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  • Tourists enjoy the refreshments and entertainment in Progreso

  • Thank you for coming, safe travels, see you next season

  • Winter Texans feel safe in the Rio Grande Valley

  • It’s the weather that brings them back

  • You’ll receive a warm welcome in Texas

  • Team USA regains bragging rights

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WEB On The Road HeaderWhat is it like to be retired? There is a difference in being retired and in slowing down. Most of the people who come to the Rio Grande Valley for the winter are not really retired, they have just slowed down. They are sometimes even more active here than they are back home. They keep busy helping their neighbor, giving back to the community, doing volunteer work at their church or pitching in as they help to prepare meals at the RV parks where they stay. And they do this until it warms up back home. Their minds are just as eager to learn as they always were.

Since it is said that our Rio Grande Valley is a world unto itself, most of the Winter Texans want to learn more about “our world”. But as soon as it warms up, the itchy foot wants to put the petal to the metal and head for home. Some even leave too early and are caught in a snowstorm in route. Just because the farmers are planting in the Rio Grande Valley doesn’t mean it is planting time back home. Stay a little longer, folks, we enjoy having you here!

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20200122 Pickleball IMG 0765As I peered through my camera lens, I saw the angle that the attack came from. A pickleball player at the net wanted to go cross court with a smash. She went cross court and she smashed it.

Unfortunately for her and her teammate, I was standing out of play as the ball crashed into me, serious injury just a moment's notice away...ok, so I'm being a bit dramatic.

They lost the point.

“Yes, I was aiming for you,” said my plotting attacker. “You were targeted.”

Everyone laughed as the eight players taking up residence on the two air-conditioned pickleball courts at Bentsen Grove RV Park continued on with their games. Another 10 or so people waited their turns at what Larry Vermeersch said is the only indoor air-conditioned pickleball court in the Valley.

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20200122 Showcase IMG 3810While there were a lot of familiar names at the first Showcase, I was not familiar with more than half of the Wintertainers™ on the list to perform at the second Showcase. The activity director’s association and Robert and Billie Ferguson put on two showcase events every year to help activity directors book entertainment for next year. The Showcase allows the activity directors to get a sampling of what the Wintertainers™ can offer.

Even though I was not able to stay for this Showcase, I enjoyed every minute I was there. Only recognizing about six of the performers on the list, I was eager to see what the others had to offer.

The room was full of laughter and clapping – as just about every Wintertainers™ had a joke to tell.

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20200122 RancheroRaceway IMG 0689Welcome to the Rio Grande Valley, home of what seems to be the new NASCAR world of remote-control racing.

Possibly the hottest thing to come to the hottest part of the nation in years, RC racing has done more than taken the Winter Texan world by storm. It has consumed it.

The latest and newest development of the craze was celebrated last week as Ranchero Village in Weslaco as the park cut the ribbon on the Valley's first cement racetrack.

Just as in NASCAR, where there are shot tracks, flat tracks, high-banked tracks and more, with the addition of cement to its repertoire of track choices, RC drivers can do more than just go race.

Now they can learn how to set up their cars to maneuver the varying tracks, banks and surfaces.

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20200115 Leslie BlasingLeslie Blasing has been singing for over 30 years and has grown into a sensation of her own – and very rightfully earned. She sings with a heart of gold, putting her voice and talent in everything she sings.

You can always find Leslie swaying and dancing as she sings, walking through the crowd and trying to get audience members to sing with her. She stays active in feeding off the audience, performing requests, and loving the oldies – but goodies.

Originally starting her singing career in San Antonio, Leslie transferred to South Padre Island in 1994, first singing at hotels. During her career in the Valley, she was a regular at Schlitterbahn’s Shrimp Haus Restaurant for 10 years. Now she can be found singing at the Island’s main hotspots year-round at places like Louie’s Backyard, Boomerang Billy’s Beach Bar & Grill, the Whiskey Room (in Daddy’s Cajun Seafood Restaurant), The Coral Reef and Isla Grand Beach Resort.

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20200115 Bob Hupp Image 005It was 51 years ago – 1969 to be precise – that Bob Hupp and his band, The Smoke Ring, performed on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand
Hupp, self-proclaimed as “Nebraska’s most dangerous one-man band” is back in South Texas for a fourth season, still rockin’ and rollin’ like no other.

Hupp, who mainly plays keyboard, but will also program his electronic drums, is a musical encyclopedia, performing songs from the heyday of rock including top songs from artists such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Ricky Nelson and, just, oh so more.

“I’ll also do some country like Hank Sr. or Hank Jr.,” Hupp said. “I really like the old rock and country and really like to do parties – I’ll really get after it at parties and shows. I’ll throw in some music history and throw out a gazillion little one liners, a little comedy.”

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20200115 ron DSC 0494Window shoppers and serious lookers had a feast for their eyes at the Ron Hoover RV & Marine Center open house Jan. 9-10.

While there is no Valley-wide RV show this year, visitors at the 14th annual Ron Hoover event sure didn’t miss it as they ambled among hundreds of RV units including luxurious motor homes, 5th wheels, travel trailers of various lengths, all-terrain vehicles, golf carts and lots of fishing boats. That is when they weren’t interrupted for a hot dog lunch, taking health screening tests given by South Texas Vocational Technical Institute students from the McAllen campus or talking to RGV Vipers basketball representatives about game promotions. And it was also necessary to get a Ron Hoover T-shirt and a ticket for the grand prize drawing.

More Articles ...

  1. Oh! The Good Old Days
  2. Softball, camaraderie and hot dogs
  3. MHM Hosts 14th Annual Mission Quilt Show
  4. First Showcase was a thumping good time
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