Rotary International is a global service organization that brings together leaders from different professions to provide humanitarian services, promote high ethical standards in all vocations, and advance goodwill and peace around the world. Founded in 1905 in Chicago, Illinois, Rotary has grown into a vast network of over 35,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and regions, with a total membership of over 1.2 million Rotarians. Each Rotary club operates autonomously but within the framework of Rotary International, with members participating in community service projects, vocational training, youth programs, and international exchanges. The Rotary Foundation, the charitable arm of Rotary, supports these efforts with grants and funding for local and global projects aimed at addressing some of the world’s most pressing issues, including poverty, disease, and illiteracy. I’ve been a member of the Rotary Club of West El Paso for over 15 years and have participated in numerous adventures within the US and around the world.
This was a camping trip that I did on my own. Donna was back in PA at the time. I went with the RVF (Recreational Vehicle Fellowship) group. This is an old ghost town that is being renovated by a guy named Herb. It has an original saloon where he serves meals and drinks, and the whole town is typical of the wild west back in the day. We also did a lot of 4-wheeling in the desert and stopped to see a castle that one man is building for himself.
This trip was made in conjunction with the 2012-2013 Rotary International Convention in Bangkok. Donna & I spent the first 3 days visiting Cambodia, then went onto Bangkok. The balance of the trip was spent in northern Thailand with the Rotary ITHF (International Travel & Hosting Fellowship.) The last three days of the trip we flew to Phuket, one of the most picturesque group of islands in the world.
This was a trip with the RVF camping group to Canton, TX, home of the largest flea market/yard sale in Texas. Known as First Monday Trade Days, this is a monthly event – the first Monday of each month (sunup to sundown). You can buy almost anything you want at this place.
This was our second trip to San Jose Villanueva with the Rotary group from Canada. This trip we built one home and toured the various businesses that are being financed through the Canadians micro-finance program.
This was a month-long trip to the northwest, starting in New Mexico and moving on to Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Nevada. Ten of those days were spent with the Rotary RVF group, mostly in Oregon and Washington. We stopped at several National Parks, camped in great spots in all parts of the northwest, and had a great time sight-seeing and enjoying fellowship with the RVF group. See our blog for more information: http://northwestrollingadventure.blogspot.com/
We took this camping trip to Solvang, California to meet the RVF (Recreational Vehicle Fellowship) group from the Pacific zone. Solvang is a beautiful little Danish city nestled in the Santa Ynez Valley of California. On the way we stopped to visit Donna’s brother Carl & his family in Vista for a few days. We spent 4 days with the RVF group at Solvang, touring various areas, including a local Air Force base, then headed home by way of Las Vegas. We wanted to see the new bridge near Hoover Dam. After we took the bridge tour we returned to our camper for the trip home.
This was our first trip with the Rotary Club of North Renfrew, Ontario, Canada. A group of 10 of us went to San Jose Villaneuva to build two houses for the poor people in the town. This Rotary Club goes there several times each year as part of their matching grant program.
A distinguished contingent of Rotarians hailing from El Paso, TX and Clovis, NM embarked on a Rotary Friendship Exchange journey to Deep River, Ontario, Canada. During our visit, we were graciously welcomed by fellow members of various Rotary Clubs in the region. Our time there was nothing short of exceptional, and it was during this visit that we became acquainted with a Rotary project aimed at constructing homes in El Salvador. This discovery led us to actively engage in the project, and we participated in two missions—one in November 2010 and another in November 2011.
This was a Rotary sponsored trip known as a RFE (Rotary Friendship Exchange). We flew to Birmingham with our firends Lonnie & Ardeth Leslie; rented a car and drove to Lincoln where the RFE began. After seeing all the sites in Lincoln (compliments of our host families) we drove to London and toured there for a few days, saw ‘Phantom of the Opera’ at Her Majesty’s Theater, then on to Stonehedge, another Wonder of the World. It was fun learning how to drive on the wrong side of the road, with a car that had the steering wheel on the opposite side as well. Lonnie was our navigator.
The reason for this trip was to participate in the Alberta, Canada Rotary Friendship Exchange. We decided to take our camper and drive all the way to Canada to join the RFE team. Our first stop was Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP, then to Yellowstone NP, each of which we spent several days sightseeing and touring. From there we went to Banff NP in Alberta, the to our first RFE host in Camrose. From Camrose, we went with the team to Ft. McMurray, Edson, Jasper NP, and Edmonton which was our final stop with the team. After the RFE Donna & I headed south to Calgary, then to Glacier & Grand Teton NP, passing through Denver on our way back home. What an awesome trip!
