Connectors
Would you like to know why the Circle W is my Texas home today? It’s because my friends Deb and Ron are connectors. I don’t think it’s intentional. It’s just who they are. People like them. People want to be with them. And they take very good care of their friends.
Deb wants to find activities people will enjoy. Then she makes them happen. Ron is a good man who has seen a lot and doesn’t get flustered easily. He has a great sense of humor and likes to fish.
That’s kind of the vicious cycle of retirement, from what I can tell. Get up. Drink the coffee. Go out to breakfast. Come back. Have more coffee. Go fishing. Walk the dog. Maybe fish a little more. Sit around the trailer with friends. Have another coffee—or maybe a beer this time. Go fishing. Let’s eat! Sit around the trailer.
If that sounds boring, you probably haven’t met the right people yet. Deb and Ron have attracted a group that has become their winter family. So much so that when the couple came to Rockport, their friends followed them. What’s another hour and a half when you’ve just traveled 20 hours or more to get here?
And people do travel! Walking around the RV park I see license tags from Indiana, Michigan, Colorado, California, Arkansas, Washington, and even other parts of Texas—which may or may not be nearby. In Texas, “near” is a term even more subjective than it is elsewhere.
I found it interesting that three of four couples I interviewed had been farmers. It makes sense that someone who has spent their career in stewardship of the land would find spontaneous travel an appealing form of retirement. But that's a stretch, because people aren't just picking up and going all the time. They are finding connection with a group and spending time together.
Speaking of travel, I asked folks about their favorite spots. South Dakota and Colorado were two states mentioned. The Dakota fans liked that it began as flat land, then became hillier as they went west. They liked the variety.
Colorado was described the same way. It's easy to think of Colorado as mountains, since that is a significant feature of their license plate, but the state is also plains and foothills. It was the dramatic slopes and lakes that were favorites of the person I talked to.
Another area that people particularly liked was the Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway. I've traveled the Skyline Drive portion of this route and I agree that it is particularly attractive. It is also near the Shenandoah Valley and within fairly easy driving of several East Coast cities that offer a variety of entertainment options.
I found it interesting that three of four couples I interviewed had been farmers. It makes sense that someone who has spent their career in stewardship of the land would find spontaneous travel an appealing form of retirement. But that's a stretch, because people aren't just picking up and going all the time. They are finding connection with a group and spending time together.
Speaking of travel, I asked folks about their favorite spots. South Dakota and Colorado were two states mentioned. The Dakota fans liked that it began as flat land, then became hillier as they went west. They liked the variety.
Colorado was described the same way. It's easy to think of Colorado as mountains, since that is a significant feature of their license plate, but the state is also plains and foothills. It was the dramatic slopes and lakes that were favorites of the person I talked to.
Another area that people particularly liked was the Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway. I've traveled the Skyline Drive portion of this route and I agree that it is particularly attractive. It is also near the Shenandoah Valley and within fairly easy driving of several East Coast cities that offer a variety of entertainment options.
Meanwhile, back at ‘The Ranch’
Deb looked at several locations in the area, but decided on Circle W RV Ranch. The facility is under new management and boasts an array of amenities: indoor pool, wifi throughout the park, cable television, onsite laundry facilities, exercise room, mail room, a billiards parlor (four tables, no waiting), and a large open room where residents gather for meals, celebrations, and games. It’s affordable and continues to attract “winter Texans” year after year.
Anyone here will attest that the roads could stand updating (which reportedly is in the works), but they are drawn by the hospitality of staff and just because they like their neighbors. Rockport, Aransas Pass and Corpus Christi are all easy drives. Groups from here even drive three hours to Progreso Nuevo, Mexico once a month.
If you visit, here’s some of what you’ll see:
Ponds …
… palms, …
… the pool …
... and pointers.
If you're in the neighborhood, drop by. You'll find Hoosier hospitality with a Texas twist. And very likely a fresh cup of coffee, too.
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