Northern RVers Considered “Winter Texans” Y’all

We are staying at a very nice RV park in Alamo, Texas down near the southernmost tip of Texas. Our full-time RV lifestyle allows us to visit places and stay a few weeks as we explore the surrounding areas. Mrs. Professor is an avid bird watcher so we are observing the winter migration of our feathered friends as they return home from their South American vacations. This area is famous for birding and in fact has birds you won’t see anywhere else in the U.S. or Canada. This Green Jay resides mostly in Mexico and South America but can be seen hanging out in south Texas. Birds are a big tourist draw, but the main attraction is the winter weather. There are hundreds of RV parks that receive thousands of migrating northerners each year. By mid April most have departed their winter digs to head back north. Most of these parks cater to the 55 plus age group and range from spartan to upscale. The majority of the mid-range parks have the same amenities as the upscale parks including copious group activities keeping you so busy you’ll need to hire a secretary to keep track of your schedule. Park models are very popular and “Winter Texans” who bring their RVs usually reserve the same RV pad each year. This allows them to build storage sheds and leave their outdoor furniture, golf carts, bikes and stuff in Texas until they return the next winter. Southern Texas can get strong winds but the worst winter here beats a blizzard any day. Farming in the Rio Grande Valley produces many crops including wonderful grapefruit, oranges and onions. Many Caucasian Texans in this area speak Spanish just as well as folks of Hispanic descent and it’s not unusual to hear people conversing back and forth in both English and Spanish in restaurants and stores. Southern Texas is a true multicultural community offering a dazzling array of activities, events, shopping and dining. It’s no wonder more RVers are flocking here each year. New RV parks are being built throughout the area in anticipation of increasing numbers of the “boomer generation” retiring and hitting the RV road. Out tracking RV migration patterns and nesting behaviors - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing