Back to the Real World

We are now back to the working life. It was quite difficult for both of us to go back to working after a 4 month vacation!

Heather took a leave of absence from her work as a charge nurse before our trip to Alaska, so she was able to go right back to work as soon as we got back to Midland.

Sean actually quit his job (Lead Electronic Technician in the oilfield) before we left for Alaska due to some issues at his workplace. Those issues were addressed during his absence, and he was contacted during our vacation about possibly coming back to work. (With a raise :)) He started back to work soon after his return to Midland.

Taking a 4 month open ended vacation to drive an RV to Alaska at 26 years old (both of us) was a life altering event in more ways than one. While in Alaska, Heather's mom unexpectedly passed away at 47 years old.

However, this tragic event reinforced our belief that life is fleeting and every day is precious, with no guarantee that there will be another. Sean has always wanted to take an open ended drive to Alaska, but as little as four years ago in college, listening to common wisdom, thought he would have to wait until retirement to act on this dream.  We are sure glad to have thrown common wisdom by the wayside after college.

We have been accused of being lucky to have had the opportunity to quit our jobs and take a 4 month vacation just like that. Our response is luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

We are excited to see what the future holds for our next adventure!

Full Of Hot Air

Unfortunately we had to head a little farther home the next day. Both of us were sad to leave Jeep Funland behind, and we both dreaded the fact that the roads keep leading us closer to desolate West Texas (aka home), but you will never guess what we encountered when we arrived in Albuquerque!

Hot air balloons!!! Sean and I were aware that the Balloon Fiesta had started during the weekend, but we never expected to see them in the air after sunset on Sunday. We were staying at the Sandia Resort & Casino because overnight parking is free, but due to the Fiesta, we weren't sure if we could find a spot to park the beastly motorhome. Luckily we found a spot between a few other motorhomes and squeezed ourselves in, haha!

We took a quick walk around the "RV Park" and hit the sack early so we could get up early to watch the balloons take off. We woke up at 6:30a and peeked out the window, and all we saw was clear sky...hhmmmmmm. So, we went back to sleep for a bit and tried again...

It was fun to see all the shapes and different sizes of the balloons! The balloons are mesmerizing to watch, so we stared at them and watched the wind carry them to various areas of the city. We soon realized we had the best seats in the house and it also turned out to be free! We eventually pulled our eyes away from the balloons and we were on our way to Sandia Crest, which is the very tall mountain next to Albuquerque. 

We weren't surprised to see these signs posted...

Woohoo, no fee required! And, what a beautiful view this mountain shares!

More Jeepin' At Moab

Dome Plateau

Day 4 Jeepin brought us back up Highway 128 past Onion Creek to a trail called Dome Plateau, which can be a very confusing trail due to many side trails branching off of it. We were able to manage it without problem, though the trail was very challenging in the beginning. So, challenging that I wasn't able to take any pictures, haha!

We checked the weather forecast the night before, and there was no chance for rain. Apparently God had other plans...this is when it started sleeting/hailing on us! Thank goodness it was too bad or much precipitation...

The whole reason we were making our way on this trail was because of arch that you could hike to, which we did eventually get to.

Here is where we get to play "I Spy The Jeep"!

Once we hiked back to the Jeep, we were soon back on the trail, which got considerably easier to travel.

Then we found Cave Spring a few miles further, which we had fun spelunking!

We were on our way back toward Highway 128 with more pretty views.

Once on the highway, Sean and I read something about an abandoned cave house that was on a gravel road and fairly hard to find. We eventually found the road after having to turn around and back-track, but were confused until we hiked up a steep rocky area to where the cave house actually was. Someone spent a ton of time and money on this house for them just to abandon the project. We wondered why, until we walked in the structure and saw a huge chunk of rock that had fallen. This is the only reason we could come up with, unless money was a problem...

On our way back home, the rain and landscape decided to give us a show.

Onion Creek/Thompson Canyon

Day 4 Jeepin' started a bit earlier, haha! We were planning on making a large loop by taking Onion Creek up to Fisher Valley Ranch and from there to Thompson Canyon/Polar Mesa. Sean was really looking forward to Onion Creek because the book description told us he counted 22 creek crossings!

Onion Creek got its name due to a sulphur-like smell that emanates from the creek at a certain area where there is a natural spring. I counted 32 water crossings in all. Not sure where the book got only 22...

Thompson Canyon wasn't as exciting, but it offered very nice views!

Sean's Lion King recreation, haha!

That's when it started to rain on us, so we were trying to hurry through the bad areas before it got too slick. Luckily, it only sprinkled on and off for a while, and before we knew it we were headed back home.