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March 19, 2025 - Rina's Ramblings

I can’t believe the season is almost over. The last few months seem to have gone way too fast. I have enjoyed seeing all the activities you have been participating in around town and in your parks. I am going to miss seeing those smiling faces and the fun photos.

We still have a few exciting things happening just before the majority of you start packing up and heading back north. You will see some of those events in this week’s paper.

One that seems to be enjoyed by many is the Texas Onion Festival held in Weslaco, where the 1015 onion was developed. They celebrate the success of the onion with a huge celebration.

The other big event is Tourist Day that will be held on March 21. This event is also held yearly to thank the many tourists that cross the border. Progreso and Rio Bravo throw out the red carpet for their winter visitors each year with entertainment and tons of fun.

Like I said, we enjoy seeing the things you do while in the Valley. You will see a couple of things featured in this issue too. You still have one more issue to share what you have done while visiting the Valley. We would love to share your photos with our readers. It lets them see all the fun they can have in the Valley.

You can send photos and information to news@wintertexantimes.com.

We love having you here and hope that you have had a great time and plan to visit again. Let us know what brings you here, what you enjoy the most about the Valley, your park, or anything else. We would love to hear from you.

~ Rina

You’ll receive a warm welcome in Texas

20220316 FRIENDLY Progreso Winter Tourist Appreciation Day HMoering 0433Time and again, Winter Texans list friendliness as big a reason to live here. Not only does that include their neighbors in the park or other parks, but also the people in the community who are happy to have Winter Texans because they appreciate the economic and other benefits they bring to the Valley.

Alan Johnston remembers coming to the Rio Grande Valley from Minnesota over 30 years ago.

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

Read more: You’ll receive a warm welcome in Texas

It’s the weather that brings them back

20220316 WARM Palms IMG 1651The 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.

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 or twice a year that a frost is on its way, sending full-time residents scurrying to cover their outdoor plants.

Read more: It’s the weather that brings them back

Get more for your dollar in the Valley

20220316 CHEAP Don Wes Flea Market KO 0699As our winter visitors come 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 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.

Read more: Get more for your dollar in the Valley

Winter Texans visit the Valley to stay active

IMG 3456 webOne 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 plenty to choose from. There are top notch golf courses and Winter Texans have been known to try them all out and pick favorites.

Read more: Winter Texans visit the Valley to stay active

Rio Grande Valley parks feature top Wintertainers™

20220316 FUN Redneck Revivial BentsenPalmsRV HMiller 06The Rio Grande Valley's Winter Texan scene isn't the quiet, gem in the rough secret that it once was.

For the winter visitors, that's a good thing – especially when it comes to entertainment. Winter Texans are known for having fun. The Valley provides tons of it too.

More and more Wintertainers™ are coming to the Valley to entertain Winter Texans. The growth can be attributed to entertainers like Gordy and Debbie who came to the Valley nearly 15 years ago and were an immediate hit. When they returned home, they spread the word and brought some friends down. Many other entertainers are still sharing the good news with others that the Valley is a place to be.

Read more: Rio Grande Valley parks feature top Wintertainers™

Winter Texans feel safe in the Rio Grande Valley

20170321 TOURIST DAY Progreso Moering DSC 0906 webFor 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!

Read more: Winter Texans feel safe in the Rio Grande Valley

What it means to be a Winter Texan

IMG 7293 webEditor’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

20101001 FWT Bentsen State Park hawk tower platform E webAUSTIN – 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.”

Read more: Tips for adventures at Texas State Parks

Go west for a change

DSC 0144 webAs 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.

Read more: Go west for a change

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