DECEMBER 27, 2023 www.wintertexantimes.com 14 WINTER TEXAN TIMES Just a few more days and this year will be behind us. ANewYear is just around the corner. I am sure all of us have a special plan, a dream that we want to make come true. What is your dream? Will it be a cruise? Travel to a distant country? Or just explore locally? Travel seems to be on a lot of people’s minds right now as we are receiving a great number of calls asking what we will offer in 2025. Organizing a tour does take some time, especially into a different country. Many hotels and attractions are hesitant to commit to a contracted rate. This has always been true but now there seems to be more reluctance as the value of the dollar, the value of the euro and of the peso is so volatile. Just look at gas prices, which have dropped noticeably in the last two weeks. But will they remain lower, or will they go back up again? Just as soon as I can get commitments from hotels and transportation, I will publish the tours we are planning. If you are wondering about itineraries, look at our website. If a tour in the past has been successful, we generally will repeat that same itinerary. The hotels may change, because sometimes a hotel is sold, a new management takes over, and the service and quality may remain the same or it may drop in quality. When this happens, we look for other hotels, but the itinerary may continue the same with only the hotels changing. Some of the more popular tours are the Big Bend – this one is already selling well and is about a third or more full. Don’t wait too long to sign up for this one. There will be a slight change in the itinerary, staying first in the Chisos Basin and then going to Fort Davis and the Observatory. The Monarch Butterfly is almost always in the first half of February when the butterflies are at their peak. San Miguel de Allende is another popular tour. Now that so many churches and schools have recognized the Day of the Dead celebration, perhaps it is time to offer that tour again. There will be many one days offered with the top seller being the popular King Ranch and the King Ranch Farm Tour that includes the farming operation and the feed lot visit. Some of my favorites are the Painted Churches, the Texan Hill Country as well as of course Texas’ most popular destination – San Antonio. I grew up on a farm and so at the top of my list is the Farm Tour. I just haven’t had the nerve to climb up and sit in the cockpit of the crop duster plane … but some women do just that! You probably have a favorite that you want to repeat, or maybe one that you have never been on but would like to experience. Let us hear from you. Give us a call. Go … With Jo also has a very experienced home-based travel agent who can arrange a cruise or any destination that you have been dreaming of. We look forward to hearing from you. Let us help you fulfill your dream. Where do you want to go? SHUFFLEBOARD From pg. 1 “It’s the shuffleboard resurgence,” said Henry Miller in that article. Brenda Noakes, president of the Texas Sate Shuffleboard Association, said numbers hit a low about six to seven years ago, but they were working hard and doing things differently now to attract more shufflers. Last year they had 80 new players in just a few months’ time. And just with other activities during the Winter Texan season, a surge of players is expected to increase after the holidays as the full entourage of Winter Texans make their way to south Texas. Last year, the Rio Grande Valley Shuffleboard Association had great turnouts at their events, and they plan on having bigger crowds this year as travel has picked up this season. They have about 20 tournaments each season and use nearly 40 courts throughout southern Texas. Ric Cunningham, president of the Rio Grande Valley Shuffleboard Association is excited to get this season’s tournaments started. There have already been a few, but it gets busier these next three months. To participate, you must be a member of the RGVSA. You can visit their website at https://rgvsa. weebly.com/ for more information and a full schedule of events. Their first tournament of the year starts on January 2, with entries closing on December 29. The tournament will start with the ladies, then men, then a finals game on January 4. The event will be held at Fun-n-Sun. Entry fee is $5. This tournament is for men’s and ladies’ singles 75+. The next tournament is doubles on January 9 and will be held at Pine to Palm. Tournaments are held nearly every Tuesday through Thursday from January 2 to March 7. Entry deadlines are usually the Friday before the event. Flyers with more information can be found on the website. To compete in the events, shufflers must be part of the Texas State Shuffleboard Association. There is a lifetime membership fee and an entry fee per event. For more information about the RGVSA visit their website or call or text (720) 254-5967. The association conducts Texas State Shuffleboard Association sanctioned tournaments. To learn more about the Texas Shuffleboard Association, visit https://txshuffle. weebly.com. You can also find the Texas Shuffleboard Association, and other groups, online at https://www.national-shuffleboard-association.us/ texas.html. Shuffleboard Tournament at Ranchero Village, 2020. Photo by Carina Brunson Painted Church. Courtesy photo
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