Utah: Life Elevated

Ever think a ‘waterpocket fold’ would land in the list of things that excite you? 😉

Well, better add a bullet for this one…

Utah continues to amaze us. J has been more than me, but this third trip certainly was a charm. We really packed it in with this one:

Dead Horse Point State Park, Moab, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Escalante State Park, Zion National Park…

What’s the longest you can go without blinking?

A trip like this was awesome to scratch the surface, but we were left wanting more… more of each place. There was so much to take in at each location, you didn’t want to miss a moment. And, with some of the back-country dirt roads, you couldn’t really afford to…

As a little girl, I was always fascinated by rocks. I wanted to climb them, collect them, figure out what made them…A roadtrip like this was a dream. Not only the red rocks, but the incredible history and Native American presence in pictographs, arrowheads… aaahhhh!

Pancho was not ready for a haul like this, but our other road warrior, Coco Loco Moco, was up for the challenge. Complete with a rooftop treehouse (as we like to call it); it is arguably the most comfortable ‘glamp’ set up one could ask for. It was a tidbit chilly this time of year, so Mr. Heater Buddy became a close companion.

We weren’t the only ones that were cold..

Pepe, our new fuzzy fellow re-emerged every 5 minutes for one of the nights, to toast his paws by the fire. He was uncomfortably welcoming to the neighborhood which kept me on the edge of my chair for most of the evening, much to J’s entertainment. In his backyard or not, it would have been a very untimely occasion for a spritz of this special outdoorsy cologne. Yep..

Hmmm what else can I say – we were so thankful to spend this special trip with friends, families, loved ones. There were so many happy memories made; I hope when I am older, there will be a special smile wrinkle for this one.

Belay on!

Vacation Days

Big things happening this week:

Transmission rebuild = complete!

Vehicle registration = complete! (Thank goodness for AAA, saving us hours from the dreaded DMV). It felt pretty good getting those license plates…real official….woot!

Costco run = complete. Ha! No, not for the trip, just for life. In the midst of all this craziness, we decided it was a good idea to do a 21 day sugar detox. Stocked up on meats, veggies, almond butter, eggs…sadly had to skip the wine aisle…next time.

The reality of this trip is really starting to sink in. How often does one get to spend 3 months traveling through Mexico?! It really is a rare opportunity; J is in a unique position to make shift trades and my contract is coming to an end.

It’s crazy (for me) to digest that I only have three weeks of work left. Planning the transition, I have been sharing our plans with more and more people. The reactions have been all over the board: shocked, amused, excited, curious, amazed, skeptical, unsure, annoyed, and my favorite, genuinely happy for us.

The truth is: not enough people take vacations and time for themselves.

“Unlike every other developed nation in the world, the U.S. has no mandated number of days off for employees. About one-fourth of American workers get no paid vacation at all. Those whose employers offer it receive an average of about 10 days a year” – https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/why-vacations-matter/index.html

Even with the average of ’10 days’, over half of Americans do not use all of the vacation they earn.

Being at companies in the past, where vacation hours were accrued, I was counting those hours each pay check to plan my next adventure… I would not leave a single minute.

There are so many aspects of life, work is certainly one of them, but should not be the only one. Take the vacation days, discover somewhere new, go for a walk, lay in a hammock. You won’t regret it.

We are excited to live ‘outside the box’ for this upcoming period and fully experience all that life has to offer.

Cookies

After getting Pancho home safely, we checked him into the doctor for his first operation; rebuilding the transmission.

We have about two months until ‘Mexico go-time’ so we’re tackling the big stuff first. Parting ways, it was time to pack up the bicicletas for an adventure in the Malibu mountains…

Challenge: Phil’s Cookie Fondo.

Course consisted of: Spandex, gourmet cookies, tough climbs, burning lungs, sweat, eye watering descents, beautiful views, and did I already say COOKIES? Yes, at everrrrry aid station…sweetness!

Ex pro cyclist, Phil Gaimon, known for chowing down cookies on serious races, puts on an awesome event! Dressed up like the cookie monster, he organized several routes: Mini Chip, Sugar Cookie, Chocolate Chip and Double Fudge. (The double fudgers are walnuts! 110 miles…eeesh).

We opted for the 50 mile Sugar Cookie ride, plenty challenging with over 3,250 ft+ of climbing. It was a rad day, starting through foggy farmlands, climbing up windy narrow roads, discovering gorgeous, rocky, hilly, terrain sprinkled with horse stables and impressive ranches.

Sweet treats along the way until we found the Malibu coast for the last stretch. Right when you are about to cross over to the dark side, fatigued and in need of more calories, you ride through the finish archways to find a Michelin star meal and cold beer waiting for you. Amazing.

Of course we had to bring home some gourmet coffee…one of the best souvenirs 😊

The Draw of Adventure

What is the draw of an adventure?

Is it the love hate relationship with your burning quads and lungs while ascending a mountain?

Wind tears streaming from your face as you fly down a hill on two wheels above 40 mph?

Maybe it’s experiencing a new place, for the first time, taking it all in and appreciating you’ll never feel that way again, then you did in that very moment…

For me, the most addicting adventures have unique combinations of physical, mental and emotional challenge. Adventuring is about discovering elements of the unknown and unveiling what life has to offer.

This weekend was filled with some of my favorites…espresso, trail exploring, bike riding, tasty food, great company as well as my first time viewing the Banff Mountain Film Festival Tour showing at a local theatre.

To anyone that has not seen this; I highly recommend! The festival itself is a competition of international films and documentaries about mountain sports, culture and environment. The tour includes a collection of top films that will capture your mind and transport your soul to incredible places and people around the world.

For me, watching this film series was like dousing my ‘adventure fire’ with a bottle of lighter fluid. Rrrooooaaaarrrrrrr! I could not get to sleep afterwards; storms of thought tornadoes blew through my head…all the places…all the things…so much to do… so little time…

The Mexico van search continues …as does the list of destinations…

Cactus to Clouds

Coffee

Did I mention, we love coffee?

The best mornings start with a cup…or let’s be real, 2 cups!

It’s one of those 5 sense experiences: sight, smell, the sound of making it, the taste and even the touch. A comforting cup in your hand and warm fuzzies in your belly?!

Not rushed, but to be fully enjoyed, solo or with the ones you love (my favorite). A coffee inspires the day and reminds of past experiences. These are some memorable coffees over the last few months….

(East Cape, Baja MX, Thousand Island Lake Backpacking and a freak snow storm in Joshua Tree)

No trip can be planned without coffee…

Viva la Vida Ventures Intro:

Hola!

We drink the finest coffee while contemplating our next big adventures. We probably consume too much peanut butter and have a small obsession with Danner hiking boots.

On the beach or at 10,000 ft., the places we enjoy most are hard to get to…

Most recently?
We decided to buy a van and plan a trip through Mexico. We are excited to blog about this journey as well as other exciting things along the way.