Well, it certainly wasn’t the year any of us had planned. As the world shut down, we found ourselves in Las Vegas, Nevada. We were to be part of an annual friend get together and the yearly holiday known as March Madness, the pinnacle of College Basketball. But this of course was just to be the beginning of almost all things being cancelled throughout 2020. We were fortunate to have friends in Vegas, which allowed us a safe place to be while first waiting to see if we would be able to retain our newly acquired job with Boreas, and later allowing us to make a plan of concluding our contract with Boreas and driving back to Colorado to collect our dearly beloved home, our Conqueror UEV 440.
Sunny skies and beer poolside! 
Street art in downtown Las Vegas 
Helping our friends with an outdoor kitchen 
My first attempt at Beef Wellington 
Waffles the kitty wants to be Jared’s best friend 
Reunited with our Conqueror UEV 440
Once back with our trailer in Colorado, we made plans of working our way westward. We were able to take our time and enjoy a couple of our favorite campsites as we worked our way west with plans of meeting up with some friends and having some socially distanced time in southeastern Oregon.
A camp spot with lots of space to move about 
Mid afternoon cocktail and nibbles with a view 
cactus in bloom
Onward we drove, until just outside of Heber City, Utah when the Jeep encountered some major failures. With only an occasional bar of service we managed to call a tow truck to get us into Heber City. The tow truck driver dropped the Jeep and trailer off at one of the local hotels and we made arrangements to get us and the Jeep and trailer back to Oregon where we could have a place to work on it and access trusted mechanics. Jen’s parents came to the rescue with a truck and trailer to tow the Jeep back to Oregon and an additional vehicle to tow our trailer. Short work was made of the drive from Heber City, Utah to Portland, Oregon and we arrived in two days.
brokedown alongside the road 
Tow truck to the rescue 
Bringing the Jeep and us back to Oregon
We got our trailer set up in the yard of Jen’s parents and began the task of assessing all that was wrong… the list kept growing! The transmission, transfer case, driveline missing, broken exhaust… We made an appointment with Jen’s cousin who owns a transmission shop, ordered a new driveline and made arrangements for him to replace the transfer case and driveline at the same time as the transmission. We thought we were on track for having all the work done in time for Jared’s youngest sister who was getting married in a beautiful outdoor location in Eastern Washington. We were all loaded up and headed out of town, with one quick stop to make at the fuel station to top up the tanks. Fuel was not going into the tank, rather pouring onto the ground. It became immediately clear that we were not yet privy to all that had gone amiss on our breakdown in Utah. We left the Jeep with Jen’s parents and borrowed their truck to get to the wedding in time and the saga of the Jeep would be put on hold for a week.
A view of the Christmas tree farm at Jen’s parents 
Things that should not be broken 
All ready and heading to Eastern Washington for the wedding
We made it to the wedding in time for both of us to do our parts and enjoy time with family.
After the wedding and family time, it was time again to put our focus back on the Jeep. It was discovered that some crucial components in the fuel system had been broken when we lost the driveline. Until more fuel had been added to disturb the broken pieces, we were none the wiser. Jared made arrangements with a trusted family mechanic in eastern Oregon and we had the fuel issues fixed and some of the exhaust replaced that had been damaged. While in Pendleton we had the opportunity spend more time with family, get new tires in a sales tax free state, spend some time on the reservoir, and witness the destruction of fire in farm country.
Having the fuel system fixed 
New Tires! 
Canoeing with the nephews and Jared’s sister 
The work of a beaver on the shores of the reservoir 
Big Foots grave discovered as the water recedes 
The devastation of fire in the Eastern Oregon farming community
That transfer case we had replaced turned out to be leaking, so back to Jen’s cousin we went in Portland. At the same time quite a few fires were gaining in size across Oregon. We were glad to be there to help Jen’s parents prepare for evacuation. They parents were fortunate, the fire did not come close to them and they were able to move back home within the week. We joined them, finished getting the Jeep taken care of and made plans to head to warmer places, as it was now October and the area would begin to get quite chilly.
The smoke begins to roll in making for some beautiful skies 
It becomes so smokey that at noon on what should be a sunny day, it feels like dusk 
A fire started by a car about a half mile from Jen’s parents 
Ash fallen on the Jeep 
The haze of smoke as we leave
We headed south for an eventual destination of Death Valley, California. On the way we made a stop at the Alvord desert in southeastern Oregon and Walker Lake in Nevada. When we arrived in the middle of October it was 105ºF. Death Valley is gigantic! It is the largest National Park outside of Alaska. We loved the scenery and climate and look forward to further exploring the park in the future.
The Alvord Desert 
Walker Lake BLM campground 
Stove Pipe Wells Campground in Death Valley National Park 
Tea Kettle Junction, Death Valley National Park 
The moving rocks on Race Track Playa, Death Valley National Park 
Devil’s Golf Course, Death Valley National Park 
Looking out over Death Valley National Park 
Colorful hills of Artists Palette Drive, Death Valley National Park 
A house made entirely of bottles in the ghost town of Rhyolite near Death Valley National Park 
Titus Canyon Road, Death Valley National Park 
Leadfield ghost town, Death Valley National Park 
Titus Canyon Road, Death Valley National Park 
The Jeep looking so tiny!
It was time to move on with a pitstop in Kingman, Arizona to visit a cousin of Jen’s. A short visit, some laundry and an adjustment to the parking brake was the plan. When Jared pulled off the wheels and brakes he discovered a leaking seal. The decision was made to replace the seal there, parts were ordered. We also did some sightseeing while visiting including a quad ride out to the nearby mountains and a walk in the tracks of an old wagon trail hidden in the center of town.
Tightening the parking brake 
Wagon Trail Ruts
We had made plans with friends from Texas to meet up with them for about 5 days in Big Bend National Park, Texas. It was time to work our way that direction. Our driving day goals are to enjoy coffee in the morning before hitting the road and stop by 4pm to set up in the light and enjoy the sunset. This of course does not always happen, but it is good to have goals! So on we traveled, mostly staying within our goal parameters. We did have our year and a half old radiator go out, but we were able to get a new radiator and get it replaced and be settled before sunset.
Readjust the parking brake one more time to get it just right. Somewhere outside Lake Havasu City, Arizona 
A lovely county campground in Tucson, Arizona. 
Saguarao National Park, Arizona 
Saguarao National Park, Arizona 
Apparently the summer breakdown wasn’t enough. Let’s get a new radiator! 
Guadalupe Mountain National Park, Texas. One of our least favorite campgrounds.
Finally, we arrive to Alpine, Texas where we would meet up with our friends and head into Big Bend National Park! It was gorgeous! We stayed the first couple nights in Chisos Basin and did some hikes from there and then moved out to Rio Grande Village for our last couple nights of camping and hikes. Jared and I cannot wait to go back and travel the River Road with dry camping and rougher roads hoping for less people.
Sunset at Chisos Basin Campground, Big Bend National Park 
We hiked out to Balanced Rock, Big Bend National Park 
On our way to The Window, Big Bend National Park 
Sunset at Sotol Vista, Big Bend National Park 
A tunnel in Big Bend National Park
If you have ever been to Texas, you know what I am talking about when I say it is a BIG State. It takes days to drive through! So, we decided that since we were already here we should see some other sites that Texas has to offer. Since we had just spent a week with our friends from Houston and had now become a part of each others bubble, they invited us spend Thanksgiving with them. We graciously accepted and agreed to meet them back at their home in Houston after we spent some time camping in the Hill Country of Texas, the home of Texas BBQ.
Texas BBQ, so much meat! 
And more….. 
And more… 
It’s so delicious! 
LBJ Ranch to have a break from eating… 
Vintage Circle on the LBJ Ranch 
Air Force One Half, as it was called by LBJ because it was so small
In Houston, we enjoyed a small, yet lovely Thanksgiving holiday and topped it off with celebrating my birthday with them. I have never woken up to a birthday banner before, such a treat!
After my birthday we headed out to see some of the Gulf Coast of Texas at the Padre Island National Seashore. The weather started out lovely, but took a turn of cold and rainy and one evening of 40+ mph winds. But we enjoyed our time of being out of the city and socially distant.
Padre Island National Seashore 
A coyote checking out his options at the duck pond 
A massive trailer on the beach at Padre Island 
A heron taking flight from the shore 
Watching a movie while the wind howls outside 
Padre Island National Seashore 
Enjoying some heat from the grill before we cook dinner
We made the trek back to Houston for our friends birthday and to celebrate Christmas. It is about time to head out of Texas, we have some business to take care of, so after a small New Year celebration in our little bubble we will pack up and begin the trek toward Arizona.
