Smokeys, Rockies & Red Rocks

Four Corners is where four states meet... Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico all come together on a T. It's on tribal land, and they charge $8 per person to enter.

This wasn't a planned stop, but it was on my route and I couldn't miss the opportunity. Four Corners is located in the middle of nowhere. The roads and property leading up to the actual center are run down. The bathrooms are closed and roped off with a sign that says, "No water." Along all four sides of the venue are booths with vendors selling Native American jewelry, t-shirts and other Native American artifacts and memorabilia. I bought a Four Corners magnet for Lil' Miss, took some pictures and headed out to Mesa Verde National Park.

There was 10 miles of construction just east of Four Corners with rough gravel roads and potholes. I made it through and to Mesa Verde just a little over an hour east.

At Mesa Verde, I stopped at the visitor center first and walked around outside, inside the museum exhibits and the gift shop. I stamped my passport and went to buy a stamp when I realized that I didn't have my wallet with me.

I returned to the van and searched everything four times, trying to stay calm and focused.. I looking in every nook and cranny and even under the seats. It wasn't there. I tried calling Four Corners but just received a voice-mail message. Doug was helping me too by calling around and helping me stay calm. I went back inside the visitor center to see if it was there, retracing my steps and asking multiple park rangers. It was not in the lost and found. I left my name and number in case they found it, and returned to the van to look again. I checked my bank accounts and credit card accounts and nothing was unexpected.

Four Corners was just over an hour away, even longer with construction delays, but I had to go back. I returned to Four Corners, receipt in hand, to retrace my steps. I talked to the lady at the entrance and the people at the administration office. I spoke to the vendor who sold me the magnet, checked the parking lot where I was parked, and drove real slow checking the sides of the road. Nada. At the construction stop, I asked the DOT employees, the girl holding the stop sign, and she radio'd to her team. I even called the tribal police department.

I called the 800 number at Chase Bank to see about freezing my cards, followed all the prompts and waited for a representative. Finally, they said, "Sorry, we can't help you. Call back another time."

My mind is obviously somewhere else today. I'm thinking about home and the hurricane making landfall this afternoon... my daughter and her family, Doug, my brother and sister, friends, and the birth center and staff. I'm thinking about them and praying for their safety.

I proceeded to return to Cortez, Colorado the town nearby Mesa Verde, thinking about what I would do next. Certainly I will take pictures of all my cards in the future and place one card somewhere safe in another location. I did have $500 cash, and that could surely get me to a Chase Bank to get more cash to get home.

Driving back into Cortez for the second time, I see that the Fiesta Twin Cinema is playing "Don't Worry Darling". That message is for me. I needed to stop at Walmart to get a new septic hose, as the one that came with with the van fell out of the compartment. The sewer hose compartment on this van is a flawed design that never would lock correctly. Doug and I had discussed this and knew it was just a matter of time before the slinky went slinking down the road behind Little Miss. Well today was that day.

I pulled over in the Walmart parking lot and took a minute to see if I could stay there overnight. Yes, RV parking is allowed here. Very good. I reached down for Betty Boo (my pistol) and some cash to go into Walmart... and what did I see laying right there between the underneath of the passenger seat and the middle console that I created to store things? My wallet!

Man, I was so relieved. I can not tell you how much. But still shaken from the stress of the day. I went in and bought my favorite Walmart bakery item, Peanut Butter Fudge No Bake Cookies, because I needed to stress eat. I got fuel in the van, cleaned the windshield, parked the van and set up for the night, and cooked dinner.

Tonight I will be taking pictures of all the cards in my wallet and putting them in my phone and Google drive.

I'd like to think there was some greater purpose for all the hoopla of the day, that I am exactly where I need to be. And now I can say that I literally went to the Four Corners of the earth looking for something.... and I found it. It was right here all the time.Read more