To start at the beginning:
By the time we arrived at South Padre Island on Dec 1st we were exhausted and tired of traveling and so decided to park it for 1 month. We spent two days looking for a suitable RV park. What is suitable you ask? Well let me tell you
The first thing we look for is a park with more Motorhomes and 5th Wheels in it than permanent “park models”. As we learned last year in Florida, permanent residents tend to view us transients as interlopers who use their facilities and interfere with their life. Despite the fact that we pay the lion's share of the bills. In one park we were handed 8 pages of rules. Bentsen Palms Village had a sister resort with separate facilities next door for their permanent residents and site owners:
Then we check out the neighbourhood – no nearby train tracks, nightclubs, busy highways, etc. Our neighbours at Bentsen Palms were The National Butterfly Center, Bentsen - Rio Grande Valley State Park and the US/Mexico Border – which added a little excitement.
Then we check in at the office, a friendly greeting is always encouraging. And a price that fits our budget is a must - $600/month + electric or less is what we prefer. Any higher cuts into our play money.
The first thing we look for is a park with more Motorhomes and 5th Wheels in it than permanent “park models”. As we learned last year in Florida, permanent residents tend to view us transients as interlopers who use their facilities and interfere with their life. Despite the fact that we pay the lion's share of the bills. In one park we were handed 8 pages of rules. Bentsen Palms Village had a sister resort with separate facilities next door for their permanent residents and site owners:
Then we check in at the office, a friendly greeting is always encouraging. And a price that fits our budget is a must - $600/month + electric or less is what we prefer. Any higher cuts into our play money.
Then a drive through the park. Do people wave? Are there lots of dogs? (Our Tara is no longer with us but dog lovers are usually good people). Are the sites spacious, clean? level? landscaped but not shaded. Are the laundry facilities adequate and well cared for, is there a community centre, etc., etc
Bentsen Palms Village RV Resort looked perfect so we chose a spot and moved in the next day.
What a great decision.
It was a very friendly park - the perfect spot to spend the Christmas period. On Christmas eve our neighbours Vick and Sue dropped in with these little treats, which they made and were sharing with their neighbours:
On Christmas morning these little guys got dressed up and came to visit:
Bonus #1 – Workcampers – Bentsen Palms had a lot of them. In the office, helping us check in and get set up, in the woodworking shop, in the crafts shop and most importantly – the activities committee:
What a great job they did organizing golf outings, margarita nights, card bingo, Christmas events including a Christmas Eve gathering, Christmas Dinner and a New Year's Eve party (which we missed because Arch was sick). Plus many more. These are just the ones we participated in. Every resort should have workcampers, Randy and Holly are thinking about coming to the Glades RV Resort in Florida (where we are planning to stay next year) next winter, They would make great workcampers for the resort.
Bonus #2 - The woodshop – Arch took advantage of this wonderful facility to remove our old microwave (which had in interesting habit of starting in the middle of the night) and build a new shelf to house a smaller more efficient one. With extra room for the coffee perk.
Bonus #3 – youthful Rvers – I do not mean in age necessarily but in attitude. I've never seen so many healthy retirees in one spot before. Everyone seemed to walk, bike, swim etc. A lot of them were younger in age as well. We were likely among the older folks there. But it was good for us. It kept us moving.
Bonus #4 – golfers - lots of them. Some for me to play with and some for Arch. And, much to Arch's horror, they walked all 18 holes. But he caught up fast and likely gained a few walking muscles in the process.
Bonus #5 - park wildlife – The first day Arch played golf his partners told him that behind one of the RV sites was a Black Widow spider living on a drain pipe. Arch was anxious to see it so they said they would find out where it was. And guess what? It was behind the Adventure Bus. We only got to see one of its legs though. It lives back in the hole and only comes out to enjoy the sun on nice days. And we forgot to check on the days when the sun came out.
And then one night Becky and Lonny, who were in a site just up the way from us,were returning to their motorhome after dark. Becky opened the door and as she stepped back she heard a rattle and saw this guy at her feet.
Needless to say she screamed and jumped into the motorhome. The rattlesnake just missed her as it struck the step where she was standing. Everyone came to look. The park office was called and someone came with a cooler. The rattlesnake was placed in a cooler (after this picture was taken) and the next morning they released it about a mile from the park.
I could go on and on. We loved this park. If you are looking for a spot in Texas for the winter you won't do better than Bentsen Palms Village RV Resort.
Bentsen Palms Village RV Resort looked perfect so we chose a spot and moved in the next day.
It was a very friendly park - the perfect spot to spend the Christmas period. On Christmas eve our neighbours Vick and Sue dropped in with these little treats, which they made and were sharing with their neighbours:
 |
| Monkey |
 |
| Wolfie |
 |
| From left: Jeff, Gene, Randy, Holly, Santa, Darla and Bret |
Bonus #2 - The woodshop – Arch took advantage of this wonderful facility to remove our old microwave (which had in interesting habit of starting in the middle of the night) and build a new shelf to house a smaller more efficient one. With extra room for the coffee perk.
 |
| Out with the old |
 |
| In with the new |
Bonus #3 – youthful Rvers – I do not mean in age necessarily but in attitude. I've never seen so many healthy retirees in one spot before. Everyone seemed to walk, bike, swim etc. A lot of them were younger in age as well. We were likely among the older folks there. But it was good for us. It kept us moving.
Bonus #4 – golfers - lots of them. Some for me to play with and some for Arch. And, much to Arch's horror, they walked all 18 holes. But he caught up fast and likely gained a few walking muscles in the process.
Bonus #5 - park wildlife – The first day Arch played golf his partners told him that behind one of the RV sites was a Black Widow spider living on a drain pipe. Arch was anxious to see it so they said they would find out where it was. And guess what? It was behind the Adventure Bus. We only got to see one of its legs though. It lives back in the hole and only comes out to enjoy the sun on nice days. And we forgot to check on the days when the sun came out.
And then one night Becky and Lonny, who were in a site just up the way from us,were returning to their motorhome after dark. Becky opened the door and as she stepped back she heard a rattle and saw this guy at her feet.
I could go on and on. We loved this park. If you are looking for a spot in Texas for the winter you won't do better than Bentsen Palms Village RV Resort.
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You can follow more of our adventures on our facebook page
To contact me click here
We enjoy and appreciate your comments. To comment simply click on the comments link below.
Gosh you didn't mention the rattler to us!!!!!!!!!! Sure hope they stay away from our rig...
ReplyDeleteHi Ruth
DeleteSometimes, what you don't know won't hurt you :) Becky and Lonny where parked with their back to the the field, as we were. I think the rattler came from there. They are not commonly seen in the park but, watch where you walk and take a flashlight when you go out at night. Apparently rattlers are a part of the wildlife in Texas.
Oh, my, goodness!! Talk about a total freak out! I bet they never go out after dark without a very bright flashlight!! Not sure I could have handled the black widow behind me either...what if it took a walk at night and changed homes!!!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed all the park activities. You would enjoy our park here in north Ft. Myers, FL. It is a very active and everyone is very friendly, even to us visitors. But as FL parks would have it, it is much pricier than your TX park.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteSeem to be having trouble with blogger tonight. Anyway
DeleteIt did not occur to us that the Black Widow might want to get in - scary thought - but I think it is happy living in its ittle home. Apparently it has been there for several years. And we have discovered that Rattle Snake are a fact of life in the Southwest. You are right - we don't go out without a bright flashlight.