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 We got up earlier than the alarm, were highly efficient getting dressed, and are enjoying one last hotel breakfast before we leave Moab for Grand Junction, CO.  “It’s time to get Ill” easily held all of our luggage They had maple cinnamon and regular waffles today.  Carmen and Jane both expertly portioned theirs for no spillage.  

 In our last day of vacation, we had the deluxe private 4x4 tour of both Canyonland NP and Arches NP.  What ended in a blowout started with a bang.  We enjoyed our hotel breakfast, with fresh waffles and fruit.  Our 4x4 was waiting for us curbside at the hotel, promptly at 9am. Kevin Walker (our guide) started off strong, narrating our 9-hour adventure.  Carmen actually read in the car today without getting motion sickness. It was a stellar feat, given the off-road adventure we were on.  We passed by the main entrance to Arches NP, looking at the sizable line of stationary cars waiting to get in the park. The park has advanced purchase timed entry tickets for visitors, strictly limiting the number, tickets which we neither had nor needed.  Kevin was taking us in the back door. Apparently the back door did not have an entrance station. He said we would understand why soon.  After turning into an unmarked open gate onto a non-descript back dirt road, we passed BLM land and a state park w

 After swimming, we kicked the surprise birthday party into gear. We started with temporary tattoos of cactus (for our cactus themed celebration) and then dressed in party clothes for the birthday party   We took a downtown stroll to Desert Inn, where we all had fabulous food, including a special pepperoni pizza they made for Carmen.  Party food Carmen made a new hairstyle, and I promised her I would pull out this picture at graduation.  Homemade lemonade was a hit! We had a fabulous party conversation, ranging from the 54321 relaxation technique (which we all practiced at the table) to aliens.  I had just heard about 54321 but Carmen and Jane had both been taught it at school already. We talked about aliens and UFOs in Renaissance art. There are a lot of medevil/renaissance paintings with flying objects and lasers.  We talked about why such images might have appeared.  After a delicious dinner, we strolled through town for some light sightseeing. Moab was shockingly busy and open for