SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TEXAS

ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, WE DROVE TO SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF FROM DONNA, TEXAS.

WE TOOK MAGGIE AND MARLEE WITH US AND WE FOUND A PUBLIC BEACH TO PLAY ON. WE GOT TO THE BEACH ABOUT 11:00 AND IT WAS VERY FOGGY.

MAGGIE AND MARLEE ENJOYED WALKING ON THE BEACH,  IT WAS NICE WARM TEMPERATURES. PEOPLE WERE PLAYING IN THE WATER AND FISHING.

WE DECIDED WE WERE HUNGRY, SO WE LEFT THE BEACH AND HAD LUNCH, BOUGHT SOME SOUVENIRS, AND WENT BACK TO THE BEACH WITH OUR CHAIRS. WE HAD HEARD ABOUT THE JELLY FISH THAT WERE WASHING UP AND THE WARNINGS ABOUT THEIR  VENOMOUS  STINGERS.

OF COURSE,  MARLEE FOUND ONE RIGHT AWAY, THANK GOODNESS I WAS PAYING ATTENTION AND HAD HEARD ABOUT THEM ON THE LOCAL NEWS. I PULLED HER AWAY RIGHT AWAY,  WE SAW QUITE A FEW OF THEM  ALL  ALONG  THE SHORE.

FINALLY, THE SUN BROKE THROUGH AND THE FOG LIFTED, IT TURNED OUT TO BE A GORGEOUS DAY! 

THERE WERE REMANANTS OF SAND CASTLES  EVERYWHERE.

THEY WERE EVEN BUILDING SOME!! IT LOOKS LIKE QUITE AN ART!!

MAGGIE AND MARLEE ENJOYED PLAYING ON THE BEACH, WE TOOK THEM OFF THEIR LEASHES AND PLAYED BALL WITH THEM FOR HOURS.

 MARLEE LOOKS LIKE A LITTLE CLAM. A LITTLE SANDY CLAM!

OF COURSE, I COULDN'T COME TO THE GULF OF MEXICO AND NOT GO IN THE WATER, I WISHED I HAD BROUGHT MY SWIMMING SUIT!!

THE WATER WAS REALLY WARM!!  IT WAS WINDY AND  THE WIND SURFERS WERE OUT, IT LOOKED LIKE  HE WAS HAVING A BALL! 

WITH   OVER AN  HOUR DRIVE  IN FRONT OF US, WE DECIDED WE SHOULD HEAD FOR HOME, BUT NONE OF US WERE READY. WE'RE ALREADY TALKING ABOUT COMING BACK HERE NEXT WINTER FOR AN EXTENDED STAY.  MAGGIE AND MARLEE SLEPT ALL THE WAY HOME. BY THE TIME WE GOT HOME DARRELL AND I WERE TURNING RED. WE ENJOYED OUR DAY TRIP TO SOUTH PADRE ISLAND.

PROGRESSO, MEXICO

ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, WE DUG OUT OUR NEW PASSPORTS AND HEADED FOR MEXICO, JUST A FEW SHORT MILES FROM DONNA. WE CROSSED THE RIO GRANDE RIVER.....

AND WE WERE IN MEXICO!!  THE SMALLER SIGN SAYS "THANK GOD FOR AMERICA AND FOR OUR WINTER TEXANS. WELCOME HOME."

YOU CAN DRIVE OVER, BUT WE DECIDED TO WALK, AND WE WERE VERY GLAD WE DID, THE ROADS WEREN'T  ALL THAT GOOD.

 IT WAS JUST A SHORT WALK TO PROGRESSO, WE PARKED THE TRUCK FOR TWO DOLLARS A DAY, WE NOTICED THE TALL WALL IN THE DISTANCE  TO DISCOURAGE ILLEGALS.

FOLKS IN THE PARK HAVE BEEN TELLING US HOW INEXPENSIVE THE DENTAL WORK IS IN MEXICO, AND AFTER CAREFUL THOUGHT, I DECIDED IT WAS SOMETHING I WANTED TO DO, AS MY TEETH WERE DUE FOR A CLEANING. I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED THAT DARRELL AGREED TO TAKE ME WITH ALL THE HORROR STORIES WE'VE HEARD.   I GOT THE NAME OF A RELIABLE DENTIST, ONE THAT SOME FOLKS HERE HAVE BEEN GOING TO FOR TWENTY YEARS. THEY ALL SAID TO BE SURE TO  GO EARLY IN THE MORNING.

WE FOUND THE DENTAL CLINIC EASILY, ONLY ABOUT A BLOCK FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE.

THE WAITING ROOM WAS FULL WHEN WE ARRIVED AT 8:15.......I WONDERED WHAT EARLY MEANT???  I ASKED HOW LONG IT WOULD BE, THE YOUNG LADY ASSURED ME IT WOULDN'T BE LONG. I SAT DOWN AND TEN MINUTES LATER THEY CALLED MY NAME!! I WAS LED BACK TO AN IMMACULATELY CLEAN OFFICE AND MY TEETH WERE CLEANED WITH ULTRASOUND. IT WAS A HUGE OFFICE,  DENTISTS AND DENTAL ASSISTANTS EVERYWHERE!

IT COST  TWENTY  DOLLARS TO GET MY TEETH CLEANED!!! I  COULD HARDLY BELIEVE IT. AFTERWARDS, WE WERE OFF TO FIND  RENE'S BAKERY, EVERYONE HAD TOLD US HOW WONDERFUL AND LARGE THE HOMEMADE CINNAMON ROLLS WERE.  THE PLACE WAS FULL OF WINTER TEXANS!!

WE WERE EVEN SERENADED WHILE WE HAD OUR COFFEE AND ROLLS!!

EVERYWHERE WORKERS WERE SWEAPING SIDEWALKS AND STREETS,  GETTING EVERYTHING CLEAN FOR THE  DAY'S BUSINESS.

THERE WERE TABLES AND STANDS SET UP ON THE SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF THE BUSINESSES, VENDORS WERE  SELLING FOOD ITEMS, MOVIES, JEWELRY, BELTS. WHEN YOU WALKED BY THEY WOULD CALL OUT TO YOU TO COME BUY THEIR  ITEMS.  I BOUGHT THREE OF THE LATEST MOVIES FOR TEN DOLLARS. MOST OF THE BUSINESSES WERE DENTISTS AND PHARMACIES.

THEY EVEN HAD A VETERINARY CLINIC!

I WAS SO GLAD WE DECIDED TO GO OVER, EVER SINCE WE ARRIVED IN TEXAS, WE HAVE HEARD DIFFERENT STORIES ABOUT MEXICO. SOME FOLKS ABSOLUTELY SAID, "DON'T GO!".  AROUND HERE THE FOLKS FEEL PROGRESSO IS SAFE,  BUT  MOST  SAID THEY WOULD NOT VENTURE TOO FAR INTO MEXICO, DUE TO THE DRUG TRAFFIC. WE ENJOYED THE SHORT TIME WE WERE THERE! AFTER SEEING EVERYTHING WE WANTED TO SEE, WE HEADED BACK TO THE U. S.

WE HAD TO WAIT IN LINE  TO SHOW OUR PASSPORTS.

.

AND AFTER TAKING THESE TWO PICTURES, I READ THE SIGN THAT SAID "NO PICTURES ALLOWED".  I PUT MY CAMERA IN MY PURSE. 

WE WERE ASKED THE REASON  FOR OUR VISIT AND HAD TO DECLARE WHAT WE WERE BRINGING BACK.

AND THEN WE WERE BACK IN TEXAS, U.S.A.!!



RIO GRANDE VALLEY

WE GOT ALL SET UP ABOUT 4:00 IN THE AFTERNOON ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, WE CAN USE OUR PASSPORT AMERICA DISCOUNT FOR 7 DAYS. WE HAD NO GROCERIES, DUE TO THE FAULTY REFRIGERATOR, SO HAD TO MAKE A QUICK RUN TO WALMART,  FOUND IT EASILY, THINK WE HAVE BUILT-IN RADAR NOW. MAGNOLIA PARK IS A SMALL PARK, BUT WE ARE ON THE CORNER OF MAGNOLIA AND TEXAS, A VERY BUSY CORNER!!!

 SENIORS BIKING, GOLF CARTING, WALKING, MET SOME VERY NICE FOLKS, MOST STOPPED TO WELCOME US TO THE PARK. WE SAW LICENSE PLATES FROM MINNESOTA, WISCONSIN, SOUTH DAKOTA, NORTH DAKOTA, IOWA. MOST SAY THEY'VE COME TO THIS PARK  FOR MANY YEARS , I CAN SEE WHY, THE SOUTH DAKOTA FOLKS ARE FROM THE SIOUX FALLS AREA.
ON SATURDAY MORNING, WE HAD TO CHECK OUT THE FLEA MARKET THAT IS ONLY A BLOCK FROM THE PARK. IT WAS INTERESTING,  I FOUND A FEW ITEMS I COULD USE IN THE RV.

THE KETTLE CORN WAS DELICIOUS!!  AN UNUSUAL RECIPE, NONE LIKE WE HAVE EVER TASTED!

THEN,  WE WALKED ACROSS THE STREET TO THE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE MARKET. WE BOUGHT ORANGES, GRAPEFRUIT, TOMATOES AND A WATERMELON.

 IN THE FRONT OF THE STORE THEY HAD CLOTHING. I FOUND A BATHING SUIT FOR EIGHT DOLLARS!

ON MONDAY MORNING WE HEADED TO ALAMO, TEXAS, WHICH WAS ONLY 7 MILES AWAY,  TO INTERVIEW FOR THE ADVENTURELAND JOBS IN IOWA FOR THE SUMMER. WE MET GARY PARDEKOOPER, WHO HIRED US ON THE SPOT, AFTER FINDING OUT WE HAD WORKED A CHRISTMAS TREE LOT. HE SAYS, "AFTER DOING THAT, THIS WILL BE A PIECE OF CAKE!" WHERE HAVE I HEARD THAT BEFORE?????????

WE WERE ABLE TO CHOOSE THE AREA WE WOULD WORK IN, I CHOSE FOODS AND DARRELL WILL BE OPERATING THE RIDES. WE WILL STAY AT ADVENTURELAND CAMPGROUND FROM APRIL 13 TO SEPTEMBER 30. WE ARE EXCITED TO BE WORKING FOR ADVENTURELAND, IT WILL BE ONE OF THE LARGEST WORKAMPER COMMUNITIES IN THE UNITED STATES. GARY'S BOSS TOLD HIM TO HIRE AS MANY WORKAMPERS AS HE COULD . ADVENTURELAND LOVES THEIR WORKAMPERS!!

THERE ARE ORANGE TREES EVERYWHERE, GROVES AND IN PEOPLE'S YARDS. THEY EVEN HAVE ORANGES ON THEM!

IN THE RV PARK,  TOMATO PLANTS ARE  BLOOMING AND THE  FLOWERS  ARE BEAUTIFUL!

ON VALENTINE'S DAY WE DECIDED TO DRIVE OVER TO MISSION, TEXAS TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE FIRST WORKAMPER JOB WE WERE OFFERED AND TURNED DOWN.

 IT WAS A SHORT DRIVE, WE ACTUALLY FOUND THE RV PARK WE WERE GOING TO WORK IN, JUST PUT THE ADDRESS IN THE GARMIN.....WE LOVE MRS. GARMIN!! IT WAS A LOVELY PARK, RIGHT ON THE RIO GRANDE RIVER.

AFTERWARDS, WE HAD LUNCH IN MCALLEN AT LOGON'S ROADHOUSE, WHERE YOU CAN THROW YOUR PEANUT SHELLS ON THE FLOOR, IT WAS FUN!!! 

GOOSE ISLAND STATE PARK

WE ARRIVED AT GOOSE ISLAND STATE PARK ABOUT 4:00 ON THE AFTERNOON OF JANUARY 31 AFTER SAYING GOODBYE TO OUR FRIENDS KAREN AND MIKE AND SAN ANTONIO. EVEN THOUGH WE HAD MADE  RESERVATIONS, WE WERE ALLOWED TO DRIVE AROUND AND PICK OUR SPOT.

MOST OF THE  CAMP SITES WERE BACK-IN SITES AND AFTER SOME  TRIAL AND ERROR, DARRELL GOT GUSTOW BACKED  IN PERFECTLY!  IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL SITE, SO PRIVATE AND QUIET. WE WERE SURPRISED TO FIND OUT WE HAD NO CELL PHONE SERVICE AND COULDN'T PICK UP THE WI-FI.

THIS IS A BIRDING PARADISE, EVERY SITE HAD A POLE THAT YOU COULD HANG A BIRD FEEDER AND THERE WERE DAILY BIRD WALKS AND  PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO LEARN ABOUT THE BIRDS.  TURKS CAP WAS THE TRAIL WE WALKED THE DOGS ON, IT WAS PICTURE POSTCARD BEAUTIFUL AND PEACEFUL.

WE WERE ONLY ABOUT A MILE FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO, SO WE WALKED TO THE GULF QUITE OFTEN. WE SAW BROWN & WHILTE PELICANS, WHO ARE  PERMANENT    RESIDENTS OF GOOSE ISLAND. THEY WERE SO COOL!! ALL THE SHORE BIRDS LOOKED LIKE PREHISTORIC BIRDS.

 ONE DAY WE WALKED DOWN AND BROUGHT MAGGIE'S BALL,  SHE KEPT PUSHING THE BALL FURTHER OUT INTO THE WATER  UNTIL I HAD TO GO IN  AFTER IT, WE HAD A GREAT TIME PLAYING IN THE GULF, I WAS SURPRISED THE WATER WAS SO WARM!

ANOTHER DAY WE DECIDED TO DO A "TOURIST" THING AND VISIT THE BUSY TOURIST TOWN OF PORT ARANSAS, YOU HAD TO TAKE THE FERRY OVER, IT WAS A SHORT AND FREE RIDE.

AND WE HAD LUNCH OUTDOORS AT FINN'S, I HAD A FRIED OYSTER PO BOY....IT WAS DELICIOUS!!

THE TOWN OF ROCKPORT AND FULTON WERE ONLY NINE MILES FROM GOOSE ISLAND, ACROSS THE BAY, WHERE, OF COURSE WE FOUND A WALMART.

GOOSE ISLAND HAS SO MANY BEAUTIFUL OAK TREES, THIS GIANT OAK IS THE MOST FAMOUS TREE IN THE WORLD AND IS ESTIMATED TO BE 1,000 YEARS OLD!! 

WE HAD ONLY  PLANNED ON STAYING AT GOOSE ISLAND 7 DAYS BUT, THE DAY AFTER ARRIVING,  DARRELL DEFROSTED THE FREEZER AND THE REFRIGERATOR WOULDN''T TURN BACK ON. JOHN FROM  ACTION RV  HAD TO ORDER A PART AND ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9 , JOHN CAME OUT AND PUT THE NEW PART ON AND IT TOOK RIGHT OFF, WE WERE THRILLED, YOU DON'T MISS ANYTHING UNTIL YOU DON'T HAVE IT!!!

SO, ON FRIDAY MORNING WE LEFT FOR THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY, WE HAVE RESERVATIONS AT MAGNOLIA RV PARK IN DONNA, TEXAS. IT WAS ABOUT A FOUR HOUR DRIVE AND ON THE WAY WE STOPPED AT A REST STOP, I HAD MAGGIE AND MARLEE OUT UNTIL I SAW THIS SIGN, AND GOT THEM BACK IN THE TRUCK AS FAST AS I COULD!!!