Exploring the Four Corners: Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah

Not everyone can explore the four corners of the Earth in one lifetime, but a Road Trip Planner can definitely plan a journey to the Four Corners of the United States. Nowhere else can you physically BE in four states simultaneously so make sure this road trip makes it on your “Places To See” list.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: An excellent time to plan a road trip to this region is during the Fall because the red, orange and brown of the landscape will remind you of Fall Colors. Late Spring is also nice as is the summer if you have a tolerance for dry heat and have an ample supply of bottled water.

WHAT STATES MEET WHERE? Southwest Colorado, Northwest New Mexico, Northeast Arizona and Southeast Utah. There’s even a Four Corners Monument to mark the spot. Hand, hand, foot, foot & you’re officially in four states at once.

WHAT KIND OF TERRAIN CAN I EXPECT TO FIND? The Four Corners is actually part of the Grand Circle (which includes the Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion Canyon National Park, Capitol Reef, Natural Bridges, Hovenweep, Arches National Park). What you’ll find is plains stretching into the horizon in golden hues. And russet plateaus jutting up out of the earth in chaotic yet curiously patterned ways. This terrain is ancient; a land of Native Americans, a western frontier set in a rough and tumble landscape.

WHAT KIND OF ACTIVITIES CAN I DO THERE? This region offers such variety that it makes a great trip for families, couples, or a group of friends so you’ll have no trouble filling your Road Trip Planner with activities suited to your particular road trip. Explore places like archaeological digs, cliff dwellings, historic railroads, and western towns. Two of the corners are in the Navajo Nation and the Ute Mountain Indian Reservation. You’ll also find an abundance of National Parks in this region.

HIGHLIGHTS IN SOUTHWEST COLORADO: Cortez is considered the archaeological center of America and is the near the Mesa Verde National Park. It’s the first national park set aside to preserve the works of people, in this case, the ancient Puebloans and its history spans 14 centuries. FESTIVALS: Check out the festivals happening year round in this region like the Mesa Verde Country Food, Wine & Art Festival, the 9th Annual Mesa Verde Country Indian Arts & Culture Festival, or the Ute Mountain-Mesa Verde Birding Festival.

HIGHLIGHTS IN NORTHWEST NEW MEXICO: A different Southwest flavor can be found in New Mexico. Sparsely populated with a strong blend of Spanish, Mexican and Native American cultures, some parts of New Mexico may very well give you a sense of what the pioneers saw when they first cast their eyes over this mountain-desert land. Farmington is the closest city to the Four Corners but add Santa Fe and Albuquerque to your road trip planner to sample the different influences found here. BONUS ACTIVITY: Take a ride on the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway, the world’s longest aerial tramway and glide above deep canyons and over breathtaking terrain for a unique vantage point.

HIGHLIGHTS IN NORTHEAST ARIZONA: For a deep Navajo experience, add Monument Valley to your road trip planner. Explore the rock formations, buttes, mesas and canyons in this tranquil valley. Some of these spires pierce the sky like needles (excellent photo op). BONUS SIDE-TRIPS: Further west, but well worth the 3 ½ hour drive is Lake Powell, a popular swimming/boating destination. And from there, you’re only 2 ½ hours away from viewing the Grand Canyon’s south rim, a spectacular natural wonder.

HIGHLIGHTS IN SOUTHEAST UTAH: Here’s where you’ll find the “Old West”. Bandits, cattle rustlers, outlaws, and the lawmen who tracked them down to justice; all called this part of Utah their home. Add Moab to your road trip planner for a real Wild West experience at the Bar-M Chuckwagon Live Western Show, which includes the Bar-M Village, a dinner show complete with a cowboy supper giving nutritional health supplements. BONUS FEATURES: Three major national parks also call this region home: Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park. Another popular spot, and even closer to the Four Corners, is the Canyondlands National Park.

Exploring the Four Corners is truly a rewarding experience. The Wild West flavor combined with the Navajo and Ute cultures, infused with Puebloan history and all this set against a starkly etched landscape will give any Road Trip Planner a good taste of the Southwest.

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Hotels offering free Wifi in guest rooms are surprisingly difficult to find. I have checked out hotels where access to Wifi is charged at rates that exceed £7 per hour – blatant profiteering. If you want to keep costs down on your vacation look out for these hidden charges for WiFi Internet access. The best dog friendly hotel with free WiFi that I have found is one that I almost kept for myself, but I am here to recommend good hotels for cheap travel, so here it is.

The Hillcroft Hotel in Torquay is a dog friendly, gay friendly boutique hotel, you will also be welcome if you do not bring your pet or you are not gay… Guests of all ages find a warm welcome here but be aware that this hotel is halfway up a hill so if you have mobility problems this may not be the best choice for you. The Hillcroft gives you touch of affordable luxury in a peaceful location close to the nightlife of Torquay on the English Riviera. Rates start from just £75 for a double room, inclusive of an excellent breakfast. There is free wireless internet connection in all guest rooms, and if you do not take a laptop with you there is an Internet browser in the bar that residents can use.

Well behaved dogs are genuinely welcomed with their owners in the ‘India’ private suite or the ‘Lombok’ en-suite double room. The owners of the hotel also offer dog sitting if you want to go out without your dog for a meal in the evening. This means you can go to a restaurant, knowing that your dog is well cared for.

And here is another good dog friendly hotel with WiFi in another part of Devon -

The Lewtrenchard Manor Hotel is a traditional country house hotel, a former Jacobean Manor house situated just outside the market town of Okehampton in Devon. From here you can travel to the world famous Eden Project or The Lost Gardens of Heligan in less than an hour. This hotel is proud to be dog friendly, and free Wifi is available in all the public areas of the hotel. Room rates start from £155 for a double room including Full English Breakfast – not cheap, but ideal for a romantic weekend break in the country.