South Texas (RGV) Trip Again - 2024 (#2)

 One of our other outings was to the IWO JIMA Memorial in Harlingen, TX which is about 20 miles north of us.

The Memorial is on a USMC Military Academy.  It was erected through private donations and also honors Cpl. Harlon Block.  He was a flag raiser depicted at the base of the statue, and a native nearby Weslaco, TX.  He was originally buried in the 5th Marine Division Cemetary on Iwo Jima on March 5, 1945 (four days after being killed).  HIs remains were later transferred to this location at the request of the family whose desire was to have him near the statue.

They also have a small museum there with alot of pictures and stories.  It was a very nice tour.

A few days after that, we headed back home and are now at our Plano location until the next move, probably in July when we head north to Alaska (actually Minnesota) for a few weeks.

South Texas (RGV) Trip Again - 2024

 Well, we made it down South again!   It's March 14th (Emma's birthday but we can't celebrate it just yet because she is on Spring Break and is in Cancun!).  We left Plano on February 16th and got here the next day.  They had had 2 days of rain so of course our site was muddy!  Took quite awhile to get backed in and leveled but we made it.

We are in the Palmdale RV Park in Los Fresnos, TX which is about 15 miles from Brownsville and the border.  Our site faces north so we get shade from the trailer almost all day!

We have stayed in this park before, back in 2022.  We were here in January and enjoyed the weather all month.  Then we left but came back due to the severe cold and icy weather further north.  It was cold here as well but okay.

Anyway, we have been enjoying the time here - have been to South Padre Island a couple of times.  Met with John and Catherine (Julie's friend from college) at the Lobo Del Mar Cafe.  Good food and a great time to catch up with the two of them.

The park here has Monday potluck dinners and we have been attending every week.  Every week is different but always a good variety of food.  Most people here have been here since last fall or since the first of the year.

We met with John and Catherine again at one of their (and our) favorite restaurants in downtown Brownsville called the Oyster Bar.  They have excellent shrimp and we always get that.  Had a nice time again visiting with them.

Yesterday, Wednesday the 13th, we toured the Palo Alto Battlefield in Brownsville. This battle between the US and Mexico took place in the Spring of 1846.  (Ten years earlier, 1836, was the battle at the Alamo).  Before the war, Mexico territory extended well into Texas, New Mexico, California, etc.  US victories on the Rio Grande allowed the fighting to continue all the way to Mexico City.  After negotiations, Mexico accepted the Rio Grande as the Texas boundary and ceded the land between Texas and the Pacific to the US for $15 million.

This map shows the Mexican territory before this battle.  As you can see, most of Texas, and all of NM, AZ and CA were theirs.

This was the prairie where the battles took place.

Did see this guy and wondered how he survived with no water around.  The ranger said that they can bite into cactus and get water.

You really can't see them, but there are Mexican flags here where their line was.

It was a warm day but interesting to learn about.