Category: USA

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 my traveling addiction over the last several decades.

Alaska Tour – July 2019

Donna & I went on a 10-day adventure tour of Alaska with Gate 1 tour company. Our journey began in Fairbanks and ended in Anchorage. In between we visited an ice museum, rode the Alaska Wilderness Express train, rafted on the Nenana River, walked with crampons on the Root glacier, visited 2 national parks – Denali & Wrangle-St. Elias; went on a boat on Prince William Sound; flew on a small plane from Kennicott to Chitina; saw lots of wildlife; and visited several Alaskan heritage sites, and an Iditarod dog sled kennel. Wow! – It was an amazing 10 days.

Click here to read the complete Trip Report

Keith & Lindsay Visit – June 2019

Family members Keith & Lindsay, along with our grandkids – Kade & Bexley, stayed with us for a week. Keith & Carey built a garden shed for Donna, while Lindsay & Donna entertained the kids at various attractions in El Paso.

Keith & I building a shed for Donna’s gardening hobby

Keith & Lindsay with kids and Donna in our hot tub

Granddaughter Julia Visit – June 2019

Julia visited our home in mid-June. We took her to the Gila Mountains where we walked the catwalk and camped overnight at the Double T RV campground. From there we drove to Santa Fe and camped 2 nights at Rancheros de Santa Fe. On the way to Santa Fe, we stopped and toured the Very Large Array, and while in Santa Fe we visited Meow Wolf and the International Folk-art Museum. The last day we hiked at Tent Rocks National Monument. The three of us had a great time together.

Julia and Donna at the Double T RV campground

Julia in the middle of one of the Meow Wolf displays

Hobbs, NM Habitat Build – May 2019

This is a trip that Carey took for Habitat for Humanity. It was a build with a group called the RV Care-A-Vanners which is similar to Habitat’s Global Village, only it’s within the US and for people with RV’s. There were 7 of us in the group and most of our time was spent painting two duplex homes in Hobbs.

Rotary club friends from Hobbs, NM – We traveled with them to Quime, Boliva on a Rotary project to Empower Women with the United4Change organization

YMCA Camp – Oracle, AZ – March 2019

I took the camper and drove to Oracle, AZ to join fellow RVF’ers in a working rally to help fix-up a YMCA camp in conjunction with the Tuscon, AZ Rotary Club. The trip was a success and four of us even got to go zip-lining on Sunday afternoon.

Family Trip to TX, DE, PA – Nov/Dec 2018

We drove the 1999 RAV4 to visit all the kids and grandkids, starting with Chris in Plano, TX, then to Keith & Lindsay in Felton, DE, then to Audrey & Avery in Philadelphia, PA, then to Steve & Cheryl in Reading, PA, then to Kevin & Steph in York, PA, then to Steve & Dana in Lebanon, PA. After all that we left the car with granddaughter Anna and flew home from BWI to El Paso.

Chopping and stacking wood with granddaughter Bexley

Birthday party for Kade & Bexley in Felton, DE

Canada (Manitoba), North Dakota – October 2018

We traveled over 5,000 miles, 4,800 by truck and RV, then a flight to Churchill, Manitoba to see polar bears in their native habitat. The weather was cold most of the time, but it made the experience even better. We also visited 7 US national monuments going there and on the way home. Great trip. The tour with Fantasy RV tours began at the International Peace Gardens at the North Dakota/Manitoba border and ended in Winnipeg. We traveled with 36 other people on the tour.

Just another incredible waterfalls within the US

Our first dog sled ride – Churchill, Manitoba

Organ Mt. / Desert Peaks Hike – October 2018

We took this hike with 7 other people from Donna’s Women’s Welcome Club of El Paso. The hike was approximately 3-1/2 miles round trip.

Beautiful scenery at Organ Mountain / Desert Peaks National Monument

Oceanside, CA Visit – August 2018

This was a Mannino Family reunion near Donna’s brother Carl’s house in Oceanside, CA. We rented an Airbnb home for us, Donna’s parents, Steve & Cheryl, Jan and Patti. We went deep sea fishing and visited the Channel Islands National Park, in addition to multiple meals, swimming and other good times between the Airbnb place and Carl’s house.

Rockport, TX (UPC Trip) – August 2018

There were 5 volunteers (Team #2) from the UPC Church who donated their time to help victims of the 2017 Hurricane Harvey storm. Donna & I joined the team with Larry McGinnes, Eva Matta & Maureen Keton for a 4 day trip from El Paso to Rockford, TX. We worked hard in the heat and humid conditions of the area, patchng a roof on one home, helping others move furniture from one place to another. All went well.