5 Things to Do in the Rio Grande Valley

The Rio Grande Valley in Texas is for the birds, literally. It is home to the World Birding Center, which is a network of nine different birding sites. But there is so much more to this area of South Texas and we’ll give you just five reasons why people flock here come winter. 

1.  The Nature: With winter weather temps averaging daytime highs between 70 and 80 degrees, it makes sense to be outdoors as much as possible. Some outdoor highlights include The Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, which has more than 1500 species of animals in mostly open-air exhibits, or the National Butterfly Center in Mission, which is set on 31-acres and is great for a butterfly experience among the lush plants of the Valley. 

2.  The History: Plenty of museums in the area detail the rich history of the Valley. Check out the Museum of South Texas in Edinburg, with exhibits and collections that detail the history of the land from the prehistoric age to the cattle ranches, or the Heritage Museum in Brownsville. Also in Brownsville is the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park, which was the site of the first conflict of the Mexican-American War. Harlingen has the Iowa Jima Monument and Memorial Museum honoring the WWII battle.  

South Padre Island
South Padre Island

3. SPI: If you’re not familiar with SPI, then you will definitely want to check out what South Padre Island, aka SPI, has to offer when you’re visiting South Texas. Hit the beautiful beaches and dip your toes in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Or see how injured sea turtles are rehabbed at Sea Turtle, Inc. Enjoy amazing seafood, or take a sunset dinner cruise. For more ideas on how to enjoy South Padre Island, visit sopadre.com.

4. Outdoor Fun: Take a hike on one of the four hiking trails located in the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge, all of which are considered easy treks. This 2008-acre wildlife park is great for glimpsing birds as well as butterflies and other wildlife. Head to South Padre for water sport fun including parasailing, scuba-diving, and fishing. Plenty of top-rated bike trails can be found in the Rio Grande Valley, too. The Bicentennial Hike and Bike Trail in McAllen is one option and the bike trails in Resaca de la Palma in Brownsville are also great option (these trails are part of the World Birding Center).

5. The World Birding Center: We just couldn’t highlight the great things to see and do in the Rio Grande Valley without mentioning the jewel in the crown here, which is of course, the World Birding Center. Within the nine unique birding sites there’s plenty to see and do here. There is a five-story tower for viewing, plenty of walking trails, a 3300-plus foot boardwalk, bird blinds and of course plenty of birds to view including peregrine falcons, hawks, orioles, and warblers. Visit theworldbirdingcenter.com for all the details.

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Best Glamping Resolutions for 2022

New Year, New You – including the one that either loves to glamp or is planning to try out this ultra-lux, trendy version of camping. We’ve got a few ideas for 2022 glamping resolutions:

  • Try a different glamping style: If you typically go for a tiny house, try a yurt or a cozy cabin. Glamping with Petite Retreats gives you plenty of choices to switch up your glamping accommodations in the new year. Tiny houses offer you a four-wall experience with cool lofts, indoor kitchens and bath facilities, and surprisingly spacious living areas. A yurt is an option if you want to do a hybrid glamping experience. While a yurt is still canvas-construction, our yurts have kitchenettes, bathroom facilities and big-screen TVs. Cabins and cottages are cozy options and if you’re looking for something completely different, try a teepee or covered wagon accommodation. Check out all the glamping options at petiteretreats.com.
  • Try a different location: If you always go to the mountains, try the beach instead. If you go always go off-grid, try a more “citified” location next time. Also, if you always glamp the east coast, then go west, or south, or north! Petite Retreats has locations around the country in some of the most popular destinations. Go city and stay near Seattle, Boston, or Portland. Glamp near the beaches of Florida in the Keys or in Orlando. Lake life is an option at Lake George, New York, and several locations in Texas and Wisconsin. Desert options include Sedona and Palm Springs while charming and quaint is taken care of with locations in Leavenworth, Washington, and Bar Harbor, Maine.

  • Be Present: Enjoy every minute of your glamping experience from sunrise to sunset. Greet the day with a sunrise experience at Maine’s Acadia National Park or bid farewell to a day well-glamped with a beautiful sunset at Santa Barbara’s Stearns Wharf. Practice forest bathing, known to lower blood pressure and boost energy – consider glamping accommodations in New Hampshire, Oregon, and California for plenty of woodsy de-stressing.
Fiesta Key Resort
Fiesta Key Resort
  • Be Active: Glamping has the same outdoor activity options as camping, but when you’re done with a day spent outdoors, the comforts of glamping are definitely a plus. Take advantage of our glamping accommodations that are near plenty of outdoor activity options. Explore hikes in our national parks and forests at locations in Washington, Maine, California. Whitewater raft in Yosemite while staying at Yosemite Lakes in nearby Groveland or paddle the waters of Lake George in upstate New York. Fishing options in the lake, rivers, and oceans nearby our glamping locations can include Texas’ Lake Texoma, the waters of Wisconsin’s Door County or Oregon’s Mt. Hood area and deep-sea adventures in the Florida Keys. There’s also horseback riding at Rancho Oso and Marina Dunes in California and other fun options biking and climbing as well as seasonal fun like winter snow adventures and fall leaf-peeping.

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Top U.S. Tours to Take

When it comes to seeing what any location you visit has to offer, certainly the local Visitor’s Guide and suggestions from friends and family who have visited the area can work for creating a great itinerary. But why not let someone else do the heavy lifting and sign up for a tour experience with a local provider. There are all kinds of tours ranging from history and architectural to sampling local foods and bevvies or getting your scare on with a spooky ghost tour. Consider the tours we’ve listed here next time you’re in the area! 

There are plenty of Jeep tours around the U.S. that give visitors an off-road experience like no other. Planning a tiny house stay at Verde Valley in Sedona or a cabin rental at Las Vegas and consider booking a trip with pinkadventuretours.com and let the cool Pink Jeeps be your guide. An open-air red Jeep and Joshua Tree National Park combine for a one-of-a-kind experience if you’re visiting Palm Springs and want to see the rugged desert landscape surrounding the area. Visit red-jeep.com for tour info. Planning a trip to Bend, Oregon? Try a yurt or cabin rental at Bend-Sunriver and then check out Bend Jeep® Tours for a great way to see Deschutes National Forest.

Foodie tours are a great way to get to know the history and culture of a city and there are several that stand out. Book a tiny house or cabin stay at Natchez Trace and take in Nashville’s culinary experience. Bites and Sites is a walking tour that combines attractions and food on a walking tour while Nashville Food Adventures are driving tours that offer food and drink experiences. Both are offered through nashvillefoodtours.com. According to Tripadvisor, the food and cultural walking tour of Seattle’s Pike Place Market is one of the most booked food tours in the U.S. Rent a yurt at nearby Tall Chief and head into Seattle to experience this 100-year-plus historic market that is considered “the soul of Seattle.” Visit savorseattletours.com for tour details.

Arrowhead RV Campground
Arrowhead RV Campground

Did you ever ride a duck? What about touring the waters of your vacation destination on a duck? We’re not talking about the waterfowl here but instead the unique amphibious tour bus. If you want to experience the original duck tour rent a cabin at Arrowhead in the Wisconsin Dells where the duck tours originated in 1946 using the decommissioned amphibious trucks introduced in WWII. Since the original duck tour was quite popular with visitors, others began to pop up around the U.S. and similar duck tours can now be found in Boston (book a cottage Gateway to Cape Cod); South Beach and Miami (stay with us at the Miami Everglades RV Resort); and Seattle (Tall Chief is a great location to stay for a Seattle duck adventure).

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