Lots to learn on a King Ranch Tour
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- Published: Thursday, 08 February 2024 14:36
Good day to y’all. Please accept my apologies if I have confused you with two different King Ranch Tours. They are similar, but they are different – let me explain. First of all, let’s talk about what is the same in both of the tours.
You will be met at your departure point by a Go … With Jo! Guide who will stay with you from the beginning to the end of the day when you are returned to your departure point. That guide will share a lot of history of the Rio Grande Valley and will ask you to help watch for the native wildlife. You might see Rio Grande Turkey, or the elusive Nilgai and possibly some White Tail Deer or a wild hog or a javelina as you travel along in your charter coach.
Once you arrive at the King Ranch, another well versed guide will board the bus – one who is especially schooled in the history of the life of the King Ranch founder, Richard King and his wife, Henrietta. This guide might have even grown up on the ranch. Travel over a twelve-mile loop road through the ranch as you learn all about its founding. A Texas style barbecue lunch is included on both tours.
Now the tours begin to differ a bit. On the King Ranch Tour, you will visit the Henrietta Memorial Museum located in an old icehouse which was very important to the vegetable farmers of the Rio Grande Valley. Still to this day, vegetable farmers ship their produce to northern points, but now the vegetables are generally shipped in modern refrigerated trucks. The first stop to ice down the vegetables was in Kingsville at what is now the museum. If you look carefully at the brick walls of the museum, you can see remnants of salt that was used in producing the ice.
While we have been gearing up for the Valley Star Awards, we have also been busy trying to get out to some events. Last week I was able to attend a couple of events and had a great time visiting with you and enjoying your entertainment.
I also had the opportunity to eat out at Victoria Palms. I had their hamburger steak with mushrooms and gravy, some mashed potatoes, and sauteed veggies. It was nicely done and was the perfect thing for the beautiful day it was outside.
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By Amanda A. Taylor-Uchoa, UTRGV
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