13 WINTER TEXAN TIMES www.wintertexantimes.com NOVEMBER 19, 2025 27146 McLelland Road., Harlingen, TX 78552 (956) 423-1446 Lower Valley / 956-664-1446 Upper Valley Visit us at www.gowithjo.com for complete itineraries Eagle Pass Gambling (2 Days) Dec. 2, 16, 2025 �������������������������������������������������������������$TBA (Includes: Round Trip, Hotel) San Antonio Lights Up (3 Days) Nov. 28, 2025 ����������������������������������������������������������������$TBA (Includes: River Boat Tour, Breakfast, Light Supper) (Prices are per person, double occupancy) Christmas in Mexico and San Miguel (7 Days) Dec. 20, 2025 �������������������������$TBA (Fly in and Bus out) Monterrey for New Years (3 Days) Dec. 30, 2025 ���������������������������������������������������������$TBA (Prices are per person, double occupancy) U.S. TOURS MEXICO TOURS Go...With Jo! Tours & Travel We Take Care of You! King Ranch Hand Breakfast (1 Day) Nov. 22, 2025 ����������������������������������������������������$TBA Hidalgo Festival of Lights (1 Day) Dec. TBA, 2025 incl. Dinner & Trolley Ride ���$TBA Port Isabel Boat Parade (1 Day) Dec. 6, 2025 �������������������������������������������������������������������$TBA Brownsville Zoo and Holiday Village (1 Day) Dec. 6, 2025 incl. Dinner ����������$TBA (Prices are per person) ONE DAY BUS TOURS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE www.WinterTexanTimes.com 2024 Park Directory 2025 Rio Grande Valley Visitors Guide Winter Texan TIMES Serving Winter Texans From Mission To South Padre Island Since 1987 Published By: Park Directory RIO GRANDE VALLEY MOBILE HOME & RV 2024-2025 EDITION Page 3 Rio Grande Valley Visitors Guide 2025-2026 Rio Grande Valley Visitors Guide Vol. 28, No. 1 2025-2026 Edition Published by Nexus Publishing, LLC 1217 N. Conway Mission, Texas 78572 (956) 580-7800 www.wintertexantimes.com © Copyright 2025 by Nexus Publishing, LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the express consent of the publisher. All rights reserved. WELCOME ABOUT THE COVER Top Photo: South Padre Island is a great place to enjoy flying a kite. This photo was taken at the SPI Kite Fest. (Photo by Anastasia Brunson) Bottom Photos: Spoonbills are just one type of bird you can see in their natural habitat at the SPI Birding, Nature Center and Alligator Sanctuary. (Photo by Carina A. Brunson) Los Lagos Golf Course in Edinburg is just one of many golf courses you can find in south Texas, also known as Golfer’s Paradise. (Photo by Anastasia Brunson) The Valley hosts many events throughout the year. A favorite among the Valley’s winter visitors is Mission’s Winter Texan Fiesta that takes place in March. (Photo by William Brunson) Whether you prefer nature and the outdoors, historical sites, parks, fishing, boating, or parasailing over the surf at South Padre Island, the Rio Grande Valley has it all. Visitors can enjoy all the Valley has to offer year-round due to the Valley’s mild winter weather. Over 100,000 Winter Texans stay for the winter season to enjoy our warm, subtropical climate with an average temperature of 65-70 degrees. Winter Texans are not the only ones who have discovered the Rio Grande Valley. Birding, butterfly, and nature enthusiasts from all parts of the country come to the Valley every year, attracted by the 545 species of birds and 330 butterfly species that are either native to the area or that migrate through the Valley each year. Because of its neo-tropical climate, the Rio Grande Valley is home to many tropical birds that can be seen nowhere else in the United States. It is also a major bird migration corridor with two major flyways converging here. The Rio Grande Valley is also a place full of history. From battle sites to the only lighthouse on the gulf shores, to museums with artifacts, to chapels, historic homes, and old stores. Every Valley city has a story to tell. Whether you are a Winter Texan, a family with young children, or just someone that enjoys the outdoors, history and culture, the Rio Grande Valley has something to offer everyone. Inside you will find beautiful maps that pinpoint featured locations throughout the Valley. We have broken up the area into eight regions, so whatever area you are visiting, you have a map to see what is close to you. With all there is to see and do in the Rio Grande Valley, we hope you enjoy your stay! Inside this guide RGV Regional Map & Index ......................4-5 Points of Interest ............................................ 6 Golfers’Paradise ........................................... 47 Valley Birding & Nature Events .................. 48 World Class Birding & Nature Sites .......49-53 Valley Chamber Offices ............................... 54 To The Rio Grande Valley Winter Texan TIMES Serving Winter Texans From Mission To South Padre Island Since 1987 Published By: 2025-2026 Edition Page 1 Rio Grande Valley Visitors Guide 2025-2026 Winter Texan TIMES Serving Winter Texans From Mission To South Padre Island Since 1987 Published By: 2025-2026 Edition Call 956.580.7800 or Email ads@wintertexantimes.com FOR ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES Let’s learn some Spanish rules Good day to all of you. Thanksgiving is here and I am preparing for company. My grandnephew and his twelve-year-old son are coming to spend Thanksgiving with me. That will be a special treat as my nephew is a champion cook when it comes to cooking on an outdoor grill. Seriously he has won many competitions all over the state of Texas. So, all I will do is buy the turkey and set the table. He will even cook the potatoes on the grill. And of course, I will need to buy an extra supply of ice cream for the younger visitor. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful, skilled nephew. Every time he comes to visit, he finds all those little things that need doing. He is a jack of all trades and since I can’t even drive a nail, he is a real blessing. He loves our tropical plants and since I have an extra supply of plants in bloom I can share with him. One of my favorite things to do is to work in the yard so there is always a plant or bush that is in full bloom to share with him. Last publication we had a mini lesson in Spanish. Are you ready for the second lesson? Well here goes. Certain syllables in a word will receive an accent when spoken. As you divide the words into syllables, generally the second syllable receives the accent. But not always. First of all, let’s see how we divide any word into syllables. The consonant will go with the next vowel so let’s divide a word into syllables… how about cerveza - that’s beer in Spanish. So, to divide it is cer-ve-za. NOTE that the r and the v got divided. And that is the general rule. Except when you have a double ‘l’ in a word. A double ‘l’ will sound like a ‘y’. So, the word for yellow in Spanish is pronounced a ma ri yo (amarillo). If a word ends in a consonant, then the accent is on the last syllable. So, the word for heart in Spanish is corazon. Now to pronounce it is co ra zon. The strongest syllable is the last one with the accent on the zon. Now, just to confuse us - the Spanish language has some words that will carry an accent mark, and those words don’t go by the rules. One of the words that I hear mispronounced over and over is the name of one of the states in Mexico. The capital of the state has the same name. Have you guessed the name of the city? It is San Luis Potosi and many of the tours into Mexico go right through that city. The pronunciation breaks all the above rules because there is a written accent on the last syllable. So now we have San Lu is Po to si. NEVER IS IT PRONOUNCED SAN LUIS PO TO SI. Over and over, I hear this word mispronounced with the speaker putting the accent on the second syllable. I can understand why since unless your computer or typewriter prints or speaks Spanish the rule of the second syllable getting the accent will lead you astray. Please don’t label me as a fluent Spanish speaker. I am not. I just keep trying to get better. When I was in college I would spend many hours reading and speaking Spanish out loud. Try filling the bathtub with warm water, propping your Spanish grammar book behind the water faucets and reading out loud. That’s how I learned most of my Spanish. And of course, I made and still make many mistakes conversing in Spanish. Just don’t give up. Our friends in Mexico are so gracious and appreciative of our attempts to speak their language that they will forgive us of our mistakes. Have fun as you learn more and more Spanish. I promise no more lessons. Have a beautiful and blessed Thanksgiving. We are truly blessed. l r - g t - n y e - r t . , r e n o - r e n s
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