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 & I went to this UTEP football game. It was Military Night at the game and my dad – Beamy Beamesderfer was one of the honored veterans. UTEP Miners won the game 24-20 over Rice.
This is a trip to the site where the first atomic bomb was tested on July 16, 1945. My Mom & Dad traveled with me. The site is located in the New Mexico desert within the White Sands missile range and is only open to the public on April 4th and October 3rd of each year. This 51,500 acre area was declared a national historic landmark in 1975. We saw the monument at ground zero as well as the Schmidt/McDonald ranch house where the plutonium core to the bomb was assembled.
This conference was held at Rotary International World Headquarters in Evanston, IL. I went a day early and did some sightseeing around the area, which included seeing the very first MacDonald’s that was ever built; a replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa; Gross Point Lighthouse National Historic Landmark; a replica of ancient Eqypt; and the largest religious woodcarving on Earth. It was an interesting 4 day trip.
I made this trip to Aurora, CO to learn more about a Rotary Project known as Ambulance Gateway. On the way there I stopped at several places to do some sightseeing, including the Enchanted Trails RV Park, which is a Route 66 icon; Tent Rocks National Monument – where I hiked; then onto Capulin Volcano National Monument. After leaving Aurora, I went to Valley of the Fires National Monument, where I stayed for 2 days doing more sightseeing in the area. I toured Three Rivers Petroglyph National Monument; Smokey Bear Historical Site; Fort Stanton, and Lincoln State Monument in New Mexico. It was a great trip.
This is the 7th year I’ve attended RYLA camp as a counselor. RYLA stands for Rotary Youth Leadership Award and you can learn more by clicking on the following link: https://ryla5520.shutterfly.com/
We drove with Donna’s parents to Gatlinburg, TN to meet the rest of Barb & Charlie’s family including several from Cincinnati, Ohio. We rented a cabin in the mountains, next to Great Smokey Mountain National Park, which had 8 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms. It was the perfect place for a large family gathering. We did some hiking, touring, and mostly having fun with the family.
This was a fun event – a 5K marathon and obstacle course, affectionately known as the Mud Run. It was sponsored by the Anthony Rotary Club and several local Rotary Clubs had teams, including my club – West El Paso. Also, 15 Rotary Youth Exchange students from Rotary District 5520 participated in the event. My role of photographer was simple compared to the event participants. It was fun to watch.
This was a trip Donna & I took to the Rotary RVF Rally. Her parents – Charlie & Barb Mannino joined us. Our first stop was at Tetilla Peak campground near Santa Fe, NM so we could visit several places in Santa Fe. We continued to Colorado Springs where we visited the Garden of the Gods and drove to the top of Pikes Peak. On our way to Estes Park we stopped at the Air Force Academy Visitor’s Center, then drove to Mary’s Lake Campground in Estes Park where the RVF Rally started. We toured Rocky Mountain National Park, as well as the famous Stanley hotel. Charlie & I went fishing a couple times and we all enjoyed the fellowship with the RVF group.
Donna & I traveled to the Rotary District 5520 Conference in Clovis, NM. During the conference we toured Canon Air Force Base and visited the old post office/library where we walked through the spy tunnel of the old postmaster. The conference was two days where we enjoyed the Youth Exchange breakfast: a performance of the award winning Clovis high school band, and the legendary Fireballs.
Donna’s aunt Jonny and cousins Joanne & Vicki came to visit us. We took them to White Sands, San Elizario Mission and the Rose Garden as part of their tour of the El Paso/Southern New Mexico area. The final day we hiked up the mountain to Crista Rey, then stopped for a margarita at Rosa’s Cantina.
