South Padre Island Tops

Top 7 Bars at South Padre Island

What's big about South Padre Island? Spring Break, Bikers Week, Sand Castle days, Concerts, and perfect weather. Needless to say, this can involve a lot of parting and drinking. Here is a list of the top 7 bars. This is not an all inclusive list but it's a good place to start.

Coconuts Bar & Grill!  ...Voted #1 Bar on SPI by the Travel Channel.

Amberjacks - Bar and Grill. Waterfront Dining on bay. Join us for Lunch, Dinner. It's right on the water. In addition, it's close to Louie's backyard. So, you can get a twofer.

Wanna Wanna Beach Bar and Grill. TX Wanna Wanna Inn is located right on the beach. A perfect location for anyone. Summer brings live entertainment every weekend.

Louie's Backyard. View all our specials at Louies's Backyard for our dining and sports bar ...  Live Webcams, Beach & Surf Report, Weather & Local ... Free Wifi. The webcams are a disappointment. However, the Facebook pictures during spring break are not.

Coral Reef Lounge CAPITAL KARAOKE BAR ON THE ISLAND. There is karaoke entertainment 7 nights a ... yourself why it is the most popular hang out on one of the most popular places known to locals.

Tequila Frogs ... With a name like this, you know the owners want you to have a good time. If you are taking a spring break trip her, come and visit them right on the water – This is an awesome location for a spring break club & bar venue. ...

Padre Island Brewing Company The islands own Brewing Company. Handcrafting Beer and Feeding Faces since 1995. 3400 Padre Boulevard.  (956) 761-9585 ...

Top 5 Real Estate Agents on South Padre Island

SPI is prime location for a second home. If you are a Winter Texan and you want paradise in the winter time at a reasonable price without leaving the United States, this is the place for you. Maybe you're a celebrity and your tired of the same old places all the other celebrities hang out at. You should check us out. Are you looking for a condo to rent for Spring break? Get some professional help. Here are a list of the top 5 agents (agencies) for South Padre Island.

Norma Lee Valle - Ms. Valle became a Real Estate agent to help meet the needs of friends and family looking for a better home. She knows that the best way to continue to help her community is to help people find their American dream. Ms. Valle helps her clients find the home they have always been looking for and for a price they can afford.

Troy Giles Realty on , we take pride in our professional staff of agentsand support professionals. Interested buyers and  ...

Furcron Realtors - South Padre Island Real Estate Sales & Rentals - Furcron Realtors Buyers, Sellers, Renters, Owners, Agents. South Padre Island's Full Service Real Estate Company Real Estate Sales, Rentals & Property Management ...

Alta Monroe - Our South Padre Island real estate agents strive to separate themselves from the competition by setting a higher standard for professionalism and quality ...

Wagoner Real Estate - condos, ... All of us at Wagoner Real Estate are members of the South Padre Island Board of ...

Martial Arts Directory

Brownsville

Ed's World Class TDK (verified 8/30/14)
3271 Old Port Isabel Road
Brownsville, TX 78521
Ph: 956-544-4003

Galvan's Martial Arts (verified 8/30/14)
2310 n. expressway ste a1,
Brownsville, TX-78521
956-266-1943

Ramirez Karate World
311 Kings Hwy, Suite #7
Brownsville, TX 78521
956-299-1887
Taekwondo, karate, jiujitsu, kickboxing, and self-defense


Harlingen

Bei Shaolin Eagle Claw Kung Fu
3613 W. Business 83
Harlingen, TX 78552

Borowitz Black Belt Academy
1025 W. Jackson St.
Harlingen, TX 78550

Harlingen Jiu-Jitsu Club
211 W. Jefferson St. Suite 4
Harlingen, TX 78550
(956) 357-4726

Harlingen Sports Center
516 W. Van Buren,
Harlingen, TX-78550

Honorable Warrior Martial Arts
401 North T. St.
Harlingen, TX

Johnny's Korean Karate School
302 W. Madison Ave.
Harlingen, TX -78550

Kim's TaeKwonDo Karate Academy
1801 S 77 Sunshine Strip
Harlingen, TX 78550
(956) 412-7377

Meng's Martial Arts
2730 S. Expressway 77
Harlingen, TX 78550
(713) 855-8099

Rio Grande Valley Shotokan
1025 W. Jackson St.
Harlingen, TX. 78550

Ultrafit Mixed Martial Arts
719 N. 77 Sunshine Strip
Harlingen, TX - 78550

Zanshin Dojo
712 N. 77 Sunshine Strip #34
Harlingen, TX. 78550
956-638-1649
Shito Ryu Karate, Tai chi & Kobudo

McAllen

Paragon RGV Brazilion Jiu-Jitsu
4301 N. 23rd St
McAllen, TX 78504
(956) 537-8145

Ponce Martial Arts Institute
4200 N 22nd St,
McAllen, TX 78504
Phone:(956) 569-2930

Team Tiger Martial Arts
Buddy Owens Blvd,
Mcallen, TX-78504
956-682-8079
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Jiu-Jitsu (Jujutsu/Jujitsu),

Karate, Kick Boxing & Kobudo

Mission

Castro's Fight Pit (verified 8/30/14)
416 W. 9th St
Mission, TX 78572
United States
Phone: 956-222-9746
MMA

Premier Martial Arts-Mission (verified 8/30/14)
2518 E Griffin Pkwy
Mission, TX 78572
(956) 314-0116

Weslaco

Progressive Scientific Fighting Arts
400 W. 6th St.
Weslaco, TX-78596
956-551-0691
Jeet Kune Do, Kali

You know you are in The Rio Grande Valley when...

You go to a Chinese restaurant and hear Hip Hop music.

You see a tracker in the fast lane.

You only see 4 white people in the mall and they are all over 55.

Your local high school looks like a maternity ward.

You need ID to travel to another part of the state by car.

Your niece or nephew is older than you.

You are the only one at the grocery store without food stamps.

No one seems to be able to speak English or Spanish properly.

You go to apply for a job and you see people who brought their young kids.

Wal-mart looks like a border crossing.

The majority of wheels cost more than the cars.

You consider Freddy Fender a celebrity.

People start to wear jackets when the temperature drops below 70.

Valley Baptist Hospital Scares the Hell Out of Me.

As a Veteran, VBH is our Veteran’s hospital in Harlingen. So, the events I have experienced first hand make me nervous, because one day I will be the patient here.

I am currently writing this article in Room E424 on the fourth floor in Pediatrics. My 3 month old son has the flu. It’s freezing cold in here. Since the moment we walked in at 11:30 a.m. we asked them to turn down the AC. It’s currently 9:58 p.m. and they still haven’t changed the room temperature. They told us due to his age and him having the flu he needs to be in the isolation room. Then why the hell is it so damn cold? This doesn’t make any sense. The room should be warm if you have the flu. We would put some blankets on him if they had any. We did get two sheets about 15 minutes ago. That helps I guess.

When we first arrived the doctor stated, “he needs to have an x-ray done of his chest, given Tamiflu and broad spectrum antibiotics. Time frame looks something like this.

11:19 a.m. - walked in to the room.
3:15 p.m. - IV solution started with saline and blood test done.
6:00 p.m. - X-rays were given and then had to be retaken.
8:30 p.m. - for Tamiflu administration
8:45 p.m. - for antibiotics. We don’t understand why these things took so long.
and of course

10:05 - still waiting for room temperature change. We have ended up propping the door open with the baby seat to heat the room. Kind of defeats the purpose of isolation, but we are at a lose on what to do.

Update: The “engineering guy”, David, just showed up and says he just heard about the problem. This is despite the fact the nurses have been claiming they have been calling all day. David had some fancy tool which showed the air was blowing at 57 degrees. Saying all that, David turned out to be very nice.

Now, I'm making a lot of fuss about the temperature. However, I want it to be clear. The thing which concerns me the most is the amount of time it took my son to get treatment.

I would like to state, it appeared our second nurse, Cindy Ruhe, was able to get things done for us. I don’t want to think about how bad the night would have been without her help.

Just to back up my point. Let me state what happened last time we came with my 4 year old son. We brought my son in with a temperature of 104 degrees on a Sunday night. We checked in to the emergency room. They told us to wait. They wanted to run test and x-rays. However, after 3 hours, we noticed about 6 families, which had come after us, had been treated and then left. During this time my son’s temperature dropped to under 103 degrees. So, we took our son home and took him to the doctor’s office the next day. They are still trying to charge us for services never rendered. Every few months we get a bill from them. We call them to tell them what happened. They always say they will take care of it and never do.

So, why does all this scare me? At this level of incompetence, if i need a surgery, will they operate on the right body part?


Readers Comments:

And it HAS NOT gotten any better 
by: Anonymous 

Word is (from a very reliable source who works there) Valley Baptist Hospital is on probation this very minute 12/17/11, from Joint Commission Accreditation of Hospitals. These are the big guys in the medical field who have the ability to close a facility down. I mean literally, they can lock the doors and have the patients moved to alternate facilities. Maybe something is finally getting done about the ineptness of so many of their physicians and staff and the results will be in the form of better patient care and mortality. It's a sad situation indeed when medical care has gotten to this low level of caring.


I was there for Surgery 
by: Anonymous 

I had Robotic surgery and was glad to leave two days after surgery!The staff was almost entirely assisted by Nursing students. I was stabbed and prodded just for "Training"! I had problems communicating since I don't speak Spanish.Even my weight was taken in Kg's,lol! Not funny but I laugh out of frustration.I was given check out papers to sign in Spanish.I used to work at a hospital as a food service Mgr so I understand nutrition. I am diabetic and when I finally got to eat after 58 hours ( I started fasting the day before)the gave me mashed potatos, apple juice,kool-aid, hot tea with surgar packets....long story short they gaveme a ton of Carbs and SUGAR!!!!All the wrong things!This is just the tip of the Iceburg but you get the point....RUN!

I have to agree...... 
by: Anonymous 

This place is satan's spawn when it comes to medical care. I feel for you with your concerns for your baby when he was sick with the flu. I do know, from working in the medical field for over 30 years, rooms are kept chillier than normal as to not spread germs further. Germs thrive in a warm environment; however, 57-degrees is a bit extreme. Usually a room with a temperature of 72-degrees would suffice.

My problem with this facility is the ineptness of the staff to speak English. There are so many physicians from overseas (middle east) and several from South Africa, not to mention those who are originally from Mexico and I swear, these people CANNOT and WILL NOT speak clear English. There is NO WAY they can practice medicine proficiently and not be able to speak the language. It would be like you or I going to THEIR country and trying to conduct business in English.

My mother was recently in this hospital and she is an elderly woman with a hearing problem anyway. This Dr. Graciela Leija and Dr. Dina Abdelwahib were assigned to her and I felt like slitting my wrists after TRYING to talk to these ladies. It was absolutely ridiculous. There is no way these people can pass English medical tests when they are not even able to speak the language. We had NO idea what the doctors had told mother to do or what THEY were going to do until it was clarified by one of the nurses.

I really don't know what medical care is coming to in the USA. It's not good, I know that much. This is the saddest example of a hospital I have ever witnessed. I will never go there again NOR take my precious loved ones there...PERIOD!

RUN! 
by: Anonymous 

My mother went in for routine surgery, VA requested, and 6 months later, still fighting an infection she got from there. She had a blood infection and the doctors didn't tell any of us. I agree that place shouldn't be recommended.

valley baptist hosp. 
by: Anonymous 

I used to work at a baptist run hosp. You have a right to be scared.Awful things happen & get covered up all the time.

It IS Scary! 
by: Anonymous 

I won't even pretend to understand what you've just gone through with your baby. I sympathize with you, and pray that he's better in no time at all.

Cinemark Harlingen

Cinemark Harlingen has two locations to choose from.

401 S Expy 83
Harlingen
(956) 428-3224
And
629 N 13th St
Harlingen

The Cinemark Harlingen, 401 S. Expressway 83 location is the newer more modern location. Here they show all the latest releases with stadium seating and a decent sound system.  They have a standard concession stand with a small restaurant available before you get through the ticket collector location. If you are looking to bring food in with you, there are nearby fast-food restaurants within a minute drive. There is also a large H.E.B grocery store one block away. Now, the establishment does not want you to bring in food from the outside. However, according to www.omg-facts.com, popcorn is marked up on an average of 1275%. People tend to take matters into their own hands with price gouging like this. If this was gasoline, there would be a congressional inquiry into the pricing.

At times there are large lines during busy times. I really don’t care for waiting in line. So, I use the ATM, automatic ticket machine, on the inside. It never seems to fail. There may be 50 people in line but only about 2% of the people use the ATM way.

On a side note, I find it funny they always ask for ID when paying with a credit card but if you use the inside machine it doesn’t ask.

Now, about Cinemark Harlingen, 629 N 13th St. Have you ever seen the movie twins, where Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Devito play twins? This is about the same thing with the 13th street location being played by Danny Devito.

Here they show $1 movies. This is awesome. You get to see great movies on the big screen a few months after they hit the main theaters and you only pay $1. If you are from the South, you may not think this is a big deal. However, in many areas up North, there are no $1 theaters at all.

The trick to going here is not to eat at the concession stand. First off, in my opinion, the place is dirty. I don’t like to eat food from dirty places. You just know roaches have been crawling over everything at night.  You can get in to see a move for cheap but if you want a Coke, popcorn, and candy, you are looking at around $14. There just went all the savings.

 So, no matter which theater you go to, it’s good fun for everyone. They both have their plusses

Rio Grande Valley Radio Stations

There is something for every listener with Texas Rio Grande Valley radio stations, from canciones (tunes) from across the border in Mexico to Texas-style country, current rock to oldies, and Christian to Metal. Noteworthy diversity results from a variety of formats as well as a variety of ownership, including Clear Channel Communications, Univision Radio, the Living Water Radio Network, public radio, and Entravision Communications.

"As of 1/18/2013, my favorite D.J. for Rio Grande Valley Radio is Rock n' Roll James. He plays some of my favorites that no one else plays. In addition, you have to have some balls to play blocks of Megadeath or Pantera. Who doesn't respect that?" - Webmaster.

KTEX 100.3 is the station that “Sounds like Texas.” Clear Channel’s entry into the local country market, KTEX plays hit-makers George Strait, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Brooks & Dunn, Martina McBride and other top Country artists from its physical location in Brownsville. DJs include Jo Jo, Frankie D., Chris Michaels and Patches.

If your tastes run more to Rock, then consider The Q 94.5 (KFRQ) in Harlingen. Entravision’s station has a play list that includes Live, Ratt, 30 Seconds To Mars, Buckcherry, Van Halen, Papa Roach, Bush, Iron Maiden, Pearl Jam, Motley Crue, and Led Zeppelin, with an all-request 70-minute “Lunch Hour” with DJ Keith West. Other shows are The Overnite Asylum with Weslaco resident and hard rocker JoeyRocks, Big Al and Charlie’s morning show, the longest running in the Valley, and Mighty Mike Quinn all afternoon. As of 1/18/2013 my favorite D.J. so far is Rock n' Roll James. He plays some of my favorites that no one else plays. In addition, you have to have some balls to play blocks of Megadeath or Pantera. 

Then there is “The Valley’s Party Station,” Wild 104 (KBFM 104.1), another Clear Channel offering in Edinburg. The station has been around since 1974, but switched to Rhythmic Top 40 in 2004, a move which has paid off with increased listenership. If you like Nelly Furtado, Akon, Justin Timberlake, Outkast, Fergie, Ludacris, and Naughty by Nature, this is your station.

If Mexican heritage is where you are at, there is KGBT 98.5, physically located in McAllen, Univision Radio’s Spanish language station playing “Solamente Exitos”, only the latest hits in música norteña, corridas and rancheras. During the day sister station La Tremenda 1530 AM offers a mix of talk radio, sports and music, but in the evenings and on weekends KGBT comes alive as local DJs “El Chicuelo” Beto Castillo, Eliud Treviño and Romiro Olvera keep the music coming, while Mr. Ni Fu Ni Fa (Hugo de la Cruz) wants to hear listener opinions on everything under the sun.

Hot Kiss 106.3 (KHKZ-FM 106.3) is a station for the young or the rockin’ young at heart, with songs by Justin Timberlake, Avril Lavigne, Nickleback, Fray, Maroon 5 , Rickie Martin, and Carrie Underwood. Located in Mercedes, Texas, this station’s DJs include J. Cantu, Amanda, Micky Gamez, and the Hitman, with Hiram and Nicole Garcia covering the weekends.

KQXX 105.5, the “Oldies Fan Club” in Mission, Texas, has been successfully exploring the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, from Elvis, Neil Sedaka and the Beatles to Queen, Eric Clapton, the Doors, and Black Sabbath since its format change in 2002. Owned by Clear Channel Communications, with local DJs such as Billy Santiago and syndicated programs including Dick Clark, The Beatles Brunch, and Charlie Tuna this is the show for anyone who want a taste of the good old days of rock and roll. Family-friendly and commercial-free,

McAllen’s KVMV 96.9 plays the latest Christian hits along with talk programs such as James Dobson’s “Focus on the Family” and Chuck Swindoll’s “Insight for Living.” Part of the Living Water Radio Network, KVMV’s tag line is “The Valley's Christian Radio.” In addition to weekly programming, the station plays the top Christian music countdowns on Saturdays and offers an on-air bible study Sundays.

Then for the classically inclined, public radio is represented in the Valley by KHID 88.1 FM Classical and KMBH 88.9 FM Classical in Harlingen. In addition to such award-winning standards from NPR as Performance Today, local programming includes Classic Oldies with Al Wasielewski, jazz and blues On the Roadside with Chris Maley, Psych Rock 101 with Texas Joe Valles exploring 35 years of psychedelic music, and the latest classical releases on New Edition with Mario Munoz. All of these Rio Grande Valley radio stations also serve the Valley community with local news, community events, public announcements, and the most up-to-date scores in high school sports.

By J.E.D. Seno / TSO 

Rio Grande Valley Radio is constantly changing and getting better. If you are aware of any changes we would love to hear about it in our comments section.

Experience as an African Moving to The Rio Grande Valley

In 2001, my husband and I came to visit my in-laws for Thanksgiving.  They were living in Mercedes, Texas at the time.  That was my first visit to the Rio Grande Valley.  It was a very long plane ride from Massachusetts but once we got here, we forgot all about the fatigue.  We had dinner at Logan’s in McAllen and the sight of those peanut peels on the floor made me realize that this place reminded me a lot about my native country, Uganda. 

In Texas, everything is big!  So we are told.  However, as we drove by some of the housing developments, some of the houses were very small.  The small houses are typical of Ugandan real estate.  However, I noticed that most of the homes were brick homes or had brick veneer.  A look I have grown to love since bricks are made and sold at my father’s property in Uganda.  Although I do not speak Spanish at all, I was glad to be in a multicultural environment because my children are multi-cultural. 

I felt right at home even if I have not been fortunate enough to meet other Ugandans in the Rio Grande Valley.  During our visit, we went to the mall in McAllen and at one department store, the store clerk asked if she could touch my hair.  That was a very warm gesture.  She made it possible for me to realize that there are very few Africans in the valley, but this is not a negative because the people here are eager to learn about other cultures. 

When we returned to Massachusetts, I begged my husband to move down here. We decided to move to the Rio Grande Valley in September 2003.  We have since lived in Harlingen, Texas.  I have never regretted it.  Immediately, a few of my goals were accomplished.  I wanted to raise my sons in an atmosphere that did not apologize for recognizing their faith in God.  Believe it or not, I never saw a huge poster by the highway stating one or two sentences about God for the whole 12 years I spent in Massachusetts!  This area has exactly the same weather as in Uganda.  As a matter of fact, my family in Uganda does not totally believe it is that warm here because they were used to my ceaseless complaints about the cold winters in Massachusetts.  I definitely do not miss the cold weather in the North East! 

The schools here are excellent too.  I am currently employed at Texas State Technical College in Harlingen and I can definitely vouch for the technological advancement that college offers.  My husband and I have realized that lots of businesses move down to the Rio Grande Valley every year.  This is definitely a nationally recognized growing area.  I can without hesitation say I have finally found a home away from home.  My sons are happy to be so close to their grandparents who continue to spoil them every minute of the day!  I can not thank my husband enough for deciding to move to the most southern tip of Texas and the US!  It takes us fifteen minutes to get to Mexico and experience a whole new culture.  Can’t beat that! Since we have moved here we have noticed a significant increase in the African population. Get to know us. We make great friends.

By Sylvia Odoms

***Sylvia Odoms holds a bachelors degree in Computer Science with a background expertise in Access Databases. 

***Uganda is a county located in East Africa bordered by Kenya. It has roughly 20 million people and was called “The Pearl of Africa” by Winston Churchill. Their main export is coffee.