Valle Vista Mall is Dead

Long before COVID came along people were moving out of  Valley Vista Mall. When I spoke to locals about stores leaving or their desire to more their stores in the mall, they all stated the same thing. "It's too expensive." After the first year of the pandemic, most of the stores re-opened. However, 2 years later, stores are leaving one by one. The mall wasn't anything great before and now it's even a shell of its former self. 

Sears and Dillards are gone leaving only J.C. Penny left as an anchor store. At this point, I really don't see anything driving traffic to Valle Vista Mall. La Plaza, The Outlets and Sunrise have everything you probably want and need. 

Here are a few select shots of how empty the mall currently is. This pictures were taken around 6 PM. So, there is no reason for the mall to be so empty. 

The Rockin Cue is new. Go check it out if you're into pool. It looks nice. I haven't been inside.

Bass Pro Shop in Harlingen

 

A very nice place to visit even if you aren't buying anything. The restaurant, bowling alley, and the snack bar have been closed since the pandemic started. They usually have season decorations and characters for kids. The bathrooms are usually very clean and the workers are friendly. The only exception is the people at the travel booth, but I think it's necessary to be pushy if they are ever going to make some money. I've had a few reps tell me in the past that it's not a time share thing, but it is. 

Lon C. Hill Park - Harlingen Texas

 

"City of Harlingen Lon C Hill Park 2020. Harlingen City Commission Mayor Chris Boswell. Commissioners -Richard Uribe, Frank Puente, Michael Mezmar, Ruben De La Rosa, and Victor Leal. City Manager - Dan Serna, CPM, Assistant City Manager - Gabriel Gonzalez, CPM and Carlos A. Sanchez, P.E., Architects - Gomez Mendez Saenz, General Contractor - Peacock General Contractor, inc, Harlingen Community Improvement Board. President - Jesse Robles, Vice President - Paul J. Durant, Secretary - Dr. Gina Cano-Monreal, Board Members, Daniel Villareal, Daniel Araiza, Dr. Deloria N. Davis, John Guevara."

"On behalf of the Harlingen City Commission and the residents of Harlingen, we would like to thank Representative Oscar Longoria, for his continued friendship and are for the community and our citizens. In your role as Chairman of the appropriations in the 86th Legislative Session, these improvements which will be here for years for families to enjoy would not be possible if it wasn't for your unrelenting leadership and your immeasurable support in quality of life developments. Thank you once again, Mayor Chris Boswell."

There are sprinklers to the right that are open for kids to run through at times. I'm not sure why they weren't open now. 

Eating Area.

Harlingen boys club is right across the street. There are multiple basketball courts that are new. More Harlingen basketball courts are needed in other parts of the city. These were recently made and there is a small skate park on the other side of the building. 

This is one of the 2 outdoor swimming pools that I am aware of that is open to the public. 

Another water park across the street. 

  Entrance to Lon C. Hill Park. 

Valley International Airport - Harlingen Texas

     The Valley International Airport located in Harlingen is the best place to fly from if you are mid-valley. 

Fountain at Harlingen Airport

This is a small airport has 7 airlines flying into it; Southwest, American, United, Frontier, Viva, Sun Country, and Delta. 

This picture literally shows most of the space available to wait for passengers who are arriving. You aren't allowed up the stairs or escalators. 

RV, ATV, and Motorcycle Sales and Service. Texas Trader RV. 600 W. Expressway 83, La Feria, TX. 78559. Tel 965-797-3000

If you have to wait her for any amount of time, bring entertainment. Otherwise, you'll be bored here in five minutes. It's obviously not DFW.

Currently, Washed Up Texas, has some interesting "statues?" to look at and ponder the state of our environment. 

Meet Terry "The Atlantic Green Sea Turtle" by Connie Lovell

Luckily, like most airports there is a bar and grill available. 

Jackson St. Cafe & Bar

The "remote" parking isn't far away at all. You can walk from the airport entrance to remote parking in under 30 seconds. Keep in mind the remote parking is free for 30 minutes and then $1.50 from 31 minutes to 1 Hour and 30 minutes. The meters in front of the airport are 25 cents per 20 minutes. Therefore, if you are going to be there for 31 minutes to 2 hours, you might as well park at the meters. 

Pendleton Park - Harlingen Texas

Pendleton Park is one of the better parks in Harlingen, Texas. 

Pendleton Park, Harlingen Texas

We appreciated its diversity and size. Pendleton park has more to offer than any other Harlingen Park. It has a newer style playground with artificial grass and is gated off. Which would be much better if people could close it behind them. Many people don't. There are tennis courts that have recently been touched up by the city in preparation for them to start charging. 

Even the backcourts, which have been run down in the past, have been re-done. 

If you haven't been in a while, they have a new administration building for the tennis courts. 

I wonder if there will be bathrooms in the new building. If so, will they be public? Only for people who paid for tennis usage? 

On the subject of bathrooms, Pendleton Park also has 2 bathrooms on opposite sides of the park. I expected to go in on this trip and find them disgusting. I can't remember them being clean. I was considering giving the spiders in there names because they had been there so long. I don't even like spiders! I just thought it was rude not to after so many years. Surprisingly, they seemed to be recently "cleaned." They still look like emergency use only though. 

There is a nice military memorial located between the playground and the pond. Harlingen has a lack of public structures for artistic or historical significance. So, this is another bonus for this park. On a side note, if you are a Pokemon player. The area between the Tennis Courts and the Park sign is a perfect location for pokestops and two gyms. There are others across the park, but the highest concentration is here. 

Memorials bricks are all over the moment area. 

Veterans' Memorial - Paver Information - www.harlingenveterans.com - 956-730-8589

For wildlife enthusiast, there is a pond which always has a few hundred ducks there. They are very familiar with people and will let you get quite close. There is a fountain in the middle of the pond. For some reason, I rarely see it on. 

Pendleton Park Duck Pond

Maybe I just have to move that switch on the right? 

There are at least 5 baseball fields and one basketball court. 

Anyone know who O. D. Snaples was or is? 

Anyone know who Porter Dewitt was or is?

I do believe Pendleton Pool is the only indoor public pool in Harlingen. If you take a shirt to wear in the pool, it can not have any color if  I remember correctly. 

Some odds and ends I saw while vising the Tennis courts. 

H-E-B Tennis Center at Pendleton Park.

Morning and Evening Adult and Child Beginner and Intermediate. Classes now forming! Call:956-536-7607. Open to the public. 

Harlingen Area Tennis Association - www.harlingentennis.com

Please check-in at Tennis Shop before Playing. There is a court fee. Reservations can be made no more than 2 days in advance. Tennis shoes & Tennis play only

Beginner level kids Tennis, Every Tuesday and Thursday from 6-7 PM Classes begin weekly. To register text full name and age of the student to 956-536-7607.

Court Fee: Adults $2; Child $1

1613 Morgan Blvd, Harlingen, TX. 78550. 

Yearly membership available. 

Google Maps to Park