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UPCOMING EVENTS!
Check out our monthly listings of what’s happening in the RGV!
SOME LIKE IT HOT!
Junior League of McAllen, Inc. shares a delicious recipe for pan de polvo!
Welcome Home See details on page 2.
See calendar on page 8.
Try their recipe on page 6.
®
RIO GRANDE VALLEY
July 2016
• • • your official connection to the rio grande valley • • •
Winter Differently This Year:
Make South Texas Rio Grande Valley
H
appy Fourth of July! This year will be a very different July, one I have never experienced before. Typically, July kicks off with excitement over not only celebrating Independence Day but also celebrating my mother’s birthday (July 3). This year, July brings with it a different kind of independence celebration. As many of you know, my daughter graduated from high school in May. As I write this, she is at freshman orientation at the University of Texas (Hook ‘em!). So, around our household, we are learning about a different kind of independence. We (my husband and I) are trying to come to grips with the fact that our one and only child is becoming an adult. It’s strange. It’s complicated. It’s exciting. It’s a whole lot of things that only a parent can understand. As we dropped her off for orientation, I was reminded of when I was her age. When I graduated from high school, I was ready to conquer the world...until my parents dropped me off. Then I was nervous, anxious, and all of a sudden, afraid. I can only imagine how our forefathers felt so long ago. I am so very thankful that they had the courage and foresight to do what they did for future generations. I take comfort in knowing I’m sending our daughter off into no better place than the United States of America. It’s also a strange, complicated, and exciting time to be an American. This month, I’d like to ask you to raise your glass to our leaders and the service men and women who have served and those who continue to protect our country. God Bless America! • We’re just connecting the dots,
Kristi
the Difference Maker! - Part I by Tony Ortiz, Regional Manager, Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc.
Sun Country Airlines Announces Return of Service to Harlingen, TX ®
Special to Welcome Home RGV
The Hometown Airline brings back seasonal, nonstop service for travelers between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Harlingen
Sun
Country Airlines is pleased to announce the return of seasonal, nonstop service between its hometown market of Minneapolis/ St. Paul, Minnesota (MSP) and Harlingen, Texas (HRL). Back by popular demand, this service offers Sun Country customers a muchdesired South Texas winter getaway. The Harlingen destination gives Sun Country travelers easy access to the Rio Grande Valley and the beautiful coastlines of South Padre Island. “Our customers asked, and we listened. The return of service to Harlingen will be a win for customers looking to get away to the beach, take an outdoor adventure or a golf vacation, and more,” said Zarir Erani, Sun Country Airlines President and CEO. “We value the insights our passengers share with us, and we look forward to continuing to grow our roster of seasonal destinations.”
Seasonal, nonstop flights to Valley International Airport are now available for booking with service beginning November 10, 2016, from Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport Terminal 2. Flight and hotel vacation packages are also available through Sun Country Vacations®. With the addition of Harlingen, Sun Country Airlines services a total of 37 destinations throughout the year. Flights will operate every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday from November 10, 2016, through April 23, 2017*. Please visit suncountry. com for details. “We are excited to continue our long-standing partnership with Sun Country Airlines and look forward to offering additional nonstop flights between the Rio Grande Valley and Minneapolis this coming winter season via Harlingen,” said Marv Esterly, Director of Aviation at Valley International Airport. For more on this Sun Country destination and to book travel, visit: suncountry.com. • *Schedules subject to change.
You
relish the peaceful sounds of the “Semillero” or Seedeater bird’s musical chirping as you wake up slowly and easily to the rising sun. You savor the smell and taste of morning coffee on your porch or with familiar conversation at the recreation hall with good friends. You feel the warmth of the sun while swimming in the resort pool, or you gear up for a morning of world-class fishing nearby. You hear the soft thud as you get good loft while playing bocce. You hear the excited yells of the very competitive pickle ball and the juices get flowing. The muscular bass of the music from countless topnotch entertainers, such as Winter Texan favorite Sherwin Linton or nationally acclaimed country stars such as Tracy Lawrence or Johnny Rodriguez, grab your interest as you listen or dance the night away. This isn’t just vacation. Hot and sultry South Texas is calling, and many Winter Texans are headed down from all over Canada and the U.S to the Rio Grande Valley to spend the winter months. The RGV (or “el valle” as the locals call the Rio Grande Valley) is an increasingly popular destination known for its weather, food and culture, citrus orchards, world-class birding, top-notch medical facilities, WINTER DIFFERENTLY THIS YEAR CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 >>
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