Four toilets?

For all of our spontaneous meanderings, one place I’d been set on seeing was the site marking the convergence of the boundaries of four states – Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. Four Corners Monument is the only place in the U.S. where this occurs.

For a start, I have to say that it was disappointing to discover a gate where a fee was charged for entry. After all, it’s only open air, there’s really nothing to ‘enter’.

Sure, it’s only three bucks a head, but I wasn’t happy about it. Besides, it seemed contradictory that the nation doing the collecting is one that doesn’t purport to believe in notions such as lines dividing state from state.

Really, after seeing them collecting those handfuls of dollar bills all day long, I’d have expected more improvements to the site than just brick-and-concrete stalls for selling souvenirs.

And I’ll admit to being off-put by the thought of souvenirs. So many places where I’ve stopped to look for gifts, when I’ve examined them, they’ve held tags that read “Made in India” – as if that makes them ‘Indian’.

Instead of spending entry fees on building fancy sales stalls, what would be so terrible about replacing the Smell-o-Potties with a couple of proper restrooms?

Somehow, I don’t imagine I’ll be making a second visit here. And after all the dust around here, it might well be a time to do some clean-up.