Having a personal chauffeur and off-roading driver is the way to go!

We keep saying it can't get better, and it keeps proving us wrong. Judy's son, Drew, Emergency Services Coordinator for Archeletto County, Colorado, joined us in Moab last night. We got off early, stashed our rental car in the Arches Visitor Center parking area and joined forces in Drew's 4-wheel drive car. He took us through the wonders of Arches National Park in the morning. What gorgeous scenery there is along the Moab Fault. The Arches has over 2000 arches, we only saw a small portion of them, but were mightly impressed.

After an early lunch back in Moab - we can recommend the Peace Tree - we headed out to Canyonlands, to off road on the White Rim and Island in the Sky area. I don't think any of the Three Wise Women quite knew what we were getting ourselves in for. Thank goodness Drew is a wonderful driver and competent with his 4-wheel drive vehicle, because we needed it as we followed the road out into the canyon lands, and switched back and forth - it seemed like a dozen or more times  - as we threaded the narrow road across the mountain face, navigated the hairpin turns and went back and forth gradually descending to the floor of the canyon. The Colorado River still lay well beneath us on lower level plateaus. I did myself proud, and got out each time we stopped and took pictures looking down the precipices. (Chris André, these are NOT pictures you will be comfortable seeing.) Drew didn't tell us as we went down, that we would have to navigate it all again as we left, climbing back up all the switchbacks. Hurrah for Drew! He gave us an unforgettable experience, and a taste of off-roading. We are all so glad we did it, but are not sure we would ever do it again!!! We certainly would never drive it ourselves, and were so glad he was willing to join us and give us the experience. He drove us 114 miles, morning and afternoon, through more mind-boggling scenery and terrain. Thank you, Drew.

We returned to Moab for ice cream, picked up our rental car, and caravanned together across scenic 128 E from Maob towards the Colorado border, driving along the Colorado River much of the way. We stopped at Fisher Tower, where Drew has climbed a number of times. Better he than we, Wise Women Three! Stunning cathedral-like rock formations against a brilliant blue sky! Then back on the road east, we passed one lone pronghorn, and two prairie dogs, too fast to catch with our cameras - to add to our single lizard at Arches. We saw a variety of birds, but were not close enough to identify them. The Bighorn Sheep prove elusive!

We pulled into Grand Junction, Colorado about 6:30 p.m., checked in and then went out for a great dinner at Outback Steakhouse. Now to check out the pictures to add to this and get them uploaded for your viewing pleasure. On across Colorado tomorrow, past Vail and Breckenridge to Colorado Springs. We are looking forward to seeing Chris and Debbie Jones there tomorrow evening, and hopefully visiting Chris' fantastic gallery, The Great Southwest, on our way in, time permitting. If not it will be on our Tuesday itinerary.