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Published: Wednesday, 26 March 2025 13:23
Good day to all. I am on the road again. Well maybe better said - I am in the air again. For today I will combine flying to Houston and driving to Central Texas. I certainly will arrive in Central Texas sooner since I am flying part of the way. But I will miss seeing the countryside change from the lush semi tropical South Texas to the rolling hills of Central Texas. Some of you reading this will soon be traveling out of the Rio Grande Valley as you leave for your summer home. We are going to miss you.
Most of my travel through Texas takes me on Highway 77 and past Kingsville. As I travel toward Kingsville, I always watch for wildlife such as the native Rio Grande Turkey and the javelinas as well as the white tail deer. I really enjoy watching the countryside change...especially the vegetation. As I travel along, I remember past travels and how beautiful the wildflowers of Texas brighten up the drive. Hopefully the cold weather we had this past winter will not have taken its toll on the beautiful bluebonnets, the wine cups and the dandelions and thistles that carpet the green pastures. Already the early blooming yellow dandelions are springing up in my yard.
For those of you who may be traveling toward central Texas let me give you a warning. The countryside will not look anything at all as it has on my past trips. I was just sure that the once beautiful oak trees had been hit with a blight. Mile after mile the pastures were covered with what appeared to be totally dead trees. I could not even spot any new growth. Needless to say, I was anxious to ask a native from that area about this problem.
Finally, that night I asked the waitress at the restaurant about those dead trees. To my surprise she answered, "They aren't dead at all. Those are pecan trees, and the cold got them, but they are beginning to come back."
I still feel very doubtful. If those are all pecan trees, then central Texas must produce enough pecans to feed the entire nation those wonderful pecan pies. To counter the sight of so many trees that appear dead, the green grass of the meadows was a great uplifting sight. Central Texas has received a lot more rain than we have received in South Texas. The cattle looked quite fat and healthy. There was plenty of lush green grass covering the hillsides.
In another week, the hillsides should be covered with many more wildflowers. Little patches of bluebonnets were just beginning to spring up. The Indian Paint Brushes added an occasional spot of red while the yellow dandelions covered the hillsides with their welcoming color. They are always the first to bloom.
I know the road across Texas is long, but this is such a beautiful time to travel. Be careful, have a wonderful summer and come back again. We shall miss you.
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Published: Thursday, 20 March 2025 13:03
Spring has definitely sprung. When I check the temperature in New York and Boston I am so, so glad that I live in South Texas. And thanks for the refreshing wind that seems to greet us each day. We would surely feel the heat more if we did not have the gentle wind to keep us comfortable.
The weather has created a desire for people to travel and many are hoping to be able to travel out of the United States.
That should sound like music to a tour operator but actually what happens is with so many traveling many hotels are often booked well in advance and charter bus companies are short on qualified drivers and equipment and often unable to serve the many requests being made for transportation services. So actually, arranging lodging and transportation becomes a real challenge.
Since I live in the country and grew up on a farm, I am constantly reminded as I drive into town of one of my favorite tours - the one-day farm tour. How beautiful it is to see the well-manicured fields boasting the nice straight rows of their recently planted crop.
Read more: Learn about farming in the RGV
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Published: Wednesday, 19 March 2025 13:22
Spring has definitely sprung. When I check the temperature in New York and Boston I am so, so glad that I live in South Texas. And thanks for the refreshing wind that seems to greet us each day. We would surely feel the heat more if we did not have the gentle wind to keep us comfortable.
The weather has created a desire for people to travel and many are hoping to be able to travel out of the United States.
That should sound like music to a tour operator but actually what happens is with so many traveling many hotels are often booked well in advance and charter bus companies are short on qualified drivers and equipment and often unable to serve the many requests being made for transportation services. So actually, arranging lodging and transportation becomes a real challenge.
Since I live in the country and grew up on a farm, I am constantly reminded as I drive into town of one of my favorite tours - the one-day farm tour. How beautiful it is to see the well-manicured fields boasting the nice straight rows of their recently planted crop.
Now ladies, I know that most of you don't agree with my comments. All too often I have heard you say that you have had all the farming you want. I did not have to raise my children on a farm. I was just twelve years old when we moved to the big city of Houston and did I ever miss the farm, playing on the creek bank and slipping away to enjoy the swimming hole every chance I had. So, I remember the fun times - not the hard times. Farming is hard but it is what made the Rio Grande Valley what it is today.
Even so the history of farming in the Rio Grande Valley is very interesting. The lure of the rich alluvial soil built up by the millions of years of flooding from the Rio Grande River and the price of the land back in the early 1900's is what brought so many settlers to our area.
Even so, the lack of water was a real challenge. Before long, irrigation districts were formed and water from the Rio Grande soon revived the wilting crops. This wonderful weather that we have is great not just for outdoor enjoyment but for the production of insects that devour our crops. Next came the crop dusters who to this day must spray the fields to protect the crops from those predators. It is interesting that those very ladies who said they had had enough of farming are the first to want to climb up and sit in the passenger seat of the duster plane.
You will hear all about the farming industry and how it developed in the Rio Grande Valley. Most interesting of all will be the visit with a present-day farmer whose father was an immigrant from Mexico. His dedication to farming was instilled in his son and his grandson. Today that son of an immigrant owns over 1,500 acres of farmland due to good management and hard work. He also follows the harvest into North Texas with the three cotton pickers he owns.
This is a full day tour with lunch included. Come learn about farming in South Texas.
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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!
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Published: Wednesday, 26 February 2025 13:19
We are so glad you chose to spend your winter in South Texas – especially in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. We think Texas is the BIGGEST and the BEST – especially in the Rio Grande Valley way down South in the tip of Texas. One of the things that makes us famous is the 825,000-acre, historical King Ranch that is ranked as the most famous ranch in the world and is considered the birthplace of ranching in North America. The King Ranch produced a new breed of cattle, had a horse that won the Triple Crown and today boasts 35,000 head of cattle and over 200 quarter horses.
Those facts sound mighty big in my mind. But we cannot brag that the King Ranch is the biggest in the world. It isn't even the biggest in Texas. It seems that all the large ranches in the world were formed in the mid 1800's. They are ranked in order on the web with the largest in the world being the Anna Creek Station in South Australia with 5,851,000 acres. That is bigger than the acreage of lsrael and is larger than the state of Rhode Island. That makes 825 thousand acres look pretty small. The King Ranch is still the most famous.
If you have a computer and we happen to have a bad weather day, spend a little time looking up the facts and figures about the ten largest ranches in the world and the ten most famous ranches. You can even read about the founding of the King Ranch and a brief history of the life of Richard King who was orphaned and placed as an indentured servant in a jewelry store – a job he hated.
He became a stow away on a ship, eventually a ship captain who moved cotton through Mexico to offshore ships sailing for Europe.
He saw and took advantage of many opportunities to build an empire. Unfortunately, he died at a fairly young age after some difficult years leaving his widow with a heavy debt. Through the help of a son-in-law and finding oil on the ranch, the widow, Henrietta King, was able to hold on to all the land and brought the ranch out of debt. She was greatly admired by the cowboys who worked the ranch. At her death they paid their respects by mounting their horses and hats off and they circled her grave as a farewell salute.
Join us on one of the Go With Jo! Tours of the King Ranch or the King Ranch Farm Tour. You will admire the hard work and determination that built an empire...the historic King Ranch.
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Published: Wednesday, 05 February 2025 13:17
The Go...With Jo Tours are beginning to pick up. So, get your friends together and lets go traveling...for a day, for three days, for a week or more. Whatever your heart desires, let's make it happen.
Just please, please help me with one thing. Please remember that when I am planning a tour, I enter into a contract with the bus companies, the hotels and the restaurants. All those entities have deadlines when I have to cancel or turn in numbers and pay up. Airlines have a deadline when we can cancel or cut back seats and get our money refunded. Go past that deadline and the deposit will not be returned. Generally, their deadline is about two months out. Hotels are a little different. They generally want a rooming list and a deposit at least thirty days before the day of arrival.
However, one hotel wants the rooming list and a deposit 15 days before the arrival date. And just guess which hotel that is...the Lucky Eagle in Eagle Pass. For some reason travelers going to Eagle Pass want to wait until the week of to make the decision. I am sorry but I must honor the contract. We can't wait to see how you feel or if the sun is shining. So please help us out and register and pay as soon as possible.
If you do get sick or there is an emergency and you can't go, we will refund your money. Just watch deadlines which are always listed in the trip description and read due dates carefully.
The world has changed since I was a little girl. At one point, a verbal contract was all that was needed. Those promises were as good as gold. But now not only does it cost more to live, but your word is also not good enough. The promise must be written and often even witnessed or notarized. Many look on these changes as progress while others might consider the changes as regression.
There is one thing for sure none of the Casinos are going to gamble on the customers intentions. However there has been a drop in what they charge per room. We have passed that reduction on to you. No doubt we are all feeling the cost-of-living increase with food, shelter and clothing taking priority. Travel has become a luxury.
Rest assured anytime I can pass a little savings on to you, I am going to do so. We will do the best we can to offer you the best tour possible. As I plan a tour, I try to see myself as a passenger and imagine what the passenger wants to do and see. We will continue to give you as much as we possibly can in the cost of the tour. And that's a promise.
Hope to see you soon!
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Published: Thursday, 30 January 2025 16:49
I am sure the golfers are all wishing the weather would co-operate. It is just too, too cold to be out on a golf cart. In fact, it’s been too cold to be out.
Since our editor has asked me to write about some of my experiences related to travel, I will have to tell you about the time I decided to learn how to play golf. I had participated in many sports but never had I tried golf. So why not? At one time I had played intramural sports at the University of Texas, I had been runner up champion in a table tennis tournament, I had played intramural tag football, I broke my little finger trying to catch a fly baseball. Surely, I could master that game of golf. Why I had even been knocked out on the basketball court. Surely, I could learn to play golf. And it all happened because of traveling. So here goes.
I called the Harlingen Country Club and spoke with the pro as I wanted to sign up for lessons. The beginners group consisted of several other women. That pro had his hands full. I listened attentively to all the instructions as to the grip, the stance and thought surely, I could master everything. Then it came my turn to hit that little ball, and I gave it my all. And sure enough, that little white ball went sailing off into the wild blue. Even I was in awe.
But then several of the women began to oh and awe at how great I was. To tell you the truth I was quite proud of myself. But not for long. The pro - apparently trying to encourage the other women - made the comment, “Well, ladies, she is just naturally athletic.”
Read more: Things you learn when you travel
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Published: Tuesday, 14 January 2025 22:37
We are truly blessed. A few weeks ago, a customer came into my office with a different request. Where would I suggest that he relocate as he did not like the way our country was heading. What would you have advised? Is there any country in the world that offers as much freedom and opportunity as we have right here in the United States? Many of us do have some concerns for the future of our country. Would this not be true wherever we lived?
All too often we take for granted the freedoms that we have. We can choose where and when we travel. We can choose a public or a private school for our children. We can choose the church we want to attend.
Yes, we have some rules and some laws to live by and some taxes to pay. That seems to be true in all civilized countries. We need to think carefully before we jump from the frying pan into the fire. It is true that the dollar will buy more in some countries, but will that country give you the same opportunities as you have here at home?
My mind always remembers a friend whose father was an immigrant to the United States. That man migrated here with nothing. Through hard work and determination, he managed to provide for and educate his large family. My friend - who was one of those children - became a manager in a large retail store. Today he owns fifteen hundred acres of farmland and is highly respected in his community.
Read more: The blessings of history and travel
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Published: Wednesday, 01 January 2025 15:01
I hope you had a blessed Christmas with friends or family. Now comes the time when we need to plan what to do with the remaining turkey and all the left-over trimmings.
The most wonderful time is to dress up in the nice gifts that you received. This is a special time to be thankful for all the blessings that have been bestowed on us. We should all be very thankful to live in a country with so many freedoms. Soon it will be a new year and a time for us to make new resolutions and promises to live a better life. Certainly, we live in a country of plenty although there are times when we feel the situation could be better.
Not too long ago a gentleman came into my office with a desire to relocate as he was not happy with the direction that our country is going. Yes, there are some things that need improvement but when we look at other countries, we need to remember that there is probably no country that is perfect.
On my wrist I wear a little bracelet that is engraved with NO BAD DAYS. Each time that I glance at that bracelet, I remember my days as a social worker. We were required to make home visits to many clients who had health problems and even some juveniles who were pre-delinquents. My first question to a young delinquent who had a bad habit of sniffing glue was, “How are you doing today?” His answer to me was actually pretty obvious…“I ain’t dead yet am I.”
Let us all remember that each day is a blessing and to be lived with much appreciation. I am sure that young man had no idea that the Bible deals somewhat with the same subject. In Proverbs we can read that if we wake up in a bad mood that our bones will dry up but that if we wake up happy and ready for the day then our whole day will go well.
May all your days be happy and blessed.
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Published: Wednesday, 01 January 2025 13:34
MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope it was a very special one for you.
At this time of the year, I fondly remember one of my husband’s favorite sayings. Perhaps you have already heard it. If not, then here it is - “Christmas is coming, and the geese are getting fat. Please do put a penny in an old man’s hat. If not a penny, a half penny will do. If not a half penny, God bless you”. We didn’t hear this once, but it was repeated many times during the Christmas season.
That little saying packs quite a punch. Sometimes we forget how truly blessed we are while in this land of plenty there are still many families who are struggling as they try to stretch their meager income just to cover the basic necessities.
No doubt every family has traditions. Once we had electricity and television, we started the tradition of watching Dickens Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve. We still, after eating homemade chili and tamales, will gather together on Christmas Eve to watch Dickens Christmas Carol with Mr. Scrooge, who finally changes character on Christmas Day. The Mr. Scrooge of today is Grinch and how he stole Christmas. Don’t let him steal your Christmas, it is the most beautiful time of the year.
When our children were little, we always had a birthday party during the Christmas season. After all, don’t we celebrate Christmas because it is Christ’s birthday. A birthday cake with candles always graced the table with gifts to the children who came to celebrate. What could be more appropriate than a small manger scene. After the birthday celebration we always went to a local church to view their manger scene. Each child had a small coin to give to the Baby Jesus as their gift to the Christ Child.
A delightful drive around the neighborhood to see all the Christmas lights should certainly put you in the Christmas spirit. Another fun and entertaining thing to do is a visit to the little town of Hidalgo that always goes all out with Christmas lights. They also present entertainment at Payne Arena that will steal your heart away. Don’t miss the performance of local school children followed by the choral group from San Luis Potosi, Mexico. This group is made up of young boys, some of whom appear to be no more than four or five years old as well as older students and fathers. Their voices are beautiful. The show begins around 7 p.m. with open seating so plan to arrive a little earlier
Some of the seating will be metal chairs. My advice to you is to go prepared with something to put on that cold metal seat and perhaps a blanket to wrap up in as the entertainment is almost always outdoors. Those metal seats are mighty cold on a cold winter night. All sorts of booths offer treats and temptations, and a trolley ride saves walking through a trail of lights. If you wish to go all out, call the arena and buy advance tickets that will include a seated dinner and the trolley ride. The musical entertainment is free, but you need a ticket for dinner and for the trolley ride.
ENJOY THIS SEASON WITH FRIENDS OR FAMILY!
My apologies to those of you who read this article. I am having more trouble than usual receiving contracts from hotels, bus companies and attractions. Without those contracted prices, I am unable to quote the trip cost.
Life is full of surprises. Since one of my favorite tours is the Monarch Butterfly Tour, I am well aware that this month is the migration month for these delicate creatures as they seek their Winter Home in the pine forests of Mexico. Their 3,000-mile flight from Canada to Mexico will come right through Texas and the Rio Grande Valley.
Walls or fences have always fascinated me. Possibly because I have wondered so many times why they were built in the first place. Are they built to keep something in or to keep something or someone out? Why do we build walls or fences? Is it because we can't get along with each other?
I continue to be amazed at how many things there are to see and do in the Rio Grande Valley. It seems that every town has a festival or a special day to celebrate. There is the Butterfly Festival in Mission, the Birding Festival in Harlingen and another in McAllen, the Citrus Festival in Mission, the Festival of Las Palmas in McAllen and not to be missed the Festival of Lights in the small town of Hidalgo. Even Kingsville joins in with the Saturday before Thanksgiving celebrating ranch life with the Ranch Hand Breakfast. 
