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If shopping is your passion you’ll find malls with your favorite department stores in South Texas, a large factory outlet mall in Mercedes, upscale boutiques in Donna, browsing the shops in Edinburg and streets of Progreso, Mexico, flea markets, and thrift stores in McCallen, all within an hour’s drive of Sandpipers. Oh, and don’t forget the ropa usadas – unique to this area, you’ll just have to see them to believe them!
It’s true, we have an abundance of eateries offering traditional Tex-Mex cuisine – everything from the little corner taco stands to Mexican restaurants sporting white tablecloths and formal waiters. But in addition to these, you’ll find a variety of restaurants that you would expect in South Texas with most of the national chains represented, a variety of ethnic offerings, fine dining, and small restaurants dishing up their own specialties.
The Rio Grande Valley is well-known as one of the top areas in the country for bird-watching, with people coming from around the world just to have the opportunity to spot birds unique to this area. The World Birding Center offers numerous sites throughout the Valley where you can quietly enjoy watching an abundance of birds, butterflies, and even dragonflies.
Semi-professional sports are represented here with The Rio Grande Valley Vipers (basketball) in Edinburg. If your sport is golf, you’ll find many reasonably priced courses to challenge your game and if deep-sea fishing is your passion it’s as close as the Gulf of Mexico.
If you’re looking for a bit of culture during your stay, you’ll find that too. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, located in Edinburg, offers musical concerts, plays, a speaker series, and art galleries. In addition, you can enjoy the Valley Symphony, the ProCantus Lyric Opera, touring stage shows, and big-name entertainers. The Museum of South Texas gives visitors a fascinating view of the history of the area, the International Museum of Art & Science always has interesting exhibits, and weekends offer a wide variety of local celebrations and festivals.
Want to dip your toes in the Gulf of Mexico and enjoy nice sandy beaches? South Padre Island is just 85 miles from Sandpipers. You might also like to experience a trip on the Los Ebanos Ferry, the only remaining hand-drawn ferry crossing the Rio Grande.
Winter Texans are well-known for becoming involved with local volunteer opportunities. If giving back is part of your life, you will find local schools, hospitals, churches, food banks, and social service organizations welcoming you with open arms. Others help with providing housing for the poor. Volunteers at Sandpipers work throughout the year raising money to brighten neighboring families’ Christmas celebrations with food and toys for the children.
