Yoo 529 - Sandia Peak Tramway

In between the ballooning sessions, we took a ride on the Sandia Peak Tramway. It. Was. Packed. Everyone else had the same brilliant idea. Somehow Alisha and I lucked out and got to take a nap in the car while Tina stood in line for an hour and a half waiting for tickets. (yeah, we owe her big).

When the time finally came, we were packed like sardines into the tram and I was squished far too close for comfort to the door, so it became an adrenaline-packed, scenic ride to the top. Totally worth it for the hours that followed, though.

Fresh cool mountain air, soft dirt trails, brilliantly turning foliage. It was everything I miss living in San Antonio!

Originally we were just going to take a few pictures at the top and head back down. But then I lured everyone on a trail promising an old abandoned cabin and 360 degree views of the landscape. It was peachy-keen hiking until we realized we were trekking long past when we should have reached the cabin. This coincided with me hearing the sounds of a truck breezing past on a nearby road in what should have been foot-only access wilderness.

"Wow. Where ever did that truck come from?" I inquired aloud.

(the phrasing might have been slightly more vulgar, i guess we'll all find out on judgment day).

We turned around and eventually found the critical fork we had previously missed. Despite a raging thirst, the destination was worth all the effort. That afternoon excursion with some of my best buds will forever be one of my happy places.

There was another hour-long wait for the tram ride back down the mountain so Alisha and I held a place in line while Tina got a turn to nap. It wasn't even that bad of a wait because we made friends with several older couples from Wisconsin and had a grand time exchanging adventure stories and listening to their accents.

Eventually we got back to the car, found the best Mexican restaurant, and sat outside around a fire pit while burning our mouths on spicy stuffed sopapillas and downing the best tortilla chips these taste buds have ever experienced. This was all washed down with a hearty dosage of cherry-flavored Gas-X in preparation for another night in the car together.

I love trips.

Have a great day :-)