News

Winter Texans feel safe in the Rio Grande Valley

Details: Published: Wednesday, 12 March 2025 14:10

20170321 TOURIST DAY Progreso Moering DSC 0906 web For decades, the Rio Grande Valley of Texas has been a favorite destination for retirees from the Midwest and Canada looking to head south for the winter to escape the snow, ice and cold, harsh weather. In addition to the warm, semi-tropical climate here in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), Winter Texans frequently tell us they enjoy the friendly people here, the many activities available to enjoy in the mobile home and RV parks and resorts, and the camaraderie with other Winter Texans who spend three to six months in South Texas each winter.

Besides the warm weather, they come because it’s fun!

What it means to be a Winter Texan

Details: Published: Wednesday, 12 March 2025 14:03

IMG 7293 web Editor’s Note: This submission was part of a contest at Mission Bell/Tradewinds Resort in Mission. They asked for submissions on what their residents thought a Winter Texan was. Bob McBain won first place and was featured in their newsletter. We were given permission to republish the article.

By Bob McBain

Being a Winter Texan means a lot of things to different people. First most people think of Winter Texans as just another version of Snowbirds. People who flee the wintry weather and go south, like migrating birds.

And that is what I thought as well, until I retired and tried the Snowbird life. I had visited Arizona during the winter months before I retired, but there was nothing to make me want to be a Snowbird and migrate to Arizona. Then I visited my brother in March 2014, who was a Winter Texan at that time, and it was so different.

The people were friendly, warm, and sincere. They made you feel welcome. That was the point in time that I decided I would come back the next year and give it a try, as I was retiring in 2015. So, we bought a travel trailer and made the journey in 2015 down to Mission, Texas to try the Winter Texan thing.

My brother was no longer staying in the valley, so we were coming down, knowing no one other than the few people that I had met the year before. My wife knew no one down here, as she was not with me when I was here in 2014.

Talk about taking a gamble. My wife and I loved it. Everyone made you feel welcome. The people were not pushy or snobby. We have been Winter Texans since 2015, and plan to continue being Winter Texans for as long as the good Lord sees fit.

I will say that things have changed in the nine years that we have been coming down. The dynamics of the Valley have changed dramatically, as well as the dynamics of RV parks.

“People are aging out,” is the best way of saying it. Death, health issues, cost, and age are the biggest factors.

When we first came down, it was 90% RVs and 10% Park models, and the park was full. Today it has reversed. 90% park models and 10% RVs. This in itself has changed the dynamics of a park.

If you lived in an RV, you wanted to get out and do things. The hall was busy every night of the week with people playing cards, games or just gathering. Happy hours were going on daily somewhere in the park. Trips to Mexico were all day events. Golf was 50-60 people. Bus trips to events were commonplace, but living in a park model has changed this. People are living in “homes,” not an RV.

There is one constant, and this is the heart of being what a Winter Texan is. It is the people. I think of the people as being family, not extended family, but blended family. We are all different and come from diverse backgrounds and beliefs and from all over the USA and Canada. We are here to be among family and friends. That is what brings us back every year. They are our friends, yes, but even more, our blended family.
That is what being a Winter Texan means to me.

I am proud to be a Winter Texan.

Tips for adventures at Texas State Parks

Details: Published: Wednesday, 12 March 2025 14:02

20101001 FWT Bentsen State Park hawk tower platform E web AUSTIN – You can enjoy spring too, at any of Texas’ State Parks. If you’re not into visiting during the month of March, there is plenty of time to visit on your way back up north. Texas State Parks still have day-use and overnight availability for anyone looking for an outdoor adventure.

“Spring is a special time to get outside, with warmer temperatures and blooming wildflowers — parks are perfect places to experience both,” said Tara Humphreys, director of interpretation for Texas State Parks. “We are excited to welcome visitors and showcase our parks and encourage every Texan to ‘take a walk on the wild side’ and visit a Texas State Park.”

Go west for a change

Details: Published: Wednesday, 12 March 2025 13:52

DSC 0144 web As a Winter Texan, you know you can’t stay cooped up in your RV park all the time so when you want to venture out for a day it usually means passing Freddy Fender’s water tower with a trip to Brownsville or South Padre.

Haven’t you heard the expression, “Go West, Young Man, Go West”? So, if you have not followed the Valley to the west, here is a little help. Forget the bypass, there is little to see. Stay on Business 83 and go through Penitas and La Joya. Look for the small highway sign that points you to Los Ebanos, take that side trip for five minutes and you can see the rope drawn ferry across the Rio.

Tropic Star honors first responders

Details: Published: Wednesday, 12 March 2025 13:48

Pharr First Reponders web Tropic Star had a great season with a wide variety of entertainment with many different shows, happy hours and dances. The park has over 75 different activities each week for their guests to take part in.

Tropic Star RV Park recently held a special event to honor the first responders in their park and from the City of Pharr.

They have also been busy with other things in the park. Tropic Star won first place in the 2025 Golden Age Olympics sponsored by the McAllen Parks and Recreation. The park won 113 medals and had four Overall Valley winners.

Tropic Star First Responders web As they say at Tropic Star, you can’t be bored if you live at Tropic Star.

Submitted by Barb Thompson

Take in the sights of the Valley

Details: Published: Wednesday, 12 March 2025 13:20

There is a whole lot to see and do in South Texas. Those of you who want to know all about this area just need to go exploring and you can become a walking historian. History can be fun, entertaining, and educational. Why not set yourself a goal to visit every attraction in this area. This should keep you entertained for the whole year. Or maybe even more.

So where do you start? A small booklet called The Rio Grande Valley Visitors Guide has a short paragraph of most every attraction in the Rio Grande Valley. Call your chamber and see if they have copies of this little booklet. Or pick up one from the Texas Tourist Information Center in Harlingen, or go by the Winter Texan Times office in Mission. (You can also find it online at www.wintertexantimes.com under the Digital Editions heading.)

Your computer will also have a wealth of knowledge. Just search for "Attractions in (name of city)". To learn even more just search the name of the attraction that interests you.

You could start in Roma and just continue down to South Padre Island. Drive these routes on your own or you may want to join a tour group. Roma has a World Birding Center to please the avid birders. For the history buffs and the photographers, the beautiful older brick buildings should delight you. Next comes Rio Grande City and the Fort where Robert E. Lee was once stationed. The house where he lived and the map sketches on the walls are especially interesting.

Mission, home of Coach Landry and the La Lomita Mission with its charming little chapel and outdoor oven where bread was baked is certainly worth a visit. Mission also has an interesting museum that tells of the Orphan Trains that once operated across the United States.
Two of my favorite things will not be listed. If you want to really appreciate the vegetable farmers, why not drive the Memorial Highway - that's Highway 281 - that parallels the river. During mid to late January through mid-March you will see the many Winter Vegetables that are grown in South Texas. The leafy vegetable Kale is one of our newest crops. Water hungry sugar cane fields are in abundance.

Take time to stop in La Paloma at their cemetery and note how all the graves are facing South - not to the East as is customary in most cemeteries. Most of the graves belong to those who had their roots in Mexico. Could it be that on the day of judgement they hope to rise up and go back to their homeland? The Oblate Fathers in their desire to bring their faith to the early settlers established little chapels at all the ranch headquarters along this highway. These simple little chapels are charming and touching in their simplicity especially the one at El Ranchito.

A hidden jewel is in the Lutheran Church in Lyford. Wooden sculpted faces of the twelve disciples line the inside walls. The artist was so skilled that you can see the disbelief on the face of doubting Thomas.

Explore! And learn! South Texas is really interesting. Some might say we are the best of two worlds!