This page contains pictures and information about camping trips and other travel within the US. It also includes visits that family members and others made to our area and home. It is arranged chronologically starting with the most recent trip/visit. Scroll down to see all the entries. One of my lifetime goals has been to visit all the national parks in the US. When Donna & I travel, we also go out of our way to visit national monuments, seashores, memorials, battlefields, preserves, parkways, recreation areas, rivers, scenic trails, lakeshores and national historic sites. So, you may wonder ‐ why have I chosen this as a goal? The answer is simple – as a citizen of this great country, I, like you, am one of the many owners of these national treasures. As such, I consider it a priority to go visit what I own and enjoy the scenic wonders, the incredible memorials, and the cherished wilderness that so many have fought and died to give us this privilege. Having said that, I dedicate this section of my website to my parents, my kids and grandkids; and the rest of my family, especially my wife, who have honored and participated in my traveling addiction over the last several decades.
Donna’s brother Steve and his wife Cheryl came to visit Charlie & Barb (and us). Donna took Steve to Jarden Milagros to help volunteer at the farm for a couple hours. Later in the week we drove to the Pink Store in Palomas, Mexico (just south of Columbus, New Mexico) where we shopped and had lunch. The following week I drove to Columbus again and stopped to visit Pancho Villa State Park.
I drove to PA to help celebrate Steve (my son) 50th birthday party as well as granddaughter Julia’s 17th birthday. Stopped at Carol & Dave’s house along the way and made several stops (going and coming back) at National Park/Monument, etc sites. The trip lasted two weeks and I traveled over 5,500 miles. I also visited my Aunt Janice and Uncle Jim, Steve & Cheryl, Kevin & kids, Keith & family, and Audrey & Avery. Great trip.
Carey’s daughter Audrey stopped in for a visit and stayed for a week. We played 3 gams of Trekking National Parks, hiked the Franklin Mts, and drove to see the Aydan Crater in southern New Mexico. Good visit.
We took the camper and drove through Arizona to Nevada to attend the wedding of Brittany (my sister LuAnn’s granddaughter). We stopped at several unique places on the way. We found several places to hike with the dogs during the trip.
We loaded the camper and travel 5,700 miles (roundtrip) to the northeast to visit family and do some sightseeing in New York and Vermont. We stayed at several Harvest Host campgrounds during our travel and visited several museums. Great trip with plenty of time for campfires and hiking.
We packed a lunch, took the dogs and drove 60 miles to Leasburg Dam State Park for a morning hike. We had some trouble getting into the park because of the COVID-19 restrictions but we did get in. First half of the hike was cool and shady, while the 2nd part was hot and getting hotter by the minute. We had lunch at the end of the 2 mile loop trail, then headed home.
We took our 2 dogs and loaded them into the truck then hauled our 5th wheel camper through several western states with the plan to reach Big Sky, MT. We camped and did sightseeing in Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico over a two-week period. During the trip we hiked trails at each stop and visited several national monuments. We had a great trip and really enjoyed the cooler weather along the way. We even had a tour of a gold mine and saw numerous spectacular waterfalls in each state.
Donna & I took our dogs and spent the day at Lake Roberts. We hiked from the boat dock/fishing area to the dam and back again. This was another of our day trips, since most of our travel is still limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
Another great day for a hike. We packed our lunch; took the dogs and drove to Ruidoso to hike the 2.2-mile Eagle Creek loop trail at the Alto reservoir. It was an easy hike on a well-marked, wide trail. There were a lot of families and fisherman at the lake. It was good to see people relaxing and enjoying themselves again.
Cloud Climbing Rail Trail is a 2.9 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Cloudcroft, New Mexico that features a great forest setting and is good for all skill levels. Donna & I took our dogs – DME & Bella on their first long distance hike. This was our first real adventure since the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic in early March. Great trip, and the weather was perfect.
