Award-Winning La Feria RV Park Readies for Winter Texans

Updated: November 29, 2013

John and Ruth Dearinger showing recent awards and plaques. Photo: Bill Keltner/LFN

The harsh, punishing storms of winter “up North” are coming early this year. The weather is fierce, and the forecast is for even more record low temperatures in the region. This reality is putting more south-bound snow-birds en route to the Rio Grande–so figured out John and Ruth Dearinger, Managers of the award-winning VIP-La Feria RV Park on East Highway 83 in La Feria.

“We are getting calls for reservations earlier this year from our “regulars” living in the Northern states and Canada,“ Ruth told LA FERIA NEWS. “Or, it also might be the nice award we received this year as the 2013 Medium RV Park of the Year from the Texas Recreation Vehicle Association–whatever, we are getting flooded with requests and arrivals everyday.”

Harlen and Lorraine Asplin, longest regular residents “Still Dancing”, visiting with the Dearingers.

Adding to that recognition are the awards the RV Park received from the City of La Feria, presented by the City Manager, Sunny Philip, and the Resolution presented by Texas District 34 Representative, Oscar Longoria. “We are so honored by these awards,” added John Dearinger, Manager of the popular 360-site recreational vehicle and mobile home facility.

“In fact,” Ruth said, “we have had to add some extra activities for the early arrivals to keep them busy,” she said, as she smiled. “These include bus trips to Hill Top Gardens, excursions to South Padre Island and Wild life and bird sanctuaries.”

“We must be doing something right because we have had visitors from 35 states and 7 Canadian provinces who call VIP-La Feria RV Park this their winter home,” she added.

“This has had a measurable, economical impact on local businesses and restaurants.”

The park itself traces back to the mid-70s, but John and Ruth’s first contact was in 2006 when they came down in a travel trailer and stayed three-months. They came back the next year as volunteer workers, then, in 2009 became Assistant Managers, and in 2010 became the official Park Managers. The owners are actually Community Management Group, who also own Palm Gardens Mobile Home Park in Harlingen.

During our tour of the park, we got to meet the park’s longest regular residents–some 24 years without missing a beat. They are Harlen and Lorraine Asplin. Harlen first came down in 1989 in a travel trailer to check out the place. He later met Lorraine, and the two found they had a lot in common, especially their love for square dancing. “It just made a lot of sense to us to get married because both of us needed a square dancing partner,” he said, “so we just got hitched–And we’ve been square dancing together ever since,” Lorraine chimed in.

John explained how he got to the Rio Grande Valley from Kansas. He said their kids (who live in Texas) insisted on them moving to Texas after he retired as a Service Technician for John Deere Corporation in Kansas after 35 years. Ruth retired from the Great Plains Federal Credit Union after 11 years. Their kids wanted them near to be able to look after them. “We don’t need looking after yet,” chuckled John.

“We love the Valley and this job,” he said. “and we welcome anyone 55 years-old or older looking for a nice place to enjoy the winter to come in for a tour of our place, or just look around–we‘ll be here,“ he said.

The number for more information is 956 797 1401.