News

Welcome to Texas!

Details: Published: Wednesday, 13 March 2019 12:13; Written by Jim Brunson

Fromthepublisher Welcome to our Take Home Edition of the Winter Texan Times. In this edition we want to share some of the reasons more and more retirees are choosing the Rio Grande Valley of Texas as their winter home. As they seek a warmer climate, they also enjoy the warm, friendly people who make their winters much more fun and enjoyable. We have invited those who currently spend their winters in the Rio Grande Valley – we affectionately call them “Winter Texans” – to take a few copies of this edition to share with their friends back home.

If you are retired, or are planning your retirement, we invite you to take a look at the Rio Grande Valley as your winter escape from the cold winters up north. Come to South Texas where the warm, subtropical climate, the friendly people, and the low cost of living come together for a wonderful lifestyle that enables you to truly enjoy your retirement. You’ll quickly find that you look forward to those winter months as you discover how easily you make dozens of new friends as soon as you arrive at one of our many Winter Texan mobile home and RV resorts.

You’ll enjoy the resort amenities, such as swimming pools, pickleball courts, and large recreation halls where the resort activity directors plan a wide range of activities for the resort residents. Our Winter Texan friends keep coming back every year to enjoy playing golf, RC racing, pickleball, shuffleboard, petanque, bocce ball, cards, pool, softball, quilting and crafts. Did I mention dancing and music? Whether your preference is country, rock ‘n roll or bluegrass, we have many great entertainers who come from Branson and Nashville to perform at the resorts and parks in South Texas during the winter – and the prices here are a real bargain, averaging $7-$8 per show.

Concerned about safety? I know you may have concerns with all the news about the border wall and immigration, but I assure you South Texas is certainly as safe as, or safer than, just about anyplace in the U.S.A. We have a very strong presence of law enforcement that greatly deters crime, much more so than any other area I know. We feel very safe. Just ask your friends who spend their winters here and they will allay any concerns you may have. Many, many Winter Texans love to go to Nuevo Progreso, Mexico to shop, dine, buy prescription drugs at very low prices, and get their dental work done for a fraction of the U.S. prices. Mexico is still a big draw for many of our visitors.

Come check out the Rio Grande Valley and find out for yourself what keeps bringing folks back to Texas year after year. We love our Winter Texans! Welcome to Texas!

It’s Safe in the Rio Grande Valley

Details: Published: Wednesday, 13 March 2019 11:30; Written by Herb Moering

20190313 Mission Police Chief Robert Dominguez courtesy 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!

There’s no better place to winter than the Rio Grande Valley

Details: Published: Wednesday, 13 March 2019 11:33; Written by Carina Brunson

20190313 Larry Mainz Larry Mainz loves the Rio Grande Valley.

He and his wife, Jan, became Winter Texans seven years ago. He fondly calls the Valley, “Disney for old people.”
He says people need to know that “there's no better place. If you don't like living here, you're not going to like living anywhere.”

“Not enough people know about the Valley,” said the Wisconsin resident who spends the winters with his wife in Lamplighter Park in Palmview. “This place is a paradise. We have traveled a lot and still do. But we love the Mexican culture here, love the family ideals, the friendly people at the park – there are no better people in the world than in the Valley.

“People need to know that.”

A Navy veteran who later drove trucks all over the country for a living started researching where he and Jan could go during the winter months. He posted the question to his friends and on social media – Texas or Florida?

“People said 'go to Florida if you want beaches,'” Larry said. “For friendly people, go to Texas.”

Even then, the couple in their motorhome made the trip to Houston, which was part of a regular route Larry would drive while trucking (Houston to Chicago). He was somewhat familiar with the area, but it was still not what they were looking for.

“People were telling me about the Valley – some were saying don't go – but they were saying it was 10 to 15 degrees warmer daily,” Mainz said. “So I was playing around on the Internet and saw it was close to a Miami climate – and Miami was straight across to the East. We came, we bought a mobile home and we fell in love with the Valley.”

Mainz said that there's a lot of incorrect information circulated about the Valley and he wants people to know the truth. He's always sharing things about the Valley with his friends, inviting them to come down for the winter, including one of his friends who moved to Weslaco last year.

“I don't think enough people know about the Valley, or they hear stories that are negative – ‘it's too windy, the border is bad.’ We live here, we go to Mexico. All of that just isn't true,” he said.

The couple enjoys going to different activities, especially jams and other shows. Jan also plays cards – lots and lots of cards.

“They'll have dinners here two nights a week before the jams or shows and we love that,” he said. “We love country western shows, any type of old country and old rock from the 50s and 60s and we go to a show every night of the week.”

As the time draws near to pack up and head back north, they plan to take their time on a leisurely trip back to Wisconsin.

“We appreciate being called Winter Texans,” Mainz said. “This is a storybook place and I just get goosebumps when I talk about this place to people. I told my wife 'I don't want to go home this year.’

“She told me, 'you are home.'”

You’ll receive a warm welcome in Texas!

Details: Published: Wednesday, 13 March 2019 11:46; Written by Henry Miller

20190313 WT Friendly Progreso Winter Tourist Appreciation Day MOERING DSC 0445 Alan Johnston remembers coming to the Rio Grande Valley from Minnesota 29 years ago.

One of the first things Johnston saw were signs that said “Welcome Back Winter Texans.”

After the couple's unimpressive experiences in Arizona and Florida the previous two seasons, the warm welcome in South Texas was just what they needed. The friendly people here made them feel right at home.

“We went to Florida first and the people on the East Coast, they were too much, and the ones on the West Coast said, ‘When are you going to go back to Minnesota.'” Johnston said while the couple enjoyed BorderFest in Hidalgo. “Then the next year, we went to Phoenix, and we couldn’t get a place to park our motorhome unless we were going to stay for a month. That snobbishness didn’t appeal to us.”

20190313 WT Friendly DARLENE NEEL As new Winter Texans get situated in their park, they are already making new friends. Those open arms and friendly, caring faces are a big reason that Winter Texans stay, and share word of how much they enjoy their new – or returning – winter home.

Larry Boggs, a Winter Texan who hails from Branson, Mo. said, “They welcome you with open arms from the moment you get here. We have made so many friends here. We have more friends here than we do back home.”

“We've been to Florida,” said Darlene Neel, of Tinley Park, Ill., as she and her husband spent last winter at Chimney Park in Mission. When they were looking for a place to move, they checked out both Florida and Arizona – and the decision to come to South Texas was an easy one. “It's not anywhere near as friendly [as Texas].”

Chris Carney is a veteran who stays at Mission Canyon Lake Resort. He took on a position with the Air and Marine Division of Border Patrol and was told about these “campgrounds” by his supervisor. He started researching and found Canyon Lake. Before he unpacked, a neighbor came over and the two started chatting.

20190313 WT Friendly LARRY BOGGS “He took no time to come over and introduce himself,” Carney said. “I really am enjoying it here – the people and the owners and administrators are terrific.”

Johnston said the friendliness isn't limited to the folks in the parks, but it is just a part of the local culture in the community as well. He said it feels very much like that Midwestern hospitality that he's used to.

“We went to buy a piece of jewelry and the gal that was working at the retail desk said, ‘There’s one on the Internet that costs the same amount that’s got twice as much grams of gold,” he said. “That’s the kind of service that we saw 28 years ago in the Valley and it’s still here.

“We love it because it’s not a (typical) tourist area; it’s a place that we feel very comfortable and people have the Midwest values. God bless the Valley! We just love it here!”

RGV low cost of living appeals to Winter Texans

Details: Published: Wednesday, 13 March 2019 11:50; Written by Henry Miller

20190313 WT Cost Don Wes Flea Market DSC 0701 KO David Howard and his wife live 4,200 miles from the Rio Grande Valley.

The couple will take their time each year, leaving their home in the Canadian province of Labrador and Newfoundland to arrive at their summer home at Bit-O-Heaven RV Park in Donna. They will take 10-12 days to reach their destination, knowing full well that the trip to Florida's winter resorts would be closer.

“But it's so much cheaper here,” Howard said. “The amenities are just as good, and the people are nicer. It's worth the drive without a doubt.”

As a younger generation move to the Valley, it seems they are more frugal when it comes to where they go. They want to have a great time, but they don't want to spend the money they've saved and earned to go just toward living expenses. They want to live it up – from dances and shows to trips to South Padre Island and Nuevo Progreso, Mexico and, of course all the free events that take place on a daily occurrence at the RV resorts.

Progreso is as much a Winter Texan hotspot as any place on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande. Arts, crafts, medicine as well as deliciously prepared adult beverages (which some may consider medicine) and a world of exquisite fajitas, enchiladas and other Mexican fare call out to visitors from the north on a regular basis. Some will drive across and park on the one main street that is crammed with shops, restaurants and pharmacies on both sides of the road. Others will take the short walk across the Progreso International Bridge and enjoy the small tourist destination that way.

20190313 WT Cost Progreso Winter Tourist Appreciation Day MOERING DSC 0431 The annual “Best Places to Live” index regularly has cities such as Harlingen, McAllen and Mission in their top 100 in the nation, and top 15 in Texas. The median cost of homes is usually the greatest contributor to that, and other, indexes but other categories that rank high include cost of groceries, health care, utilities and housing in general.

“As a Winter Texan, we enjoy the weather, cost of living, fresh fruit, veggies. There's great medical care and in 10 hours by plane we can be back in Alaska,” said one Winter Texan – and Arizona is closer to them.

While the cost of living is very economical for the area, the Winter Texan parks offer a whole other type of economies. Entertainers from Nashville, Vegas and Branson, Mo. such as Mario Rosales, Tavie Spivey, Jason “The Piano Man” Whorlow and dozens more will enjoy in the low cost of living while putting on shows here during the winter months; some entertainers – affectionately known as “Wintertainers™” - will perform at 40, 50 or more RV and mobile home parks/resorts. The usual charge per person is only $7 or $8. For a two-hour show, sometimes with 250 or more in attendance, it's a win-win for everyone. Even the lunch specials offer amazing prices – all you can eat pancake breakfasts for as little as $4, or a burger, fries and a drink for $5 are just two examples.

Talking about “win-win,” there may not be a better area in the nation that offers such a wide variety of products as the local pulgas, known everywhere else as flea markets. The Don-Wes Flea Market is truly one of a kind. When you first pull in, you may not be wowed because, well, it is a flea market. As soon as you step inside the covered area, however, treasures are everywhere. There's Amish cheeses and homemade jellies and jams from Wisconsin (Winter Texan proud), fruits and veggies (also at several farmer's markets). There's jewelry, gadgets, clothes – even a doggy day spa. In other words, you can find everything you want – and some things you didn't realize you wanted at these flea markets.

AARP also wrote that Texas was the best state to retire because it had the lowest taxes, and no state income tax. And homeowners can claim a homestead exemption and have their taxes frozen if they are 65 or older.

Finally, the big sell when it comes to the economical reasons, the lots and homes themselves are sold at amazingly low prices. When a Winter Texan decides to not return for health or family reasons (plenty of new grandchildren for example), they will sell or lease their lots/RVs and/or mobile homes. Newcomers can usually find amazing deals on homes, many fully furnished.

While the low cost of living is just one of the reasons Winter Texans love the Valley, it surely is an important one, as it allows retirees to stretch their retirement income and enjoy those golden years.

“We've worked a lot of years and sacrificed so many things for this time,” said Debbie Lorenz, who has lived in the Valley with her husband Arnie for five years. Their northern home is in Malden, Ill. “We've planed accordingly for this part of our lives. We are enjoying it and are determined to keep right on enjoying it.”

Warm weather draws Winter Texans to South Texas

Details: Published: Wednesday, 13 March 2019 11:53; Written by Henry Miller

20190313 WT Weather Softball Canada vs USA MILLER IMG 6737 Terry Hirschfeld was in her Kentucky home when she started making a list of “warm states.” She was tired of the cold.
Texas made her short list.

Now that she and her husband are here living on South Padre Island, they are thrilled that they chose Texas over their other two finalists – Arizona and Florida.

“We love it here,” Hirschfeld said during the WinterFest at South Padre Island.

The beautiful subtropical weather of South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley is definitely one of the biggest attractions for Winter Texans. There could be as much as a 100-degree difference between South Texas and places like Northern Minnesota or South Dakota.

I'm thawing out right now,” said Fred Mastellar, bus driver for Hart Travel, a tour company that brings 25-30 Winter Texans to the Valley as one of their stops on a multi-week tour. Speaking of the weather when he left Minnesota, Mastellar said, “This was the worst weather to drive in that I've ever had to deal with.”

20190313 WT Weather GOLFERS Miller IMG 9335 The group of Winter Texans hail from Minnesota and South Dakota. Ernie Hart, owner of the company, said that each year the group tries to talk him into staying in the Valley for longer periods of time. He added that he may be convinced after the most recent weather in Minnesota.

The Rio Grande Valley is definitely a joy to live in, especially if the other option includes snow, ice and all things frozen. The average high between December and February runs from 70-74 degrees (but can reach into the 80s) and lows are generally between 49 and 54 – with the token warning once a year that a frost is on its way, sending full-time residents scurrying to cover their outdoor plants.

The mild winter temperatures – and no snow – allows folks to get out and be active during the winter months. For Winter Texans that means playing golf, racing RC cars, playing pickleball, shuffleboard, horseshoes, cycling, bird watching and many other outdoor activities – often with temperatures in the 70s.

Not only is there joy in leaving the frozen tundras, but there are also health benefits. Jim McDermid of Minnesota said he has heart and vascular disease and in the Valley the weather is good enough that he can walk almost every day and the land is flat enough that he does not have to climb while he walks.

Ed Martens runs the Senior Texan Softball League and its all-star games every March. He said he has benefited from his years of living in the Valley, even though he may not be playing softball any more. “It keeps me active,” he said. “There's no way I want to live where it's snowing and frozen. I love that we can play softball pretty much all year.”

The nation's warmest “Polar Bear Dip” also takes place on South Padre Island every Jan. 1. Hundreds of Winter Texans join locals sprinting into the Gulf for a quick plunge. The event is highly popular in areas where the courageous jump into 35-degree water. That's something that South Texas “dippers” don't have to worry about.

20190313 WT Weather Borderfest GU6C0A1148 The weather is also perfect for golf during the Winter Texan months. Several parks have groups that schedule scrambles on a weekly basis to play one of more than 20 different courses spread throughout the Valley.

“We have perfect weather for our Winter Texan friends to come and play a round, something they certainly couldn't do back home during the same time,” said Carlos Espinosa, golf director at Palm View Golf Course in McAllen. “They keep our business going during those months and we are glad to accommodate them.

An unofficial record of -38 degrees was recorded on Jan. 19 in Illinois this year, as much of the Midwest plunged into sub-zero temperatures. On that same day in Mission, Texas the high was 74 degrees – a 112-degree difference.

“There's no sense in staying in weather like that,” former Kansas resident Dorothy Plowman recalls telling her husband.

“There's nothing here for us here; there are no neighbors nearby and I'm sick and tired of all this cold. We moved to Texas and it's the best thing we could've done.”

They come to Texas because it’s fun!

Details: Published: Wednesday, 13 March 2019 11:57; Written by Henry Miller

20190313 WT Fun 01 When winter visitors come to South Texas, they want to have fun!

And that’s what the activity directors in the mobile home and RV resorts do best. They make sure there are plenty of fun activities for their park residents to enjoy.

The activity schedule at most parks is extensive, offering a wide array of activities and entertainment. While Winter Texans still enjoy many of the traditional activities such as dances, movie nights, park socials and live entertainment by performers from Branson and Nashville – at low, low prices – some new trends have emerged as younger retirees discover the Rio Grande Valley.

Pickleball, RC (remote-control) racing, and rock ‘n roll music are all the rage for Winter Texans in South Texas. These are just a few of the newest activities added to a menu of fun things to do.

These activities have exploded onto the Rio Grande Valley scene over the past two to three years and the local mobile home and RV resorts are quickly building new pickleball courts, constructing oval and figure-eight RC tracks, and booking more rock ‘n roll entertainment to provide more reasons for retirees to spend their winters in South Texas.

Bean Bag Baseball Too!

20190313 WT Fun 02 But there's another activity that is coming on strong. It's one that Bentsen Grove Resort activity director Peggy Creach said just kind of snuck up and became an overnight sensation. That's the good old bean bag toss, which many parks have turned into a competitive game of bean bag baseball.

“A lot of people come out to play it every week,” Creach said. “It's something that everybody can play and it became really popular, really fast.”

The baseballs are the bean bags and the targets are holes inside a wooden board placed 17 feet away from the batters. The batters aim for holes designated 1B (single), 2B (double), 3B (triple) or Home Run, while trying to avoid the negative consequences like “out” and “strike” holes.

Multiple games are played at the same time at Country Sunshine RV Park, said Activity Director Debbie Stout, who saw the game played first at Mission West and introduced it to both Country Sunshine and Southern Comfort RV parks; so far it has been a hit.

Pat Stillar, a Minnesota resident, has become a pro of sorts – in the sport. Not only does he play at the park, but he also competes in the Senior Olympics.

“I love sports,” he said. “I’m involved in the senior Olympics and love to throw horseshoes – I’m pretty good at that – and bean bag toss and pool.”

Thirty-two teams from different Wilder Resorts converged on Texas Trails RV Resort to hold their first bean-bag tournament – that's how popular that activity has become overnight.

Pickleball Grows in Popularity

Pickleball, which combines elements of tennis and badminton, is a game of strategy and teamwork. Unlike tennis and badminton, it's not about power, but more about precision. Bentsen Grove, Llano Grande, Pine to Palm, Texas Trails, VIP La Feria, Victoria Palms, and several other parks have either adapted their tennis courts to be pickleball courts, or built new courts.

20190313 WT Fun 04 Larry Vermeesch, director of pickleball at Bentsen Grove Resort, said that there are more than 100 registered players for pickleball. The park built a 65-foot by 60-foot indoor, air-conditioned court that has been hugely popular.

“This is great for recruiting new Winter Texans to the park,” he said. “It's also great to play because it doesn't require as much running as tennis. But it sure does get intense.”

Some of the local cities, such as Mission, now offer pickleball as a regular part of their Parks & Recreation program.

Lou Dewaele, activity director at Texas Trails RV Resort, said that they started out with about six to eight pickleball players. Now they have closer to 50 and have “lined up” two indoor pickleball courts as well as three outdoor ones.
RC Racing

RC racing has also taken South Texas by storm. From Penitas RV Park, which has offered RC racing years before everyone else joined the fun, to some of the newest tracks, including Bit-O-Heaven, Alamo Palms, Alamo Rec-Veh and Texas Trails RV, among others. Most tracks are oval or figure-eight tracks, but there are a couple of trawler tracks for those who want to bring out their “monster” RC trucks and battle the obstacle course.

“This is something the residents wanted and it has grown unbelievably fast,” said Rocky Ramirez, manager of Alamo Palms – an avid RC competitor. “We want to get other parks involved and compete against others and make this something that's huge because people are really enjoying it.”

And So Much More

20180306 GulfcourseRace Mission GU 4335 There are so many more things to do for fun at the parks – shuffleboard and cycling are still very popular, as well as woodworking, dances, socials and dinners, movie nights, and arts and crafts. Some of the resorts even offer lapidary shops, many have quilting, sewing and craft rooms and at least one has a gun range. And, of course there are top-of-the-line entertainers who regularly perform in the resorts, as well as jam sessions, with rock ‘n roll music becoming increasingly popular.

“We had to change our lineup around for more rock 'n roll jams,” Creach said. “There's a new generation of Winter Texans coming and they love that music.”

It's not unusual to hear stories of 200, 300 or more people filling recreation halls to listen to, or participate in the rock 'n roll jams.

McAllen Mobile Park opened its season with an invitation only rock 'n roll jam. Not only were some of the Valley's finest performers there but the hall was standing room only.

Country music jams are still incredibly popular, but rock is pushing its way to the top.

Indian Pow Wow planned Saturday

Details: Published: Wednesday, 06 March 2019 10:16; Written by Carina Brunson

20190306 Pow Wow PR 0452 The Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas will hold the 49th Annual Dak' ee si Pow Wow Saturday, March 9, at the Lark Library & Community Center in McAllen.

The Pow Wow will highlight the American Indian culture and history with drumming, singing and dancing by native Americans – many of whom will be wearing their colorful tribal regalia. Everyone is invited for a day of celebration.

Doors open at 10 a.m. Saturday, There will be a Grand Entry of all Indians at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. The Gourd Dancing demonstrations will be held at 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. The Sayani dancers will perform at 12:30 and 6:30 p.m. with special guest singers Jorie and Christie West. Admission is free and the public is welcome.

New museum exhibit opens February 26

Details: Published: Wednesday, 06 March 2019 10:08; Written by Carina Brunson

‘Traditions and Culture of Mexican Textiles & Designs’

Special to Winter Texan Times

A new exhibit opens this week at Mission Historical Museum. The special exhibit, “The Traditions and Culture of Mexican Textiles & Designs,” incorporates seven beautiful Mexican dresses, each representing a different region in Mexico. The dresses are part of a cultural exchange through Mission’s Sister City program.

“This exhibit is beautiful and one of a kind in the Valley, created to develop a learning experience for everyone to appreciate and enjoy,” said Cynthia Stojanovic, director of Mission Historical Museum.

The City of Mission has been a partner in Sister Cities International since 1993 and currently has relationships with 24 Sister Cities from Mexico, Panama and Guatemala.

The exhibit examines the distinctive styles of dress for each region represented, including the artistic elements, the area’s products, architecture and lifestyle reflected in the dresses’ unique designs.

Sister Cities International was founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 to foster friendship, peace and prosperity between people from different cities around the world.

The exhibit is sponsored by the Mission’s Sister Cities Committee, and generous donors to the museum. The exhibit opened Feb. 26 and will continue through April 2019. Admission is free to the public. Museum hours are Tuesday thru Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Mission Lions Club Market Days is Saturday

Details: Published: Wednesday, 06 March 2019 09:48; Written by Carina Brunson

The Mission Lions Club is planning a new outlet for artisans, craftsmen, artists and small businesses to sell their products with very little overhead. The new citywide venue is Mission Lions Market Days.

Mission Lions Market Days will be held on the second Saturday of each month in March and April, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the newly renovated Leo Pena Placita Park in downtown Mission. The park is located at Conway Ave. and 9th Street (Business 83), across from H-E-B.

The event will feature food, vendors, free Community Bingo games, door prizes and music for a festive, inviting atmosphere. The public is invited, and admission is free. Non-profit organizations can also use the event to help raise funds for their group, receiving a special non-profit rate for a booth at Mission Market Days. Commercial booths will also be available for local businesses.