Texas' Rio Grande Valley loves its Winter Texans. When the warm weather beckons the Mid-Westerners, they come with their RVs, their pets, and of course, a little spending money. But history hasn't been entirely kind to the Rio Grande.
When the 9-11 attacks on the World Trade Center sent a shiver into the bones of nearly every American, the Winter Texans were among them. Visitation rates dropped like a rock, and it wasn't until the 2010-2011 season that the number of seasonal visitors ever hit the same levels as before that fateful year of 2001.
The question now is: Will the violence spurred by Mexican drug cartels frighten off the Winter Texans? RV resort owners and others dependent on tourism are counting that the snowbirds will come as always. So far, they seem to be right. Lon Huff, who manages the Sunshine RV Resort in Harlingen recently told the Brownsville Herald that the numbers are looking good. Last year the park filled almost 90% of its 1,000+ RV slots. "We're definitely ahead of last year," says Huff.
Still, Melissa Cortez over at the Country Sunshine RV Resort in Weslaco isn't so sure. "My numbers are a bit down this season," says Cortez. "The publicity we're getting because of the Mexico issue has really hit us hard." Her reservations are down around 30% from last year.
Discussions we've had with RVers seem to indicate that the "Mexico scare" just isn't having a large an impact as some would have us believe. One traveler told us she's planning a trip into Mexico itself--alone--and is more concerned about how long it will take her to get back into the states when coming home time arrives.
Come season's end, the numbers will show how folks have been affected.
photo: Roadside stand on US Highway 281 north of Edinburg, taxibill on flickr.com
Maybe some are down because people just cannot afford to drive this year... I boondock all winter and here we are WAY down on campers... even tho it is FREE and in SoCal.(not near any drug activity)
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We "live " in Mexico 5-6 months of the year, just north of San Felipe on the sea of cortes side of the baja. No problems there. The media loves to blow things out of proportion. I feel safer there then in DC, Chicago, La or Detroit.
ReplyDeleteWe plan to return to the Coastal Bend of Texas for a couple of months this winter, but it probably will be our last. Being from the Pacific Northwest, fuel prices are the biggest factor for us.
ReplyDeleteSpent 10 days in Harlingen, TX recently and with palm tree lined roads and a full temperate zone further south than Dallas or Houston, it is understandable why the "Valley" is so popular. That, the number of services (stores, restaurants, medical care, airports, etc) and the sense of community and family in many of the seasonal residences brings people back to friends and neighbors each year.
ReplyDeleteHowever, local TV may not have gone a day without stories of violence spilling over into the US side of the border or that occuring in Mexico.
I don't know what to say about that; but I'd not cross into Mexico for reasons other than the risk of violence. A magazine article; several years before the violence began, said there's no problem crossing into Mexico. Just keep these 2-3 dozen things in-mind and you'll be fine.
Excuse me? 2-3 dozen things? Crossing into Canada involves about 3 things: 1) a passport; 2) sufficient means of financial support (cash and/or credit cards) and 3) insurance. 2-3 dozen things vs 3 -- and less violence in Canada then there's ice in Hades and where would a person rather go -- at least north during summertime, rather than south into Mexico during the same time of year.
I was born and lived on the border, I am now 57. I will never go into Mexico. People act like this violence just started recently, but I can tell you as a former Texas rancher that it has been this bad as long as I can remember. I will be going to San Antonio in a couple of weeks, but will not go any further south in Texas or any other border state.
ReplyDeleteWe are WTs and have gone to the "valley" for 5 years and have crossed many times into Nuevo Progresso without any problems. Some people are easy to panic and the medias' job is to sensationalize anything and everything to sell newspapers and/or advertising spots on TV or radio. The one year we went to Phoenix, we listened to reports of one murder per day. We stayed there for 3 months and were not victimized in any way. We are not saying there is no crime or you are not at risk but that can be anywhere in the country. You just don't see it in your own neighborhood but see it all to clearly everywhere else. If your afraid to travel or go anywhere, stay home.
ReplyDeleteWe are from North of the 49th and this is our 2nd year down in the RGV as WT's, we are a little concerned about what is going on here but it has not stopped us from getting out and enjoying all there is to do in the valley. If we go into an area that we feel that is not safe day or night to be in, then we just leave. I feel that no matter where you are,from Brownsville all around the gulf to the Key,s there will be some type of violence, it is how you prepare yourself in the area you are staying in. We are down in the RGV for one main reason,"WE HATE COLD AND SNOW"
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