Welcome Home RGV

The more things change!

Happy New Year, officially! We rang in the New Year with family in the Georgetown, Texas, area. There wasn’t a better gift than seeing all the motorhomes heading south! This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for – peak season has begun. It will be nonstop fun until St. Patrick’s Day, and I am rested and ready to go-go-go!

As far as the new year is concerned, I don’t have any dramatic resolutions for 2023. If anything, I’ve learned that things change, and I’d like to be more aware of the change that happens right before our eyes. When you’re in it, it’s hard to see sometimes. I’ve been working with Winter Texans for as long as I can remember in one capacity or another – and when I look back, I can see the changes – but on the day-to-day, sometimes things seem precisely as they were a very long time ago.

I’m naturally curious and like to send out surveys – no matter what the topic is, I always learn something. Last week, I surveyed resort managers on what occupancy looks like for the next few months vs. the following season. I wasn’t surprised by the results a bit, that numbers were not only up, but the demographic of those first-timers are a lot younger than what we’re used to seeing. Those younger faces come bearing new ideas, different approaches, and lifestyles. And I know that sometimes changes in the park activities can be a little scary, but they can also be exciting! For instance, a few years ago, someone had the bright idea to tape the hall floors and play pickleball. I’m sure there was some pushback in the beginning, but now there seem to be more parks with pickleball than without. Some might say that the introduction of pickleball into our world is a significant change, yet some might say it’s exactly as it’s always been. Life is interesting like that.

So let’s welcome those younger retirees and embrace the changes they will bring about! And most importantly, let’s show them a great time this season because our new retirees will pave the way for future generations of Winter Texans. So with your help, they will love it as much as we do and spread the word about the Rio Grande Valley of Texas to their friends, families, and networks. I welcome your thoughts and comments on the changes you’ve seen while wintering in Texas. Your insight is invaluable and can help protect the lifestyle we know and love! Drop me a line at kristi@welcomehomergv.com.

“Winter Texan Wednesday: It’s a Hard Luck Life!”

Winter Texans and retirees are invited to participate in “Winter Texan Wednesday: It’s a Hard Luck Life!” featuring Neil Cassady, a Texas Master Naturalist and museum volunteer, December 19 at 3 p.m. at the Museum of South Texas History in Edinburg. “Winter Texan Wednesday” is a half-hour multimedia presentation followed by a half-hour mini-tour of part of a museum exhibit.

Imagine living in South Texas before air conditioning, internet access and other modern conveniences to protect you from the region’s riparian forest landscape. How could anyone survive the scorching sun rays in South Texas, or the landscape filled with very few trees but lots of brush? Cassady will discuss how the Coahuiltecans and early Spanish settlers survived in the Rio Grande Valley with the help of native plants and trees. The presentation will be followed by a mini-tour of MOSTHistory’s River Frontier exhibit.

Winter Texan Wednesday is included in the regular museum admission fee: Adults (18+) $7; Seniors (62+) $5. Museum admission also includes access to the signature Rio Grande Legacy exhibition. For more information, please contact the museum at 956-383-6911.

About Museum of South Texas History

The Museum of South Texas History is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. It is located in downtown Edinburg at 200 N. Closner Blvd. on the Hidalgo County Courthouse square. Hours of operation are from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday. Founded in 1967 as the Hidalgo County Historical Museum in the 1910 Hidalgo County Jail, the museum has grown over the decades through a series of expansions to occupy a full city block. In 2003, following the completion of a 22,500 square foot expansion, the museum was renamed the Museum of South Texas History to better reflect its regional scope. Today, the museum preserves and presents the borderland heritage of South Texas and Northeastern Mexico through its permanent collection and the Margaret H. McAllen Memorial Archives and exhibits spanning prehistory through the 20th century. For more information about MOSTHistory, including becoming a FRIEND, visit MOSTHistory.org, like us on Facebook, follow on Twitter, find on Google+ or call +1-956-383-6911.

Winter-Texan season is upon us!

I don’t know about you, but to me, it’s the most wonderful time of the year! After a long, hot summer, we are excited to see the temps start to drop, but the temperature change means something even better than getting rid of sweaty brows. In South Texas, it means our Winter Texans are coming!

As early as October, you start to see out-of-state plates dotting the highway, and you can feel the excitement in the air that signals “the season” is coming. Most people think “the season” officially starts November 1, but I beg to differ. Each year, it seems our Winter Texans start to trickle in earlier and earlier.

And why not? I’m sure you’ve heard about the arctic blasts in our northern states. (Maybe we are being a little dramatic, but once it gets below 70, we tend to pull out our parkas.) There’s no doubt our Winter Texans think we’re crazy, but cool weather is not something we get very often. We get hot, hotter, and hotter than…

There is never a lack of things to do here in the Rio Grande Valley. Whether it’s dancing, shuffleboard, swimming, racing RC cars, or playing pickleball, this is the place to do them all.

We can’t wait to see you out and about this season. Welcome Home, y’all!

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.

We’re on a first name basis

And sometimes we are even lucky to even get that right, aren’t we? Name tags, are a wonderful thing. Not only do they help with introductions, they help jog the old memory on where we might have possibly met each other in the first place. Some name tags are bigger than others, take for instance Betty Emmons from Casa del Valle, who’s badge reflects over 20 seasons in the Valley, dates back to 1986. 1st Responders and in most cases are easily identified by their name tags. The Tropic Star cheerleaders can be easily spotted by the dangle on their badge. I’ve seen some that say everything from ‘manager’ to ‘activity director’ to line dancer’ and ‘single’. If our badges could talk, I wonder what kind of stories they might tell. What do you call those things that dangle from your badge? Badge bangle-dangles?

I also think it is great that not only do our badges reflect where we are, but also where we come from. I like to look at the badges and see the silent story that they tell, and for me, badges are often conversation starters.

Over the last five years I’ve learned a lot about you, and the way you operate. For instance, each and every one of you is very different, you come from different areas and backgrounds, you have different interests, hobbies and there is simply no way to ‘categorize’ our Winter Texans. You don’t all like to do the same things. There are a few things that are pretty common across the board though, you all like warm weather in February, you enjoy life to the fullest, and you have a hard time remembering certain things. Like last names, the day of the week, what you had for dinner and minor details.

I absolutely love when I visit a park and hear “hey Kristi” throughout the halls. I was just at Texas Trails for the Bernie & Red fundraiser for St. Baldrick’s and so many of you greeted me by my first name, and I loved every minute of it. I still use my last name (it’s Collier by the way), but I’d rather you spend your time remembering good times, good friends and great weather than last names.

I hope you’ll join me for our 3rd annual Welcome Home happy hour on Friday, February 22nd at the Mercedes Livestock Showgrounds from 1 – 4 pm. We’re going to have a happy hour like none other with entertainment by Leslie Blasing, John Sager and Jeff Gordon! Free admission and free parking, we’ll pass the hat, have beer, wine and setups available and we’d love to have you join us. Bring your lawnchairs and celebrate the season with us, and we’ll have you home in time for dinner.

We’re just connecting the dots,

Kristi

Let’s paint a picture

It never ceases to amaze me how many people are touched by this column and how many of them aren’t even Winter Texans. A friend recently told me she felt she had “a window to my soul.” (That can give a person writer’s block in a hurry.) I write from the heart and about what’s on my mind. Sometimes it relates to Winter Texans, and sometimes it doesn’t. Continue reading “Let’s paint a picture”

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!

Baby it’s HOT outside!

By this time, most of our Winter Texans have left the Rio Grande Valley, either to head off to your next adventure, to check on the farm, or to see those grandkids with whom the Valley just can’t compete. Something tells me that those who haven’t left just yet will, as Tim Smith from KRGV Channel 5 is projecting a high of 103 Saturday. (Sigh!)

And so it goes with life in the Rio Grande Valley. We love our winters but shudder just thinking about June, July, and August. In all honesty, though, I’d rather brave a South Texas summer than to try to live through another North Texas one (that’s why I only lasted in Dallas one year)! The Valley may be hot, but the high humidity and proximity to the coast allow for ‘cool’ breezes throughout the day and into the evenings. Yes, to some it might be called wind, but let this optimist see the glass as half full. It’s one of the only things that gets me through the summer.

The summers are hard, there is no doubt, but I would rather sweat through the summer than have to shovel snow. But I will say that as I get older and starting planning for the future, the thought of becoming a Winter Texan myself has crossed my mind a time or two. Spending the summer months on a lake somewhere in Michigan sounds mighty fine to me!

Whether you are still here or up north, you are always in our thoughts. We anxiously await your return and that touch of cooler weather you tend to bring with you.

We’re just connecting the dots,

Kristi

The Winter Texan Whisperer

I’ve been told that I’m the Winter Texan whisperer. I laughed when I first heard it; then I heard it again…and again…and again. People always ask me how I do it – how I have the ability to connect with so many retirees from across the United States and Canada. Well, to be honest, it’s not rocket science. But there IS a secret ingredient. You have to care. And I do. A LOT. The truth is that I really, REALLY love them. In order to have any strong relationship, you have to show you care. I know that is what sets us apart from others who are ‘in the business.’

One thing’s for sure, I want prospective Winter Texans to know that they’ll be in good hands while they winter in South Texas. And for those of you who are ‘seasoned’ Winter Texas or Converted Texans – you already know you’re about to have an amazing winter. At Welcome Home RGV, we work tirelessly to keep you informed of what’s going on across the Rio Grande Valley and, in some cases, beyond! We’ll not only keep you up to date, but we’ll be right there in the trenches with you, whether that be on a bike ride, at happy hour, at a craft show, or on the dance floor. We might even try to beat you at a game of cards!

We truly look forward to spending the winter with you. Safe travels to those of you who are on the road, and we’ll see you in South Texas real soon.

We’re just connecting the dots,

Kristi

The Accidental Publisher

I have made investing in my education and networking with industry leaders a priority. Over the course of my life with Welcome Home RGV, I have attended conferences, seminars, and conventions on topics ranging from social media strategies to the recreational vehicle industry, as a whole.

Much of the work we have done at Welcome Home RGV has been organic, stemming from seeing the demand for more and more of what we do and pushing ourselves to think outside the proverbial box and to improve each and every day.

I just returned from a conference in Austin for niche publishers. What I found was that there is a need for a publications on just about everything you can think of. From industry news to hobbyists, the potential to self-publish is out there. What was interesting to me was that, at first, I felt so out of place. With so many ‘real’ publishers at this conference, I felt silly calling myself a publisher. As I interacted with others and got to know some of the conference attendees, I found that I am not alone – so many folks came into the publishing world quite by accident. Going through the sessions on topics like content marketing, marketing automation, consultative selling, and media strategies made me realize how much we actually do; we just don’t call what we do by those ‘official names.’

I think what makes us successful at Welcome Home RGV is that we do what we love, do right, not only by our audience but also by our customer, and we package our passion into a variety of products, which creates an amazing company culture.

As I left the conference, I walked away with a long list of to-do’s and a whole lot of fresh ideas. It will be exciting to see what the next year brings, and we can’t wait to take you along for the ride.

We’re just connecting the dots,

Kristi

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.