Come to this sight again and we'll give you some more great rides that you can enjoy and pick up on other options you can take out of the four corners area. Don't miss the greatest biking country in the U.S.--the great Southwest.

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