MARCH 18, 2026 www.wintertexantimes.com 16 WINTER TEXAN TIMES WEATHER From pg. 9 playing pickleball, shuffleboard, horseshoes, cycling, bird watching and many other outdoor activities – often with temperatures in the 70s. Wayne Watts said, in 2018, he would be back home right now shoveling snow and feeding the horses. Instead, he was outdoors watching his Winter Texan friends playing softball. “The weather here is perfect – you can do a lot in this weather,” he said. Not only is there joy in leaving the frozen tundras, but there are also health benefits. Jim McDermid of MN 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. The nation’s warmest “Polar Bear Dip” also takes place on South Padre Island every January 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. The Valley is a place where the swimming pools are open nearly all year long, outdoor activities are usually only disturbed by the few rainy days, and it’s always a great day to go for a stroll in a park or hiking trail. Shuffleboard tournaments are usually held in December and January. The senior softball team practices in January and February. Parades and festivals are held throughout the season. There is rarely a bad day to be outside – and if there is, it doesn’t last very long. 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 on one of more than 20 different courses spread throughout the Valley. 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. The annual “Best Places to Live” index regularly has cities such as Harlingen, Brownsville, McAllen and Mission in their top 100 in the nation, and most of the 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. For many years, several surveys, when looking at cost-of-living differences at the state and metro levels throughout the United States, the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission metro area consistently ranks in the top five most affordable places to live in their midsize U.S. metro category. “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. While the cost of living is very economical for the area, the Winter Texan parks offer a whole other type of economy. Entertainers from Nashville, Vegas and Branson, MO will enjoy 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 to $10. For a twohour 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 $5, or a burger, fries and a drink for $6 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. While being rebuilt after a very destructive fire a few years ago, the flea market offers a variety of products by an array of vendors. A big, covered area contains a restaurant and a covered pavilion outside offers entertainment. In other words, you can find everything you want – and some things you didn’t realize you wanted at these flea markets. Finally, the big sell when it comes to the economic reasons, the lots and homes themselves are sold at amazingly low prices. When a Winter Texan decides not to 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 several years. Their northern home is in Malden, IL. “We’ve planned accordingly for this part of our lives. We are enjoying it and are determined to keep right on enjoying it.” COST From pg. 9 get here. We have made so many friends here. We have more friends here than we do back home.” 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 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!” There are “Welcome Home” fiestas as winter guests begin to arrive in the Fall. Most RGV communities host “Winter Texan Appreciation” events at the end of the winter season as well. Business owners and government officials will talk about relationships that were built, commonly calling the winter visitors more than just part-time visitors. “We’ve built relationships with so many of them,” said Jennifer Hart, co-owner with her husband of the popular Riverside Club in Mission. “A lot of them have truly become like family to us.” Texas even coined the endearing name “Winter Texan” for those adopted Texans from up north. And it’s not just about the economic impact for the Valley – Winter Texans truly become a part of the tapestry of the Valley. We are constantly reminded of what Texas stands for and means – Tejas, Friend – and that is how the community feels about our Winter Texan friends. PEOPLE From pg. 9
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