This day was quite an adventure. There were no group activities, so we took advantage.

Leila did something neither of us have ever done, she went on a four hour ATV ride through the backcountry. She went places we couldn’t go see…rock formations that once were on the ocean floor, fossils, and native wall art. It was bumpy, dusty and hot, and she loved every minute. She’s already plotting an outing back home.

Meanwhile, I went on a photography outing that’s been planned for months. A local guide picked me up at 6:15 AM, and we went out to Canyonlands NP and Dead Horse Point SP to catch the morning light. I learned some new tricks, and certainly saw some angles at Mesa Arch I would not have found on my own.

The plan was to take a mid day break, then get back together at 5:30 to get twilight and Milky Way photos. This plan had a flaw…the weather conspired against us. Brian took me over what may be the roughest road I’ve ever been on, but the payoff was wonderful; we ended up at Marlboro Point, named that because numerous cigarette ads were shot there. But…clouds covered up the quarter moon we were counting on lighting up the rocks. A cloud covered up the sky where the Milky Way would be. And…as the evening went along there were busy lightning storms to the east and west of us. We waited past sunset, but finally gave up. I enjoyed the day immensely, but it didn’t turn out quite as planned.

One more free day on day twenty…we plan to go back into Arches NP and explore places we didn’t see on the bus tour. And, there will be a driver’s meeting. We leave for Cortez, Colorado on Monday