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A Look Back at AmeriCana RV Resort

Jan 232010

Overview: ‪I stayed in AmeriCana RV Park for 3 weeks in January 2010. It is a mature park.... I hesitate to call it an older park as it wears it's age well. With the maturity of the park comes many of the things that attracted me to it. It is a smaller park with about 125 spaces, lots of mature trees for ample shading for most of the spaces and just enough facilities to make it enjoyable.‬

‪Location: AmeriCana is in a good location close to I-83. It is only 3 miles from Bentsen State Park which is the birding capital to the world. There are many other RV parks in the vacinity so you will see many other Winter Texans biking and walking in the area.‬ ‪This also puts it close to just about any big box store you could ever want, many eateries, movie theaters, malls and gas stations. A few blocks to the west is an area that is a bit run down but I never felt uncomfortable driving through the area. ‬

Lots: This is one of the most attractive features of AmeriCana. The premium lots are large compared to most parks in the area at the same price point. Each primium lot has a cement patio and is well shaded. Most RV parks would have split them in two and stuffed another RV in the same spot. Each lot has at least a couple of trees with ground cover instead of dirt or gravel. The RV sits on a gravel pad as does your tow vehicle or towed if you have one. The economy lots can be small and cramped with a gravel surface and no cement patio. I highly recommend paying the few extra dollars for a premium site. If you use satellite TV or internet be sure to let them know so you will get a lot with a clear view to the south.

I Could Get Used To This

RV Activities, RV Day to Day Life, RV Destinations No Responses »

Jan 192010

With two days over 80 degrees and three more in the forecast, it's even hot for Texas in January. Average temps are 70 this time of year so this is not usual weather. I'm not arguing.

Yesterday I went back to Bentsen State Park and took the trolley to the far end of the pack. There is a two mile trail that I walked. Really didn't see many birds but the walk was relaxing with a lot of different things to see. I took some pictures that you can see in my photo album.

What I did see while in the park is that it is a great place to bike. There are a number of birds feed stations throughout the park that no only has a lot of bird activity, but also seen some wild pigs. They are too far to walk to (for me at least) but is an easy bike ride to get to. Of course in my rush to leave Michigan, I forgot to put my bike in the trailer. Screw it, I went to Wally World and picked up an $89 bike to use for the rest of my vacation.

Mr. Rogers Was Right

RV Day to Day Life No Responses »

Jan 172010

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. OK, maybe that is a bit over the top but it sure was a nice day today. Since it was Sunday I decided to stay in the park and get some things done that I needed to do. The mid 70's temperature only made doing them that much better. I could also avoid the weekend crowds that was sure to be anyplace I wanted to go... might as well wait for a weekday to do them.

The truck was in bad need of a wash after a month on the road. I broke out the bucket and brush then gave it a good scrub down. Of course the water is hard as hell and that left water spots all over.... not just water spots, but big ass white water spots that made it look like a teenager reaching puberty! I had a few microfiber rags so I got one damp then wiped and dried, wiped and dried, then wiped and dried some more until it was done. Maybe that $14 hand wash just down the street isn't such a bad deal after all.

Still in the Rio Grande Valley

RV Day to Day Life No Responses »

Jan 152010

Not a lot of updates lately. I went to a local RV show yesterday. I was hoping to see a lot of parts and accessory booths but there really were none. There were about 50 new RVs on display and I walked through quite a few of them but since I'm not in the market for one it was more to pass the time then anything else.

We were suppose to get a lot of rain today but it really never happened. They even had flash flood warning but we only got a few sprinkles. Most of the rain was off shore. Good thing, didn't want to see if my trailer can float

South Padre Island

RV Destinations No Responses »

Jan 112010

It looked like the weather was going to be nice today so figured it was time to have a peek at the Gulf. Headed out to South Padre Island around 10am and got a few miles down I-83 and traffic was backed up. There was an accident ahead and I got tied up in the traffic jam for about 1/2 hour. It didn't look bad but it was down to one lane. Once I cleared that it was smooth sailing.

Once I turned on highway 100 I stopped for gas thinking gas would be more expensive on the island. Once I got on the island is was a nickel cheaper..... go figure. Same thing happened on my summer trip to the Upper Peninsula. Gas was cheaper in the U.P. then 50 miles south of the bridge.

I stopped by a couple of campgrounds while there. The KOA is just north of the bridge and appears to be pretty nice. Some of the sites are pretty close together but a few are maybe 30' wide. I'd suggest looking at the sites if you can before making a reservation. The county park towards the north is bare minimum. The are hookups but it is basically a parking lot with about 15 parking spaces turned into RV parking. The entry is really tight and I can't see how an RV of any length would be able to get in there without scraping curbs with your tires.

Bentsen State Park

RV Destinations No Responses »

Jan 092010

It was 9am once I got around this morning and I found my water outlet was frozen. The thermometer was showing 34 degrees so it must have gotten colder during the night. I unhooked my water hose last night so nothing was broken and it thawed by 11am.

It was sunny 45 degrees by 1pm so I decided to take a drive to Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park to see what's up with that. They bill themselves as the birding capital of the world. It's just a 3 miles drive down the road. You have to park outside the park as there wasn't any driving within the park. It's a pretty big place so you really wouldn't want to try and walk it. They do have a trolly that will take you to different areas of the park or you can ride your bike if you want. They also have bikes to rent. Admission is $5.00 per person

I just decided to go in and hike to the first trail that was less then a mile down the road. The Resaca Vieja Trail is about 1.4 miles round trip and half of it is handcap accessible. At the end of the trail is a dry lake bed. At one time it had water in it but with the damning of the Rio Grande, it is now dry. I didn't see much wildlife on the trail but it was interesting seeing some of the native vegetation. One thing I did notice is that the majority of plants have some type of thorn of pricklely on them.

Brrrrrrrr...

RV Day to Day Life No Responses »

Jan 072010

The cold front that is covering about 2/3 of the nation has hit the Rio Grande Valley. Temps this morning was in the mid 50's, it's now 42 and dropping. Winds have picked up to 20+ MPH. They claim it is going the get down to about 30 the next 3 nights with a high of only the upper 30's tomorrow. Needless to say, that is cold for this area.

Didn't do a lot today. Went to the store to stock up on some goodies since I won't be doing much over the next couple of days. Double checked to make sure my electric heaters are working. Since electric is included with the lot rent, I'll use the electric heaters as much as possible to save on propane.

So just another uninteresting day today. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Just another day in Mission

RV Day to Day Life No Responses »

Jan 062010

Not a whole bunch to report today. Freezing weather is coming in a couple of days so I did a few things to get ready for that. Check the propane to make sure I wouldn't run out. Reorganized the water hose so I could easily drain it if it looked like it was going to get that cold. Then took Spud for a couple of long walks since the temps were in the low 70's. He sure enjoys going for walks. He wants to smell just about everything and a 2 block walk takes about 45 minutes. He did pick up a grass burr in his foot today that I had to remove... felt like the mouse and elephant Continue reading »

AmeriCana RV Resort

RV Parks & Campgrounds No Responses »

Jan 052010

Another day, another change in RV park. I got information on another RV park from rv.net and decided to check it out this morning. The AmeriCana RV Resort in Mission Texas is a smaller older park compared to many of the mega parks. The mega parks have rows and rows of RVs packed together with the gratuitous palm tree on each lot where the AmeriCana has more space between units and has mature trees throughout each of the spaces. The activity buildings are a bit older and while the meeting hall and bathrooms may not have the stark sterileness of the mega park, they are very clean and useable. Walk down the streets and there are orange and grapefruit trees to pick from and birds are in the trees right outside my door. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but for me it's just more comfortable and friendly then the mega parks. I signed up to stay 2 weeks and can extend from there.

Found out there was a fish boil tonight at the park and they said they had a couple of cancelations so I could get a plate. Didn't really know what to expect since I just arrived a few hours earlier. As I walked up to the club house I heard what I thought was a jet engine. What I found sitting outside was 3 huge pots of boiling water with big propane burners firing underneath.

Day 5: Rio Grande Valley

RV Parks & Campgrounds No Responses »

Jan 032010

Today I reached the Rio Grande Valley. 62 degrees and a bit of drizzle greeted me. Since it is Sunday most parks have limited office hours. I ended up at Texas Trails RV Resort in Pharr, TX for the night. I doubt I'll stay here but I can take a few days to find a place that has more of what I'm looking for. There is no Internet or cable TV here. I can get about 10 channels with the antenna so that's not a big thing, but no Internet is a deal breaker. I understand that you can get wireless for an extra charge, we'll see what's up with that tomorrow.

What little I have seen the rest of the park doesn't seem bad. Space between lots is adequate and there is a fairly decent space behind the RV that makes it feel roomier. Lots of spaces available here and I just have this feeling it might because of the features for the price. I'll have a better grip on it tomorrow.