things to see & do
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Roma to Rio Grande City: A Day of Flavor, Culture, and Hidden Gems
Day Three of our Activity Director Boot Camp uncovered two of the region’s standout gems: the art of agave at Ancestral Craft Spirits in Roma and the rich heritage of Rio Grande City through its historic trolley tour and museum. Our annual Boot Camp is designed to introduce RV resort Activity Directors to unique attractions…
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Activity Director Boot Camp Kicks Off the Season on South Padre Island
Our annual Activity Director Boot Camp is officially in the books, and what a fantastic start to the season it was! Designed to familiarize RV park activity directors with some of the Rio Grande Valley’s many attractions, Boot Camp also provides a wonderful opportunity for directors to connect, collaborate, and learn from one another. The…
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Big Boots Highlight City’s Western Heritage
By Ric Cavazos The 30 handcrafted boots standing nearly six feet tall on Mercedes Street corners and roadways represent the city’s western heritage and its connection to early Rio Grande Valley history. The Mid-Valley city was founded in the early 1900s by a land company. The American Rio Grande Land & Irrigation Company in setting…
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Costumes of the Americas Museum
The City of Brownsville is home to a small, but oh-so-worth-a-visit museum, Costumes of the Americas Museum. This little museum offers vibrant exhibits of textiles, accessories, and folk art on a rotating basis, so plan on visiting again and again. Located in the Mitte Cultural District, bookend your stop with a visit to the Brownsville…
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San Fernando Building
by Eryn Reddell Wingert This whimsical mural is located on the San Fernando Building in downtown Brownsville. The Brownsville Heritage Trail marker explains that one half of the building was built in 1877 for Victoriano Fernandez, a furniture dealer. Downtown Brownsville is chock full of historical sites and public art. This mural is visible from…
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Texas Historical Marker
This Texas Historical Commission marker sits along Military Highway southeast of La Feria. It chronicles the Alonso de Leon Expeditions against French usurpation of Spain’s claim on Texas in the late 1600s. In 1687k de Leon crossed into present-day Roma and later led a successful military operation against the French adventurer Rene La Salle’s Fort…
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Stillman House
The small, brick-paved courtyard behind the historic Stillman House in Brownsville is home to various plants, including sage, banana, and yucca. The house dates back to 1850, when Charles and Elizabeth Stillman rented it from builder-owner Henry Miller. The home’s namesake only lived there for three years; the Trevino family owned the home and incorporated…
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Local Artists Keeping McAllen Beautiful
Story by Eryn Reddell Wingert | Photos Courtesy of Creative Explorations Oneida Trevino of Harlingen knew she wanted to be an artist since childhood. By her senior year in high school, her artwork was on display for a year at the U. S. Capitol, the result of a congressional competition. “That’s when I was like,…
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Brownsville Theater Sharpens Appeal to Winter Texans
by Ric Cavazos Brandon Binder analyzed last season’s attendance at the Camille Lightner Playhouse and came away with an important conclusion. “We had lower numbers from Winter Texans,” said Binder, the theater’s artistic director. “Winter Texans made up 30 percent of our audience.” Binder and Camille’s leadership figured the iconic Brownsville theater should be more…
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There’s Something for Everyone at McAllen’s Famous Library
Story and photos by Eryn Reddell Wingert This is the story of the little library that could and did, in a big way. The McAllen Public Library (MPL) originally opened downtown in 1950. The 40,000-square-foot, mid-century-style building boasted three floors, an atrium, and wall-to-wall books. It was the only local library around for a period…
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Birding Hotspots in the Rio Grande Valley
Special to Welcome Home Winter Texan Erica Barrera wrote “Getting Ready for the Fall Bird Migration” in the November 27, 2024, issue of Welcome Home Winter Texan. This list of birding hotspots is a companion piece to that story. Both the story and this list of hotspots first appeared in the Fall 2024 issue of…
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Harlingen VFW Post Stands Test of Time
by Ric Cavazos The Veterans of Foreign Wars post on the Harlingen/San Benito line saw its first veteran on the eve of World War II and got firmly established in the aftermath of the great war. The 80-year-old-plus facility is roomy enough. It includes long tables and chairs tucked in and ready for patrons when…
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The Great Salt Lake…of South Texas
By Sarah Denzer I grew up going to Salt Lake City every year for spring break to ski–and in the summers to visit my grandparents. One of the must-do activities in that area is visiting the Great Salt Lake. After living here in the Valley for a few years, I heard about La Sal Del…
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Let’s Go to Brownsville and Behold Mexican Clothing Art
Being so close to the border, we have the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with all of the vibrant aspects of Hispanic culture. I’m fascinated by the magnificent colors and intricate designs of the garments worn for traditional ceremonies and special occasions. Did you know there is a new museum in Brownsville that highlights just that?…
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A Glimpse of the South Texas Delta
by Gretchen Losi There are so many little towns in the Rio Grande Valley that still maintain their original charm and personality. Edcouch shouldn’t be missed. The historic downtown has several original buildings peppering the landscape, giving it that old-timey, western feel we love so much. While many sit vacant, yearning for the next chance…
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Estero Llano – Let’s Go!
by Gretchen Losi Cooler days are approaching, which has Mother Nature calling many of us to get out and explore. Listen carefully and you might get the call to “Estero Llano.” The name loosely translates into ‘swamp land’–but don’t be fooled. This 230-acre state park is home to countless alligators, snakes, native flora and fauna,…
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Shrimp Tour Season is Here!
Story and Photos by Eryn Reddell Wingert “Honestly, I never knew that Texas had shrimp!” Janette Baertsch Janette Baertsch’s upfront declaration made the recent visit to Brownsville’s Texas Gold wild-caught Gulf shrimp all the more intriguing. Baertsch is originally from the Texas Hill Country. She and her husband, Orin, moved from San Diego to the…
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Stillman House, Brownsville
by Eryn Reddell Wingert The small, brick-paved courtyard behind the historic Stillman House in Brownsville is home to various plants, including sage, banana, and yucca. The house dates back to 1850, when Charles and Elizabeth Stillman rented it from builder-owner Henry Miller. The home’s namesake only lived there for three years; the Trevino family owned…
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Tour the Magnificent Gelman Stained Glass Museum
Hello Travel Friends, Did you know the largest and most comprehensive stained-glass museum in the United States is right here in San Juan? The Gelman Stained Glass Museum is home to 174 sets of stained glass dating back to the 19th century. These beautiful works of art have been salvaged from churches around the country…
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Sand dollars, sunsets, and serenity
Let’s Go to the Jetties! by Gretchen Losi The Rio Grande Valley is home to a strip of island so thin you barely get sun-kissed walking from the bay side to the gulf. But after one visit, you’ll be hooked for life. At only 1.8 miles wide, South Padre Island holds a plethora of…
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A Park Full of Character – While Reinforcing It
Sunday Drive to La Feria by Gretchen Losi There’s a park in La Feria that pays tribute, through its hand-painted murals, to the six pillars of character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. The park opened in 2008 as a labor of love between the City and Mary Garcia’s fourth-grade class, before being renamed…
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Top 5 ‘Off-the-Beaten-Path’ RGV Destinations
Let’s Go! by Gretchen Losi The Rio Grande Valley is enchanting, with its native birds, butterflies, and lush tropical landscape. The Central Valley has its fields of seasonal crops dancing in the Texas wind, while the southern Valley has ribbons of resaca flowing through towns and neighborhoods. It’s a feast for the senses before you…
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Órale! Let’s Go to Mexico!
by Chris Ardis While driving from home to a nearby city is commonplace, in the Rio Grande Valley, we can hop in the car and head to our neighboring country–MEXICO! Before you go, prepare yourself for a day of shopping, mouthwatering food and margaritas, and mucho fun! While there are several Mexican towns along the…
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Get Your Parade Waves Ready
Hello Travel Friends, Boats and the holidays don’t always go together, but here in South Texas, we do things a little differently. The SPI Lighted Boat Parade is an annual event showcasing local boats with their halls decked in sparkling Christmas lights. People watch the Parade along the bay while enjoying dinner or a drink….
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South Padre Island: The Birding Hub of South Texas
Courtesy of South Padre Island CVB Eco-tourism plays a vital role in attracting visitors to South Padre Island. One of our major eco-tourism centers is the South Padre Island Birding, Nature Center & Alligator Sanctuary. Their facility is the prime hub for birdwatching in South Texas. The facility is home to 43 acres of wetlands,…
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Let’s Go to Roma!
Discover remnants of Zapata and petrified forests by Gretchen Losi To get a sense of what life in the Rio Grande Valley was like back in the days of Poncho Villa and Emiliano Zapata, one must simply visit Roma. Some of the Valley’s oldest architecture graces the streets of this once-vibrant border town. As you…
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Spotted in the RGV: The Rabb House
By Eryn Reddell Wingert The Rabb House dates back to the late 1890s when Frank Rabb utilized steamboats to haul materials from Louisiana to build the Victorian-style home for himself and his new bride, Lillian Stark. The cost: $15,000. The home sits within the Sabal Palm Sanctuary in southern Brownsville, surrounded by a biodiverse landscape…
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Step Back in Time with Tours by Welcome Home
Story and photos by Eryn Reddell Wingert The Delta Lake Hotel ruins hold nearly 100 years of stories. The keeper of those stories is Doris Taylor, owner and caretaker of the property. Taylor has dedicated her life to sharing the history: “One day, like all of us, this will crumble. But until then, I intend…
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Tour the Historic, Iconic, Legendary King Ranch
by Eryn Reddell Wingert Just up the road in Kingsville, Texas, sits the vast King Ranch, notorious not only for its size–currently over 800,000 acres–but also for its incredible impact on ranching in Texas. Tours & Travel by Welcome Home offers a day-trip tour via motorcoach, with two Valley pick-up points. The ride is about…
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Cross Off Bucket-List Item on South Padre Island
Special to Welcome Home RGV Although South Padre Island places a heavy focus on water sports, we have a variety of activities that can also be enjoyed without needing to get your feet wet. One of our more popular activities that many tourists don’t realize we offer is horseback riding on the beach. If you…
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Spotted in the RGV: Butterflies
Photo and Caption by Eryn Reddell WingertSpotted at the Edinburg Scenic and Wetlands World Birding Center–a queen butterfly (left) and a monarch (right). If you have trouble distinguishing a queen from a monarch, here you go! The queen butterfly lives in the Rio Grande Valley year-round and is much smaller, with less color variation than…
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Spotted in the RGV: Rockets
Photo by Eryn Reddell Wingert Rockets and a launch site–in the distance–are relatively new to the Rio Grande Valley landscape. It’s all part of SpaceX, located at Boca Chica Beach near Brownsville. Since setting up shop, so to speak, the SpaceX community (the company’s website and avid followers) refer to the area as Starbase. This…
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Spotted in the RGV: Mexican bluewing butterfly
Mission, TX | Photo and blurb by Eryn Reddell Wingert The Mexican bluewing butterfly ranges can be found from South and Central America to Mexico but also in the Rio Grande Valley. This particular one was spotted at the National Butterfly Center in Mission. Dozens of species of butterflies take advantage of the center’s native…
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Off the Beaten Path: Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle
by Gretchen Losi You don’t have to look hard to find history in the Rio Grande Valley. A simple walk in most directions and you’ll spot a historical building, street, school, or marker. One such place is the world-famous Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle, where folks come from all over to…
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Greetings from McAllen!
Photos and blurb by Eryn Reddell Wingert The McAllen Heritage Center in downtown McAllen boasts a new, vibrant, postcard-worthy mural. Located on the south wall of the Center’s building, the mural is based on a vintage postcard modernized to showcase McAllen’s current City Hall, the Heritage Center, palm trees, and the city’s official bird, the…
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Plan a Fall Getaway to South Padre Island
Courtesy of South Padre Island CVB Summer isn’t the only season to enjoy a tropical getaway. South Padre Island is a first-class destination that can be enjoyed any day of the year. Fall is a fantastic time to visit, as the summer crowds are gone, the weather is cooler, and prices are more affordable. Bring…
