Safety in the RGV

[Dog_Trainer]

Please forgive me for stirring the pot here. We are new snowbirds having spent a part of last year in central Fl. and presently in Fl. until late march.
We were talking about what we might do next year and the RGV is a possibility. We mentioned this to some folks that had recently left Brownsville TX. and they stated that we had better be careful down there because there is a lot of crime. I know a lot of you spend your winters there and we are not even a little bit wimpy or afraid of things. I am prudent a do research where we will be going so I wonder how much weight to give to the safety issue in the RGV. One comment this person made was that the Walmart in Brownsville now had armed guards. Thanks for your input.

[joebedford]

TomG2 wrote:

joebedford wrote:

TomG2 wrote:
I am in a park this week in South Florida that charges more for one week than the RGV parks charge for a month. Gotta like that.

The implication is that your park in Florida is better because it's very very expensive??? Or did you mean something else?

Not complicated, the Florida parks can and do charge more than a similar RGV park. Lots of reasons why, but I was just reporting what I experienced myself. My reservations for next winter are in the RGV, but I am not stuck in any one place. That's why I have wheels on my trailer. To say that there is one and only one great place to Winter is depriving oneself of some great experiences.

Still odd that you think high price = good.

Sorry I'll miss you in the RGV next winter: we'll be in Arizona.

[her_I]

When you pin point the RGV to talk about crime and violence, everyone tends to forget it is all around us. Here in Canada we had three separate gang related shootings in Toronto over the week end and a school shooting in Saskatchewan. This does in no way translate into "Do not travel into Canada because of the violence."

[John_Joey]

TomG2 wrote:

John&Joey wrote:
...snip.....
Of all the parks you'll be in along your route only the RGV parks will be surrounded by fences with sometimes barb wire tops and secured gates.

We like it that way. 🙂

Thanks for the laugh. Enjoy your (?costly?) FL vacation. Looks like the monsoons are hitting that area according to the weather channel. Hope you get some nice weather. Not missing that much here, weather is turning to rain/wind.

[TomG2]

John&Joey wrote:
...snip.....
Of all the parks you'll be in along your route only the RGV parks will be surrounded by fences with sometimes barb wire tops and secured gates.

We like it that way. 🙂

[John_Joey]

jplante4 wrote:
The (loose) plan is to follow panhandle to MS then somewhere around Lafayette LA to Galveston, then continue south. We don't plan too far ahead so we can stay flexible.

Perfect. May I suggest a stay in the Gulf Shores, AL area. We did that this fall and were very pleasantly surprised. The trick for you is to take the exit prior to Golf Shores off of I10. It is an express route and will bypass I think 29 stop lights.

Coushatta Casino Resort in Kinder, LA has a very nice RV park and isn't that far off (20 miles) of I10. It's good for a few down nights.

There is a ferry from the Bolivar peninsula to Galveston island which is a nice change of pace. Often you'll see dolphins. Check out the Port Lavaca/Rockport area on your way down also. If you want a back way take Hwy 35 to 77 then south to the RGV.

Of all the parks you'll be in along your route only the RGV parks will be surrounded by fences with sometimes barb wire tops and secured gates. You'll feel very safe inside.

[jplante4]

We're actually planning to do both Florida and the RGV this winter. The "try a place and move on" method has worked out for us. We started on the east coast of FL in November, moved to the west coast in December and are now in the panhandle. The only glitch so far was we couldn't find a reasonably priced spot in the Ft Myers area, so we went north of Tampa instead.

The (loose) plan is to follow panhandle to MS then somewhere around Lafayette LA to Galveston, then continue south. We don't plan too far ahead so we can stay flexible.

[rockhillmanor]

coolmom42 wrote:

rockhillmanor wrote:

LynnandCarol wrote:

pawatt wrote:



I waited a long time to retire, Damned if I am going to stay anywhere near Mexico or CG's adjacent to it. Or ANYWHERE where there is even a hint of any type of crime in the CG or around it. Life's too short to even have to think about it let alone park my RV within it.Over the years I've read enough posts about experiences in the RGV that for speaking for myself only, I choose not to make the trip there.:C

Good grief, where DO you stay?

6 years on the road Full Time, AND for 6 years and 'every' night I have stayed in VERY nice and SAFE CG's, with SAFE and VERY nice surrounding areas. :C

But I also do my homework before committing to an area I am not familiar with. I google street view and then I use this link.
http://www.spotcrime.com/
Map is not someone's opinion. It is based on actual police reports.
'Not' an end all be all but it sure can tell you where not to go. :W

[Scottiemom]

2gypsies wrote:
To the OP: Why not try it? Play it week to week and move around to different areas of the 'valley' and if you don't like it, move somewhere else. That's why you have wheels. There are plenty of other places nearby that are altogether different than the 'valley', such as Rockport, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Aransas Pass. Brownsville is not the ideal place to stay.

As the winter weather improves move up to the 'Hill Country' north of San Antonio. It's cooler there in winter but many folks like it. Tour around. What one person likes or dislikes shouldn't have any bearing on you. Good luck and safe travels.

Best advice!

[Scottiemom]

pawatt wrote:
In my eyes after 12 seasons in the Rio Grande Valley here is what I found.
Friendly locals and Winter Texans. Businesses that welcome us and even host welcome back and thank you parties. Numerous flea markets and produce & fruit markets. Music, music and more music, country, rock n roll, bluegrass and Mexican. Shows from Branson, Nashville and Las Vegas and more. Many celebrations and festivals. Surf fishing, bay fishing, pier fishing and deep sea fishing. World Birding Centers, National Butterfly Center, State Parks, nature centers and wildlife sanctuary's. Mexican Culture, food and music. Very good medical care and hospitals. Museums and local history displays. Lowest cost of living in the country. Plenty of room in the RV parks and retirement communities. Good weather most of the time, we have not had a killing frost in 4 or 5 years. Birds, butterfly's flowers, every kind of citrus fruit and tropical plants. Trips to Mexico for food, drinks, and shopping. MORE, MORE & MORE.

Negatives I see: Poverty and unkept property in some areas, long waits for medical appointments, some petty thefts, smuggling of drugs and people in area.
some cool damp and windy days.

Do I like it here, yes, the positives far outweigh the negatives in my book.

Disclaimer: I do not and have never worked for the chamber of commerce or tourist office.

Well said, Ron. My parents have been coming here for almost 30 years. We have been coming regularly for the last 10. In our park, I can go out after dark, walk my dog up and down the streets, greet other walkers and even bike riders. Activities usually go on till 9 p.m. and people will be out. The air is usually warm and breezy. We can sit out under our canopy and not worry about bugs and just take in the night sky. I feel very safe here.

Dale

[TomG2]

joebedford wrote:

TomG2 wrote:
I am in a park this week in South Florida that charges more for one week than the RGV parks charge for a month. Gotta like that.

The implication is that your park in Florida is better because it's very very expensive??? Or did you mean something else?

Not complicated, the Florida parks can and do charge more than a similar RGV park. Lots of reasons why, but I was just reporting what I experienced myself. My reservations for next winter are in the RGV, but I am not stuck in any one place. That's why I have wheels on my trailer. To say that there is one and only one great place to Winter is depriving oneself of some great experiences.

[2gypsies1]

To the OP: Why not try it? Play it week to week and move around to different areas of the 'valley' and if you don't like it, move somewhere else. That's why you have wheels. There are plenty of other places nearby that are altogether different than the 'valley', such as Rockport, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Aransas Pass. Brownsville is not the ideal place to stay.

As the winter weather improves move up to the 'Hill Country' north of San Antonio. It's cooler there in winter but many folks like it. Tour around. What one person likes or dislikes shouldn't have any bearing on you. Good luck and safe travels.

[MARKW8]

joebedford wrote:

TomG2 wrote:
I am in a park this week in South Florida that charges more for one week than the RGV parks charge for a month. Gotta like that.

The implication is that your park in Florida is better because it's very very expensive??? Or did you mean something else?

Sometimes, you do get what you pay for.

Mark

[MARKW8]

TomG2 wrote:
Plenty of crime in the world and the RGV has its share. What does shock is the amount of white collar crime by elected officials, school boards, police departments, etc. There is a huge amount of money in the illegal drug business and the cash gets spread all over.

Sounds just like Florida. Maybe, maybe not as much drugs though.

Mark

[joebedford]

TomG2 wrote:
I am in a park this week in South Florida that charges more for one week than the RGV parks charge for a month. Gotta like that.

The implication is that your park in Florida is better because it's very very expensive??? Or did you mean something else?

[3oaks]

TomG2 wrote:
Plenty of crime in the world and the RGV has its share. What does shock is the amount of white collar crime by elected officials, school boards, police departments, etc. There is a huge amount of money in the illegal drug business and the cash gets spread all over.

No one area has a monopoly on those crimes. It is so rampant across the whole country, urban and rural areas alike. :E :M