Adventures with BeeGee

Hidden deep within the heart of the Belizean jungle, a world of ancient mystery and breathtaking natural beauty awaits. My journey to Crystal Cave, known to the Maya as Actun Tunichil Muknal, was an adventure that I shared with my wife, Linda, and our friend, Eamon. It was a trip that combined a challenging hike with a surreal descent into the Mayan underworld. The expedition began with a trek through a vibrant tropical forest under a relentless sun. The air was thick with humidity, making every step feel heavy. The trail was narrow and winding, leading us through a tapestry of lush greenery and ancient trees. Rather than talking amongst ourselves, we listened intently as our guide shared fascinating stories of the native plants and the history of the local people and the ancient Maya. We were so engrossed in the journey that we almost missed a truly unique sight: a whip scorpion, a non-venomous creature of the jungle floor. After the challenging and humid hike, we arrived at the mouth...

A San Antonio Ghost Tour The first adventure following our South American excursion was the Spirits, Murderers & Prostitutes of San Antonio offered by Curious Twins Paranormal Tours. We did the tour on Saturday, July 6 at 10:00 p.m. I will try to provide a brief overview without giving away any spoilers which could ruin anyone else’s experience. The meetup location at the Alamo The tour begins with a chilling reminder of where you stand when you are at the Alamo Plaza, which is the site of at least three burial sites, a holy site for the local indigenous communities, and the center of Spanish San Antonio. Your guides then take you to the Menger Hotel Bar, where they introduce you to stories from San Antonio’s wild west days, tell you the sad story of a hard-working gal, and show you evidence of a cowboy gun-fight. The tour continues down to the San Fernando Cathedral, where your tour guides tell you the tragic stories of native American communities, ladies of the ni...

Tubing Down the San Marcos River Linda here for Adventures with BeeGee. We’ve been adventuring more aggressively since the Salkantay trek. My goal this August is to continue the adventuring while catching up on blog entries to ensure we preserve these great memories. On Saturday, July 20th, Jarrett, a friend of ours, and I went tubing down the San Marcos River. I realized I had been living in Austin for almost four years now and had not done this iconic Hill Country tourist activity. To be honest, we probably hadn't done it before because I only learned how to swim last year and am not the most comfortable in the water. The San Marcos River is relatively shallow, and the heat in Texas is unbearable, so if you want to enjoy the outdoors but are uncomfortable with water, this is a great option. The water is initially cold, but once the sun comes out, it starts feeling like a great relief from just lying on your tube. If you’re comfortable with water and swimming, I su...

An amazing sunrise in Big Bend Rugged Trail Through the Canyons Editor's Note: I never finished the write-up for this trip report, but you can check out the first day of this Big Bend trip here . As I've said before, I'm notoriously bad at breaking camp in the morning and ended up getting a slow start. As I was haphazardly packing up camp, I saw the group from the Dodson Trailhead in the distance. This motivated me to kick it into high gear in an attempt to start walking before the group could catch up to me. I was quick enough to avoid detection, but eventually, the group caught up to me. The group ended up breaking into 2 groups, and we leapfrogged each other a few times before making it to Dodson Spring. At the spring, we talked for a bit, and they asked me a few more questions about what to expect. I ended up heading out before them, and we met a few minutes later at Fresno Creek, where everyone took a break and filtered water. During my break, I wandered a...

Preparing for the 100-mile Extended Mountain Loop It’s been a while, but I finally found the time to make it back out to Big Bend National Park. If you are interested in our first trip to Big Bend, you can follow along here: Big Bend 2015 . I headed out for the trip around 2 pm on December 2, 2018, for what I’ve termed the Extended Outer Mountain Loop, a 100-mile backpacking trip spanning 7 days. The plan was to meet up with my dad, Bmo, in the Chisos Mountains, cache water, and then start the adventure. Planned 7-day route for Big Bend National Park Big Bend National Park Background Location: 310, Alsate Dr, Big Bend National Park, TX 79834 Admission: $25 per vehicle, $14 campsites, $12 backcountry pass Elevation: 1,800 to 7,832 ft. Weather: Varied from rainy, cloudy, and sunny, 30 to 65°F Difficulty: Strenuous Website: https://www.nps.gov/bibe/index.htm   7 days' worth of food The Drive Out I didn't get to leave as early as I would have liked ...

Starting to Train “THE REMARKABLE THING IS WE HAVE A CHOICE EVERYDAY REGARDING THE ATTITUDE WE WILL EMBRACE FOR THAT DAY.” – Charles Swindoll A good friend sent the entire reflection to me earlier this year, a friend I relied on for honest feedback, fun arguments, and helpful advice. That friend is now gone, and I’ve had to reread that reflection every day since his departure to cope with that loss. Our friend knew life was short, and that it is best to live it as much as you can. His passing has made me reflect much on that. So, when Jarrett brought up a December Big Bend trip again, I took the opportunity to say I’d join. I’ve never been to Big Bend, and I figured training for a seven-day hike would give me the motivation I need to up my fitness.  At the same time, I feel it’s a distraction, or a way to channel the pain of the loss, or maybe both. Training the body to improve its endurance and the mind to try to stay in the present is a therapy I’m willing to try...

First Time at Sherwood Forest I have recently been introduced to the fun world of Renaissance festivals, so Jack and I took a trip to the Ren Faire in McDade, Texas. Upon arrival, a group of characters were handing out flyers to gain attention for their show, which happened to be called Blunt Force Drama. Once Jack and I finally made it through the festival gates, Blunt Force was one of the first shows running. So of course, we stopped there. The show is a melee fighting tournament mixed with adult humor. The show starts by picking judges from the crowd, and then the fighting begins. They even have adult humor commercials while you wait for the next round. I thoroughly enjoyed the fighting and the humor, but some might find it offensive (it was pretty racy). Also, I wouldn't take kids. Once the show finished, we followed Jack's policy of taking a lap around the grounds to see what shops and shows were available. This led me to find some awesome leather ar...