13 WINTER TEXAN TIMES www.wintertexantimes.com MARCH 13, 2024 Visit the Rio Grande Valley According to a recent survey, Mission, TX is on the top ten snowbird destinations in the United States. The City of Mission is the number one Winter Texan (we don’t use the word snowbirds) destination in the State of Texas. The survey, done by StorageCafe looked at several different metrics including weather, storage use, average temperature, vacant housing units for the season vs. non-season, number of RV parks in each city, and more to determine the most popular places for winter migration. The survey talks about the traditional wintertime ‘migration’ towards friendlier shores that keeps gaining new clientele. According to the survey, because of the rise in remote work, there has been a notable increase in the ‘nomads’ that are seeking warmer winters. What are our Winter friends looking for? Friendly surroundings, great climate, beaches close by, golf courses, availability of rentals for seasonal use, costs of renting/buying availability, safety, healthcare, and even the number of restaurants and places to go. Mission offers Winter Texans the best bang for their buck. Mission, and the Rio Grande Valley, offers Winter Texans all of these things. There is a perfect blend of amenities, mild climate, and affordability, said the survey. Out of the top 100 destinations in the southern Unites States, the State of Texas secured 27 cities in the top 100. So, we’ll say it again – With Mission being in the top 10, and the number one in the State of Texas, there has to be a reason why. So why Mission? According to the survey, almost Mission top Winter Texan destination in US M c A l l e n has once again landed in the top five of another state list. The ranking, compiled by TheTravel website, looked at 10 cities and c o m p a r e d travel costs, i n c l u d i n g flights, hotel, and affordable entertainment options. McAllen earned the number four spot, while other border cities, Laredo and El Paso were named three and two respectively. Other cities on the list included south central communities and Dallas’ neighbors, Arlington and Fort Worth. While the cities listed are more affordable than Dallas, they are still McAllen lands in top affordable cities to visit in Texas One of the things that we hear around here is that Winter Texans come to the Valley during the winter months so they can still live an active lifestyle. If they were still up north, they would be stuck inside during snowstorms, and wouldn’t have much to do but a few indoor activities when it is too cold outside. The only activity they would really get is shoveling snow, and that is something they don’t want to be doing. So, they come to south Texas so that can have a wide variety of activities to choose from. Because of the warmer climate, and predominantly dry season, Winter Texans have a full range of outdoor activities they can participate in while in south Texas from October through March. One of the most popular activities is golf. Many of the resorts in the Rio Grande Valley have a golf course, and if yours doesn’t, there are still Winter Texans visit the Valley to stay active See MISSION pg. 17 See MCALLEN pg. 18 See ACTIVE pg. 18 IMAS. Courtesy photo 2024 Mission Winter Texan Fiesta. Photo by Carina Brunson Birdwatching at Frontera Audubon. Photo by Herb Moering
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