Tag: south texas

We call them Winter Texans

Having grown up in McAllen, Texas, I’ve never known life without the thousands of winter tourists who flock to the Rio Grande Valley each winter.  They are called Snowbirds when they make a wrong turn and wind up in Florida or Arizona, but way down in South Texas, we call them Winter Texans.

 

The Valley is a special place, and I’m convinced a large part of that is because of the Winter Texans who have influenced us over the years.  I enjoy Winter Texans so much that I built a business around serving them…and it’s been the best decision I’ve ever made.

 

Now I want to speak directly to our Winter Texans.

Oh how much fun I’ve had getting to know so many of you!  The stories and adventures I’ve heard keep me wanting more year after year.

 

The one thing I realized, though, is that when I hear stories of ‘back home,’ I can’t seem to visualize what it might look like–other than cold!  So this year, I decided to do something about it.  We are hosting our first-ever Welcome Home RGV Winter Texan Reunion Tour, and you are invited!  Just like the parties we plan for you while you’re here, we decided to plan a few parties right in your own backyard.

 

We’re bringing a bit of the RGV straight from McAllen to you.  Come on out and enjoy an afternoon of fun, music, and fellowship with your fellow Winter Texans.  Invite your friends who might be curious about what you do in South Texas all winter long.  We’ve got plenty of goodies, giveaways, and door prizes, so come on out and celebrate South Texas with us.

 

My goal is to see as many of you as I can and to soak in the scenery from Minnesota to Illinois, with many points in between.  I welcome suggestions on ‘must do’s’ and your favorite watering holes, but most of all, I hope you can join us for one, if not all, of our parties!

Here’s a quick schedule with links with all the details:

We’re just connecting the dots,

Kristi

 

Kristi Collier is a McAllen native who loves to share her passion for the area with others.  Her company, Welcome Home RGV caters to the Winter & Converted Texan market through their events, activities, special interest publications and more.  For more information, call the Welcome Home RGV office at 956-687-5115, visit www.welcomehomergv.com or visit on facebook at facebook.com/whrgv and  facebook.com/wintertexan.

What’s next?

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged.  It’s been a busy time, and I kept thinking I will get to it when things slow down a bit.  Since it doesn’t look like that is going to happen any time soon….here we go!

Believe it or not, this is Welcome Home RGV’s ninth season!  It’s because of the faith and support of so many people that we have been able to make it this far.  A lot has changed over the years. People have come and gone, and we’ve had great ideas, good ideas, bad ideas, and even a few downright terrible ones. But every day, we dust ourselves off, learn from our mistakes, and constantly try to improve our process.

It was February, 2008, when I had a vision, and that vision has become a reality.  It didn’t happen overnight, thank goodness.  We’ve learned the hard way and put in the sweat equity to prove it.  And that is what makes us better and stronger than we ever realized we could be.

What started out as a ‘little coupon book for Winter Texans’ has turned into so much more. We’ve grown by leaps and bounds–from adding an annual directory and a weekly newspaper to purchasing the Winter Texan Expo to hosting our own signature events and activities.  It does boggle the mind at times, yet somehow we all have managed to juggle it all.  But what keeps us grounded is that our vision is centered around one thing:  Winter Texans are such an integral part of our lives here in the Rio Grande Valley.

But that isn’t the exciting part.  I’m excited about what the future holds for our company, where we’ll grow from here, and where we’ll be ten years from now. The winter market is changing, that’s for sure, but we aren’t afraid of change.  We welcome it and will be there amidst it all to offer support, guidance, and solutions to those who need it and a lot of fun for everyone!

That vision in February 2008 was a gift, and we continue to be guided in the right direction. It’s our responsibility to watch, listen, learn, and adapt so we can keep this very important demographic protected.

I look so very forward to seeing all of your smiling faces this winter…and for many more to come!

What’s so great about retirement in South Texas, anyway?

Let me start out by offering a quick disclaimer:  I’m not retired.  Unfortunately, I’m far from it.  And, I’ve never been to retirement destinations in Arizona or Florida, so I personally have nothing to base this column on except the conversations I’ve had over the last 10 years with the hundred-thousand-plus (yes, 100,000+) Winter Texans who come to the Valley each year.

Now that that’s out there – back to the question.  What is it that makes the Rio Grande Valley such a wonderful place to ‘winter’?  First of all, we want you here.  WE are lucky to have YOU, not the other way around.  Not only do you energize our local economy, but you also bring your time and talents to so many of our schools and nonprofit organizations.  In Texas, we don’t see you as ‘snowbirds.’  We see you as one of us, so we gave you a name to prove it.  To us, you are Winter Texans.  We are also incredibly friendly people by nature, so the friendliness of our people is just as important to the Winter Texans we visited with as what you’ll read below.

 Next…well…you just can’t beat the cost of living.  Some people say it’s cheap down here, but we prefer the term ‘affordable.’  Your hard-earned money goes farther down here.  Period.  Trust me, you’ll save the money you spent on gas and then some.  We know it’s a long drive.

 Another great thing about South Texas is the sense of community.  All of our RV resorts and retirement communities are incredibly welcoming.  Almost all dances, craft shows, entertainment, jam sessions, and meals are open to the public, so you can zip from one resort to another without a worry in the world.  We have a wide variety of festivals and events outside of the RV resorts, as well, so you can find yourself at a world-championship barbecue contest one weekend and a butterfly festival the next!  You might even hit both the same weekend!

And we haven’t even talked about the weather!  We have great weather.  Our ‘winter’ lasted about four days in 2017, and while the locals called in sick, wore parkas, and complained an awful lot,  there were sightings of Winter Texans on bicycles sporting long pants and a light jacket.

The Rio Grande Valley is a wonderful place to live.  Now that’s something I can speak on as a ‘resident expert.’  I’ve lived in McAllen most of my life (40 out of 47 years!).  We know you have choices when it comes to retirement destinations, but we also know you’ll love it here, so we kindly ask that you give us a try.  Sure, it’s a long drive.  Once you hit the Texas border, you still have 10 hours before you see our smiling faces.  But, trust me and the 100,000+ Winter Texans who call the Rio Grande Valley their home away from home–it’s definitely worth it!!!

Safe travels, and see you in South Texas soon!

We’re just connecting the dots,

Kristi

Kristi Collier is a McAllen native who loves to share her passion for the area with others.  Her company, Welcome Home RGV caters to the Winter & Converted Texan market through their events, activities, special interest publications and more.  For more information, call the Welcome Home RGV office at 956-687-5115 or visit their website at www.welcomehomergv.com or on facebook at facebook.com/whrgv and  facebook.com/wintertexan.