Second-Year Winter Texan Immerses Herself in Betterment of Park
by Rocio Villalobos
It’s only her second year visiting the Rio Grande Valley as a Winter Texan, but Angie Hall has already found her second family at Bentsen Palms Village RV Resort in Mission.
She comes down from Illinois with her husband, and the pair have involved themselves in a number of activities in the park.
“We go to the pool, we play bingo, we play bags and cornhole,” Hall said. “It’s a really good way to meet people. We have a good time wherever we go.”
In addition to enjoying the recreational opportunities, Hall can always be counted on to volunteer at every park event. She and a group of women help raise money for repairs around the resort by making Jell-O shots to sell at the weekly social hour, which attracts around 200 residents. Social hour is a time when the park makes important announcements, including birthdays and upcoming special events.
After helping in the kitchen, Hall enjoys joining in the festivities of playing card and dice games and just socializing with her neighbors, who come from all across the country and Canada.
She and a few of her fellow residents have even formed bowling teams that compete once a week. During her time spent in the Valley, Hall said she feels welcome wherever she goes and appreciates the community’s friendliness.
“Everyone is very thankful that we’re here and very gracious,” she said. “We’ve already made reservations for next season.”
Hall keeps a full schedule and likes to participate in some activity each day, within or outside of the park. By doing so, she’s experienced a smooth transition into retirement. Other activities she regularly enjoys are water aerobics, line dancing, and taking tours along the Rio Grande River in a pontoon boat.
“We do like keeping busy,” Hall said. “It’s a good busy.”
The park recently hosted an outdoor concert featuring Canadian artist Sarah Smith. It was open to the public, and Hall said around 200 people turned out to enjoy the music…and food provided by a local food truck.
Hall said this was one of the most fun events where she has volunteered. She is excited to see the event grow “bigger and better” in the years to come and to contribute to making it a success.
“We plan on doing that every year and making it a big event,” she said. “We all have to come together and volunteer for it, but it’s a lot of fun.”
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