GETTING THERE: The Four Corners driving circuit can be done as part of a visit to other regional destinations such as Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, Canyonlands National Park in Utah, Monument Valley on the Arizona-Utah border and the Navajo and Hopi Reservations. The nearest airport is in Farmington, N.M.
SEEING THE SITES: The Navajo Code Talker Museum is inside the Burger King at the intersection of Highway 160 and Highway 163 in Kayenta, Ariz. Free of charge. A good Web page on the code talkers is www.navajocentral.org/code—talker.htm.
Goosenecks State Park is off Route 261 in Utah, about nine miles northwest of Mexican Hat. Call 435-678-2238 or see www.stateparks.utah.gov and follow the links to Goosenecks State Park.
Camping is available; no water or hookups.
Lowry Pueblo is on Highway 491 just west of Pleasant View, Colo. A good place to stop for additional information is the Anasazi Heritage Center, 27501 Highway 184 in Dolores, Colo. Call 970-882-5600. For information on Lowry Pueblo on the Web, go to www.co.blm.gov/ahc/lowry.htm.
Shiprock is southwest of the town of Shiprock, near the intersection of Highway 64 and Highway 491. There is no official access to the rock itself.
A good Web site is geoinfo.nmt.edu/tour/shiprock.html.
Four Corners Monument is in a Navajo tribal park along Highway 160 between Teec Nos Pos, Ariz., and Cortez, Colo. The area closes at sunset.
Call 928-871-6647 to check for hours and information. Also see www.navajonationparks.org.
HANG YOUR HAT: There are motels all along the route, especially in Kayenta, Ariz., and in Farmington, N.M., just east of Shiprock.
We stayed at Goulding's Lodge, just across the Utah state line in Monument Valley. Rates range from $68 to $160 per night depending on the season. Call 435-727-3231 or see www.gouldings.com.
GOOD EATS: Goulding's Lodge, listed above, serves tasty Southwestern cuisine, though the steaks were disappointing.
MD Ranch Cookhouse, in Monticello, Utah, serves trout and other fresh regional specialties in a rustic atmosphere. 380 S. Main St., 435-587-3299.