Rio Grande Valley: From MN to Texas and Back Again

On The Road Again

During the arctic winter of 2014, my family decided to pack up and head south. A few weeks ago I shared the first part of our road trip when we explored Port Aransas, Texas. Today we continue our road trip from Minnesota to Texas as we drive south from Port Aransas, TX to the Rio Grande Valley via U.S. Highway 77.

Onion fields and chicken farms dotted the sides of highway 77 as we drove south toward the valley. The shadeless and parched terrain offered no respite from the sun as the cattle slowly roamed the open fields. At one point, we passed a group of about 20 men, women, and children on horseback. I wondered where they were headed as we hadn’t seen a town for dozens of miles, and we wouldn’t pass another for about the same. I hoped that they had water for the horses and young children that traveled under the mid-day sun.

Within three hours, my family and I reached our new destination – Orange Grove RV Park in Edinburg, TX.

Orange Grove RV Park – Edinburg, TX

That’s right! We were joining the Snowbirds for the next five days (Snowbirds: North American term for people who migrate from cooler northern climates to warmer southern climates during the winter). I had visited the park a couple of times in years past, as my grandparents overwintered in Orange Grove. The things I remembered most about the park were: the way the orange blossoms perfumed the air throughout the late winter months (the park was built on an old orange grove), how grapefruit hung heavy on the trees, how we played games late into the night, and enjoyed conversations with neighbors that regularly stopped.

Nothing much had changed in the park since I had been there last. The orange blossoms still perfumed the air,

grapefruit the size of my three-year old daughter’s head still hung heavy on the trees,

and neighbors still stopped by to visit.

My family also enjoyed the park pool and hot tub,

and celebrating Great-Grandpa’s 80th birthday with friends and family in the community room.

Orange Grove Park was the perfect place for our young family to relax and enjoy the warm Texas weather – fresh citrus fruit to pick and enjoy, a clean pool to play in, friendly people to chat with, quiet streets to walk in, and plenty of space for games, parties, and other social gatherings. Much of the second portion of our trip was spent in the park, but we did take one day-trip to the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge – a 2,088-acre refuge.

Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge

Established in 1943 for the protection of migratory birds, Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge happens to be positioned along an east-west and north-south juncture of two major migratory routes for many species of birds. It is also at the northern-most point for many species whose range extends south into Central and South America. The refuge is right in the middle of all this biological diversity, which is what makes this 2,088 acre parcel the ‘jewel of the National Wildlife Refuge System.’ Though small in size, Santa Ana offers visitors an opportunity to see birds, butterflies and many other species not found anywhere else in the United States beyond deep South Texas.

– U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Throughout the winter of 2014, one of the coldest on record, my parents escaped the icy MN winter to volunteer at the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge. My father helped to rebuild bridges in the park while my mother traveled to local schools to educate students about monarch butterflies.

On the day that we visited Santa Ana, my father was busy building a bridge, but my mother got the day off to show us around the refuge. We had our own tour guide!

The first thing that my family noticed was all of the Spanish moss dripping from every tree and vine. The soft, gray moss gave every walking trail a storybook feeling.

My son was amazed that the moss didn’t need to grow in the dirt. He was also delighted with the sabal palm trees.

My family spent the day in the reserve observing green jays and listening to the loud cackle of the plain chachalaca,

exploring the canopy bridge,

and discovering new flowers on trees and shrubs.

Many of the mammals, birds, and reptiles that would usually be out and active were not due to the unusually cold temperatures that Texas experienced in the winter of 2014 – Minnesota wasn’t the only state.

I would love to return to the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in the future when temperatures are warmer and wildlife is more active, but the day at the refuge was still full of exploration, new experiences, and exciting flora and fauna.

Thank you, Mom, for a great day!

 

Thanks for joining me on the second part of our journey from Minnesota to Texas and back again. This week I will share my favorite tip for long road trips with kids and dogs – you may be surprised.