TX Rio Grande Valley « R-V There Yet?

Archive for the ‘TX Rio Grande Valley’ Category

Road Closed Due to Flooding

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

Several days ago we decided to head over to South Padre Island where Tinka could try out her dysfunctional umbrella.

But that is not the real story. On the way to the island, we were surprised to find that Hwy 107 was closed due to flooding.

About a half mile of the road was missing.

It turns out that this is leftover flooding from Hurricane Alex back in June. To alleviate flooding, levies were constructed and a planned “floodway” was constructed. For the first time in over twenty years, the use of the floodway was activated to protect the upstream dams on the Rio Grande.

The flooded area shown below is normally a sod farm.

Earlier I showed you a picture of Hwy 107 flooded. The picture below was taken from the same spot last week. The road is now opened, mud plowed away and dry.

The crops didn’t fare very well over the two months of inundation.

The agriculture damage is unbelievable, but the residential areas have been spared.

Posted in Texas, Texas Coast, TX Rio Grande Valley | No Comments »

Back Home – Sea Level, Finally

Sunday, August 29th, 2010

Normally you might expect that the Rio Grande Valley of Texas would be sweltering in the summer months. Well, yes it is, because the normal highs are in the high 90’s. The area has stayed pretty much to the normals, holding in the mid to high 90’s. As warm as it is, we feel pretty lucky because northern Texas and the Midwest have been much warmer this summer. With all that said, it’s great to be home. Being “flatlanders”, sea level is our mecca.

Since our return, we’ve investigated a few new restaurants. In Nuevo Progreso, Mexico, we found the traffic to be considerably less than you would find in the winter.

Following a suggestion from our friends Richard and Barb, we tried out a restaurant that we had not visited before, SeñoriaL. The restaurant is located on the left side of the road, near the end of the second long block and next door to the Galeria store. Access to the restaurant is by a stairway in the downstairs farmacía.

SeñoriaL has good, live music, a broad menu, and a nice relaxing decor. The food is prepared in a kitchen located on the first floor, which may be the location for the restaurant in the winter months. We’d definitely keep this on our list of Progreso stops. Oh yes, happy hour runs most of the day. Two margaritas for $1.50.

Our next new restaurant, Santa Fe Steakhouse in McAllen, was yet another suggestion from Richard and Barb. Leaning toward the high end, we reserved this for our anniversary dinner. (Click here for their menu)

Tinka went for the appetizer route, choosing the “Mini Beef Wellington”, “Angels on Horseback” and their “Pastry Wrapped Twice Baked Potato”. Rick went for the prime rib and the twice baked potato. The prime rib “end cut” was one of the best pieces of meat in years. They could have had a little more something in the twice baked potato, perhaps cheese or bacon.

No complaints from Tinka on anything. She had a nice Sauvigon Blanc from their broad wine list and Rick went for a Martini or two.

Posted in Mexico, Mexico - Nuevo Progreso, Texas, TX Rio Grande Valley | No Comments »

Falcon Resevoir

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

A scenic route from Laredo back to our South Texas location is to follow US Hwy 83 which follows the Rio Grande River and the US border with Mexico.

The route takes you through several small, typical South Texas towns. It was Sunday, but it appears that many of these buildings are boarded up.

When driving through South Texas, it is difficult to keep your windshield clean because of the huge populations of butterflies. These butterflies are drawn only to plants that are native to this subtropic area. Unfortunately, 95% of these local plant species have been forced into extinction. Many residents and park authorities have been promoting the planting of more of the remaining native plants. (Click on picture for larger view.)

We had been wanting to visit the Falcon Lake area. The reservoir extends along the Rio Grande River from the Falcon Dam on the southeast to the town of Zapata, Texas on the northwest. The Falcon State Park occupies a large section on the US side of the lake.

The Falcon Dam was constructed in the early 1950’s and is dedicated to Mexican President Cortines and US President Eisenhower. The roadway on top of the dam provides a border crossing between the two countries. (Click on Photo to Enlarge)

As with all sections of the Rio Grande River, including most of its reservoirs or lakes, residents on both sides of the border have equal access for fishing and other recreation. With the recent focus on border security, this must give the border patrol headaches.

Looking at the real estate prices in the area, Falcon Lake seems to be a real bargain when it comes to lakefront property.

Posted in Mexico, Texas, TX Rio Grande Valley | 2 Comments »

FM 1015, Onion Or Not?

Sunday, May 23rd, 2010

(Just a note: Due to a rash of spam comments, we had to add an easy math question to make sure a human is posting and not a computer.)

I’m sure that it is a coincidence, but here along Farm to Market FM 1015, just north of Weslaco, TX, fields of the Texas 1015 onions are grown in the late winter and early spring. Unfortunately, this past winter provided the area with too much water for proper onion harvesting.

It wasn’t until late April that some of the fields were processed. One of the fun things about living in the Rio Grande Valley is watching the cycle of this vast source of vegetables and fruit. Once harvested, certain vegetables, like carrots and onions that don’t meet specifications of size and shape, are left in the field.

Several “Winter Texans” enjoy trying to find usable leftovers that are completely fine for consumption, but not particularly pretty. Here, Tinka fills a bag with leftover onions, while Rick, wisely, stayed in the jeep.

We were told later that the fruit and vegetable stands were not using Texas onions this year because of the water damage. Most of our onions are coming from Mexico this year. Hopefully, we’ll have better luck with the weather next year.

Posted in Texas, TX Rio Grande Valley | No Comments »

Pots Galore

Friday, April 16th, 2010

You might think that you had to go to Mexico to get good deals on pottery and other yard paraphernalia. That is not the case. Various pottery stores and outlets are strewn along the border.

This facility was in the town of Progreso, Texas. Just north of the Mexican border on Hwy 1015, you’ll find a large orange building on the west side of the road. Inside is crammed with pots of all sizes.

And endless colors and designs.

And shapes.

This bird bath is guaranteed to draw the birds.

The crafts are not limited to pottery. The assortment of metal decorations is pretty impressive.

If you’re into stuff that won’t blow away, consider one of these concrete picnic tables. Or how about those cement balls. I guess you could use them as large paper weights.