The People Of Tropic Star

As we travel around with the RV, or travel around in the Rio Grande Valley, many folks ask us “Why Tropic Star?”  Why that particular resort?

Bernie and I first came here because of the gym.  Yup – the gym.  We were at home, in Winnipeg, searching for a place to stay when we got here.  We found pictures on the Tropic Star web page of the gym and decided to start here.  The plan when we left The Peg was to spend a week here while we searched through the valley for what we wanted.  That was six winters ago and it’s likely we’ll be back for a seventh.

So back to the question at hand, “Why Tropic Star?”

With six winters almost finished we have visited most of the parks in The Valley.  Maybe a dance, a craft show, visiting, or maybe just plain snooping.  We have met hundreds and hundreds of people from all over and chatted, sometimes at length, about what makes their park, their choice.  Most of the better RV Resorts have similar things to offer, some a bit more, some a bit less, some a bit more expensive, some cheaper, but most have similar offerings.

Lil, Lois, and Gaylord

The first time we came to Tropic Star we were checking out the resort looking for a lot to call home for a week or so.  We bumped in Lil T. who told us we had to come to her side of the park and recommended her street.  What a great way to start, a really nice lady, on a really nice street, and a great first winter.  Lil and Bill are still here each winter and are looking forward to seeing them later this week.

As newbies we were anxious to get to the pool and did so at the first opportunity.  While cooling our jets in that beautiful pool we met Lois M. who asked us what we were doing for Thanksgiving dinner a few days later.  Since we had no plans she invited us to join them at their table in the dining room.  We did go for dinner and, yes – you guessed it - Jim and Lois have become very good friends.  You may recall my posting about our stops in Oklahoma City.  That’s where Jim and Lois are and we look forward to seeing them every single time.

And then there was Gaylord.  As nice a guy as the Good Lord put on this earth.  Bernie and I were doing laundry, shortly after arriving here, and in walks this guy with a pony tail and big black motorcycle boots.  He told us his hot water tank was broken so he had come over for a bucket of hot water.  HMMMMM what’s this all about, we thought.  Remember we’ve been here only a few days at that point and were pretty unsure of the whole thing.  So then he asked if we want to go for a drink at Peppies, or maybe Sophies, or how about a day trip to Progresso.  We had no clue what Peppies, Sophies, or Progresso were but over the next few days Gaylord took us to each of them.  We enjoyed them all and now enjoy seeing Gaylord at church every Sunday.  Not what we expected that first day in the laundry room.  Now the guy in the laundry room is – yup – you guessed it – a good friend.

 

Gaylord T.

The volunteer base in our park is unbelievable.  As we talk to folks from other resorts we often hear about their inability to get things done because nobody wants to help.  It’s not like that here.  We are blessed to have a group of volunteers that give, and give, and give some more.  We have had countless meals, gone to countless events, and had countless good times here.  Each time volunteers are manning the show in one way or another.  Literally seven days a week, volunteers are making this place a home for all of us.  Some are in the kitchen cooking a five star meal, some are playing the music, or singing in the 40 member choir, or ushering 400 +/- or us to our chairs on Sunday, or teaching a ceramics class, or a painting class, or a stained glass class, or giving swimming lessons, or giving tennis lessons, or maybe sewing lessons, or taking out the bike riders, or working the two bingo nights, and the list goes on and on.

Oh – and let’s not forget Square Dancing.  Bernie and I don’t square dance but hundreds and hundreds of people do.  As a matter of fact they consider The Rio Grande Valley to be the Square Dance Capital of The World.  Joe Saltel, http://www.joesaltel.com/ one of the top Square Dance callers in the U.S. calls Tropic Star home.  Joe calls all over the world and here at Tropic Star he has Square Dances and/or classes six days a week.  A couple of weeks ago we went to a Country Dance(not Square Dance) in our ballroom where Joe and a friend of his, Jerry Storey, another world class caller http://www.jerrystory.com/ spent three hours singing and we spent an equal amount of time on the dance floor.  This event was so successful that as the event was winding down the crowd quit dancing.  We all stood around the stage just listening and singing along to great music.  Where else can you get to spend an evening up close and personal with two “World Class” entertainers.  Square Dancers come here from all over the valley so you can imagine how many people show up all week long.  Hundreds is not an exaggeration.

The people of our resort are huge givers.  Giving is a personal thing so I won’t go too far into this.  I do believe one of the main reasons this is such a happy place is because it’s giving place.  The people here are generous beyond belief.  One of the streets here, Banana St., has a charity auction each year where people donate things, baking, new, used, etc and then everyone in the resort is invited to come over for the event to buy something.  All proceeds go to a shelter for battered women.  They have a real life, auctioneer doing his thing.  We watched people pay silly amounts of money for things they wanted, maybe even thought they needed.  Like $25 for a used picnic basket or $8 for a loaf of someone’s home made bread, or $20 for a pie.

 Banana St. Auction.

Until the drug cartel made it impossible, one of the people here, went to Sam’s Club with his pick up every week.  At his own expense he bought hundred pound bags (many) of rice and delivered them to the poor in Mexico.  Many people volunteer at the hospital, or the animal shelters.  Every Sunday there is a basket set out for food donations for the poor.  We have coat and blanket drives in early winter each year and there is a teddy bear luncheon.  This is a ladies only event held in Dec. every year.  The price of admission is a ticket and a Teddy Bear.  The Teddy Bears (a couple of hundred +) are given to the local fire department who then distribute them to the poor.  This only scratches the surface of the giving here at Tropic Star.  The resort and giving go hand in hand.

And - now back to the original question “Why Tropic Star?”  The answer is The People of Tropic Star.  Without the people it would just be a nice chunk of real estate owned by some super rich dude.  The people make Tropic Star and that’s why we come back, looking forward to seeing our friends, doing what time permits with each of them, and feeling like we’re a small part of the Tropic Star family.

If you’re clooking for a place to call your "winter home" give Tropic Star a look over. http://www.tropicstarrv.com/gallery.html      http://www.tropicstarrv.com/

Thanks for stopping by, maybe we’ll see you here.

Neal and Bernie

PS, no I didn’t get paid for this huge, free, ad for the resort.  :-)