Some people, like my husband, look forward to a pilgrimage to the Four Corners Monument: a cement square established by the Navajo Parks and Recreation Department, six miles north of Teec Nos Pos, Arizona. The idea is that four states meet at one point where their strait corners touch.

In a 2009 press release, the NPRD discounted that the monument is actually 2.5 miles off. You can read it here: http://navajonationparks.org/pr/pr_4Cmarker.htm

First, you walk into a quadrangle where native vendors are selling Christmas ornaments and Navajo tourist curios. If you already have enough swag, the next thing to do is qeue up and wait patiently for 10-15 minutes to reach the granite and brass marker.

One little girl entertained herself by playing a flute whistle while she waited.

Someone in your party, or the the person waiting behind you in line, will photographically capture your group. For some it has to be goofy. These strangers graciously use the camera on your phone or tablet or your real camera. However, not everyone is cool to wait around long enough for you to review the shot before walking off the spot in line. Etiquette shown to visitors is that it’s one family at a time on the marker.

Strangers Take Each Other’s Photos

We couldn’t top a back-bending, split-hoisting pair of teens with a mom for a spot. We did manage to make sure all were in different states at the same time, yet with each other.

Back-bending and Split-hoisting

With our luck, a group of adults decided to romp across our guest photographer’s field of view and around us while using our camera to take our group shot. It was part of our experience, and there was no photo-shopping them out, completely.

Landaus And Their Photo-bombers

I stood in Colorado and New Mexico while holding Elan’s hand while he was in Utah and Arizona; Raffi was in Utah and Colorado. Ami kneeled across Utah and New Mexico. Naomi was in Arizona. It was a riot, even for a moment.