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Alpaca Ranch in the Rio Grande Valley
I had planned to make an alpaca ranch in Mathis, TX, the last stop on last year’s fall RV trip. It was disappointing that, in the end, it didn’t work out but I planned to visit there on another trip. I was absolutely delighted to discover that there is an alpaca ranch right here in the Rio Grande Valley, barely a 30 minute drive from my home! Of course, when I learned that, I immediately made a reservation to visit Alpaquita Ranch in Raymondville. If you follow me at all, you know I am a sucker for animals and any kind of up close experience, like the elephants at The Preserve and the Exotic Resort Zoo. Although I have horses, have worked with big cats,…
What is There to do at Resaca de la Palma?
Resaca de la Palma State Park is one of three state parks that are part of the World Birding Center. The park was acquired in 1977 by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and it was opened to the public in December 2008. First, What is a Resaca? A resaca is a phenomenon seen only in the southern part of Cameron County, Texas. Resacas are former channels of the Rio Grande that are now cut off from the river. They have no inlet or outlet. Without the flow from the Rio Grande, most resacas are dry and fill with water only after heavy rainfall. For centuries, prior to land development and water control in Cameron County, seasonal flooding of the Rio Grande from snow melt and…
Downtown San Antonio Walking Tour
For my recent stay in San Antonio, I purchased a 3-day hop-on hop-off ticket that included the GoRio Cruise. On the third day of my ticket, I decided to walk to the Riverwalk from Tower of the Americas, which inadvertently ended up being a walking tour of downtown San Antonio. The route I took was quite a bit more rambling than the one I’ve laid out below. I kept forgetting to check the map and just walked, enjoying the beautiful sunny day. I had to back track several times! Highlights of a Downtown San Antonio Walking Tour This walking tour of downtown San Antonio is about 2 miles plus however much you walk on the Riverwalk. Of course, if you walk back to your car…
Buckhorn Saloon and Museums – Not What I was Expecting!
If you ride the hop-on hop-off bus or look up things to do in San Antonio, chances are you’ll become aware of the Buckhorn Saloon and Museums. I didn’t really have any interest in the saloon or getting something to eat in the cafe, but I definitely was interested in seeing the Texas Ranger Museum. So, while I was doing a self-guided walking tour of downtown San Antonio, I decided to take the short walk to the Buckhorn Saloon and Museums from The Alamo. When I arrived at the Buckhorn Saloon, I went in to the gift shop which is where you purchase your tickets. The gift shop is large with lots of merchandise including plenty of Texas memorabilia. I spent some time looking around…
Dripping Springs Distilling Tour and Tasting
When you visit Texas Hill Country, you can go wine tasting to your heart’s content. But did you know you can also visit distilleries, often for a tour and tasting? There are several spread out all across Texas Hill Country so no matter what your plans are while you are in Hill Country, you can add one (or more) to your itinerary. On my recent RV trip, I spent a few days in Dripping Springs and visited Dripping Springs Distilling for a tour and tasting. I spent most of my life in California and a few years in Nevada. Both places have fairly liberal alcohol laws. You could buy alcohol pretty much anywhere – the corner gas station, the neighborhood grocery store, Walmart, Costco…