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I Had to Know: What’s the Difference Between Mexican and Tex Mex Food?
When I was on my RV trip from California to Texas, one of the things I thought about often was getting some real Tex Mex food. I’m not sure what I thought it was going to be but I was positive it would be something wonderful. Color me confused when I arrived in Texas and had “Mexican food” a couple of times. I was expecting this elusive Tex Mex cuisine and what I got was food I was used to getting in Mexico or some Mexican restaurants in California. Color me shocked when I researched the difference between Mexican and Tex Mex food. I grew up in southern California and ate probably more than my fair share of Mexican food. It is a cuisine I…
Visit Nuevo Progreso Mexico via the Progreso Texas Border Crossing
I’ve been wanting to visit Mexico since I arrived in Texas in November. A friend here in the park where I live is an American born Hispanic and we have been talking about doing this for weeks. Between the weather and conflicting schedules, we just couldn’t make it happen — until Sunday. There are at least five International border crossings from Texas into Mexico within easy driving distance. We chose the Progreso Texas border crossing which is the closest, about a 20 minute drive. This crossing goes from Progreso, Texas, into Nuevo Progreso, Mexico, where Linda has spent a lot of time. We planned a fun day of manicures, pedicures, a hair cut for me and lots of eating and drinking. Much of what I…
Estero Llano Grande State Park — My First RGV Birding Experience
I have always been fascinated with birds. Years ago, while living in Nevada, I took a falconry class and became a licensed falconer. I put brush piles and water all over my property to lure birds to watch from my living room window. When I moved back to California, I volunteered with the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center helping rehab birds and other wildlife. Now that I’m in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) in Texas, one of the foremost birding locations in the world, I wanted to continue learning about birds. Lucky for me, an experienced birding couple lives in my park and agreed to take me under their wing. The first time they took me out birding was to Estero Llano Grande State Park,…
Dolphin and Bird Watching on Laguna Madre with Fins to Feathers
One of the drawbacks of traveling solo is that it can be difficult to get into a small tour group. I’ve been trying for several weeks to get into a dolphin watching cruise on a small boat that only takes a maximum of six passengers. That doesn’t sound like a big deal except they also have a minimum of four so they have to fit me in with a group of four or five. It wasn’t working out so, since there is more than one small boat that goes out from Port Isabel, I decided to contact Fins to Feathers about their dolphin watching cruise. Captain Paul followed up with me and got me into a group in just a few days. Getting to Fins…
25 Extraordinary Things to do in Amador County from a Local
Beautiful Amador County, with an elevation range of 250 feet to over 9,000 feet, is in the heart of the Sierra Foothills of California and is one of the 10 counties in the region known as Gold Country. All of Gold Country is often overlooked in favor of northern California coastal city and beach tourist destinations. As a result, you can enjoy activities in Gold Country without the crowds of the coast. I lived in Amador County for four years and did my best to see everything that there is to do, so you can trust me when I say Amador County has a lot to offer. Here are my recommendations of 25 extraordinary things to do in Amador County, in no particular order. Best…