We will be retiring at end of the year and trying to decide where to spend our first winter. We would like to stay in Texas to be close to family in Illinois. We are overwhelmed with this decision - gulf is nice but too windy, Big Bend too far, central Texas too cold - all posts we have read and bits of advice we have been given. Don't know what to believe! Any help would be appreciated.
Winter in Texas ???
- Thread starter sledman78
- Start date
dlw930
Well-known member
We're not among the retired group yet, but a lot of folks we know from our Heartland rallies winter in "The Valley", AKA the Rio Grande Valley. There are lots of RV parks catering to "snowbirds" in Mission, McAllen, Harlingen and Brownsville. If you don't want to go that far south, there are lots of winter Texans in parks in the Texas Hill Country from Fredericksburg and Kerrville to Boerne and New Braunfels. I'm sure someone can give you recommendations on specific parks in these areas. Enjoy your retirement, wherever you go!
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
jmgratz
Original Owners Club Member
There are a number of Snowbirds who go to the Hill Country Resort and Event Center RV Park in Medina, Texas which is about 18 miles south of Kerrville, TX. They have a beautiful park there with great facilities. For a quiet place which is great and not crowded try a new (3 years old) RV park name Antler Oaks Lodge and RV Resort in Bandera, Tx. Bandera is known as the 'Cowboy Capital of Texas" and is about 28 miles west of San Antonio. There are plenty of things to see and do in the area. Antler Oaks loves 'winter Texans'.
Awardmasters
Member
You should be happy in about 80% of the places in Texas compared to IL in the winter. That said, if it is cold that you want to avoid, the Valley is the best bet and only adds about 2 average travel days to a trip to IL (just 1 extra day if you want to push it). While the gulf coast can be windy that is not always the case, so I would not rule it out. Big Bend is a beautiful area but it can get fairly cold with a good norther coming in, and it is sparsely populated. The hill country is a good option. You should be able to handle the fronts that come thru and the majority of the days would be very nice.
No matter where you park your wagon you will find Texas hard to beat.
No matter where you park your wagon you will find Texas hard to beat.
jmgratz
Original Owners Club Member
One other thing I forgot to mention is don't forget to look around the Houston Area.
GOTTOYS
Well-known member
We spent a couple Winters at Johnson Creek RV park in Ingram near Kerrville. Nice enough place if you get a good spot. Some of the spaces along the center rows can be a bit crowded. Weather can be a little marginal at times but for the most part better than the Midwest....Don
AAdams
Well-known member
We stayed last year in a couple parks in the Rockport and Aransas Pass area. We are going back this year. I like to fish and Deb's brother lives there so it works for us rather well. One of the things we like is that it isn't real windy since we are not right on the Gulf, but the Gulf / Bay does help keep it warmer than the areas a little further inland. It did reach 28 a couple nights but the temp went right back up during the day to a reasonable level. If you like the beach take the free ferry to Port Aransas ( Just not during Spring Break ) and you can drive on the beach till you find a spot you want to stop at. We will be staying at a park that is scheduled to open Oct 1st. of this year right at 35 and 188. Walmart, HEB ( grocery store ) are 9 and 6.1 miles from there. Courpus Christi is 25 miles down 35. If you fish the out of sate license for salt and fresh water was $65 last year. To park on the beach in Port Aransas was $12/year and the beach access in Rockport was $15/year. There are limited places that are free to park on the Port Aransas beach. Also there is a group of Heartlanders that get together each week at a restaurant in the area.
Hope this helps, Alan
Hope this helps, Alan
simsfmly
Ohio Chapter Leaders-retired
Sledman78,
We've spent the last 4 winters in the Coastal Bend area (Portland, Rockport, Port A, Aransas Pass) and loved it. Couldn't justify the extra 3 hours one way down to the Valley. Love the area. The last couple of winters have been downers (two years ago cold, last year rain), but that's the ups and downs of anywhere.
If you do choose the Coastal Bend, make sure you subscribe to this thread on the forum, here on Facebook or PM me your email address and we'll keep you up to date on the Heartland happenings in the Coastal Bend. As Alan and Debra said, we try to get together at least once a week.
We've spent the last 4 winters in the Coastal Bend area (Portland, Rockport, Port A, Aransas Pass) and loved it. Couldn't justify the extra 3 hours one way down to the Valley. Love the area. The last couple of winters have been downers (two years ago cold, last year rain), but that's the ups and downs of anywhere.
If you do choose the Coastal Bend, make sure you subscribe to this thread on the forum, here on Facebook or PM me your email address and we'll keep you up to date on the Heartland happenings in the Coastal Bend. As Alan and Debra said, we try to get together at least once a week.
happykraut
Well-known member
We've stayed in Mission for several winters now and really like it. Lots of things to do. Several flea markets and real close to Mexico to go to the dentist and pick up your meds. Personally I'm afraid to get to close to the coast because of the salty air.
rxbristol
Well-known member
I'm afraid to go into Mexico with the current drug cartel situation. My current job prevents us from going into any bordering Mexican states.
TandT
Founding Utah Chapter Leaders-Retired
I was raised in Ft Worth and spent 12 years there. With that background you will understand when I say google "tornado alley" and avoid it.
In my traveling of Texas, the Gulf is beautiful, but can get humid. (I prefer a drier climate in the long term) All things considered, I feel the Austin area has about the best overall weather in the state, if you are going to reside there long term. JMO. Trace
In my traveling of Texas, the Gulf is beautiful, but can get humid. (I prefer a drier climate in the long term) All things considered, I feel the Austin area has about the best overall weather in the state, if you are going to reside there long term. JMO. Trace
scottyb
Well-known member
I agree with Trace. Central Texas is hard to beat in the winter. Very little wind and lower humidity than the coast. Having grown up in West Texas, I could't believe how nice the Fall, Winter, and Spring were, when I moved here in '79. Of course our summers are 5 months long.
BarnhartRV
Member
Yikes - have been here in Rockport for more than two weeks and haven't seen a heartland RV or met anyone with one...........we are at Palm Harbor - right on the water - it's a nice place - friendly and good facilities
jimtoo
Moderator
Contact some of the folks on this thread. They are all in you area. Coastal Bend Winter Texans
Jim M
Jim M
AAdams
Well-known member
We were at Palm Harbor last year for a month. Nice place and real nice people. This year we started at Coastal Paradise and have already moved.... it wasn't 'Paradise'. Now we are at Salt Water Flats right down the street from Palm Harbor.
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