The Rio Grande Valley of Southern Texas

South Padre Island and Port Isabel to Brownsville to McAllen

May 12, 2009

If you think Texas is just tumbleweeds rolling along a deserted plain, keep driving south, clear down to the Rio Grande Valley, 11 hours from Texas' northern border.

The Rio Grande Valley, which sits in the tip of Texas along the Mexican border, is a surprising sight: full of palm trees, tropical flowers, and bountiful mangos, papayas, and citrus. It’s where all the wonderful ruby red grapefruits come from every winter. The area is also a bird watcher’s paradise with nearly 400 species of birds (and an unmentionable number of insects).

The lush Rio Grande Valley is known to locals as “The Valley” or the “RGV.” Towns sprawl along Highway 83 or what everyone refers to as “the expressway.” The towns of Roma, Rio Grande City, Mission, McAllen, Edinburg, Pharr, San Juan, Alamo, Donna, Weslaco, Mercedes, La Feria, Harlingen, San Benito, and Brownsville all run together along this fast-food studded highway. Be careful or you’ll find yourself partaking in three meals a day between Church’s, Sonic, Whataburger, Stars, McDonalds, Wendi’s, Laredo Taco Company, and the roadside taco hawkers.

You shouldn’t restrict yourself however, from eating the ubiquitous breakfast tacos. It is most certainly the Valley breakfast of choice. Your desired mix of Beans, Egg, Potato, Chorizo, Bacon, Cheese, and Salsa, wrapped up in a freshly made tortilla. And if you pair that later in your day with a Raspa—the sugary street-side snow cones topped with real fruit if you’re lucky—you begin to have real clarity on the obesity epidemic. So much delicious clarity!

Every October the Valley grows dramatically as approximately 100,000 “Winter Texans” descend from northern mid-western states to flee the cold. RVs and Trailer parks become packed with adventurous senior citizens who are known for their generosity and fun spirits.

McAllen is the big city where you can go to get your fix of art galleries, Indian food, and nightclubs. With the University of Texas Pan American, McAllen is the hub of the Valley.

· Restaurant recommendations: Taste of India on Nolan; Ms G’s Tacos on Pecan; City Café and Catering on 10th; Koko’s Café on Broadway, Kumori Sushi on Nolana

· Hangouts: The art galleries on Main Street, just north of Business 83, with 1st Friday on the month Art Walks; Moonbeans Coffee shop on N. 10th

· Nightlife: Pure on 10th and Shine on 17th are popular nightclubs; Havana Club on Nolana is a hotspot for Salsa dancing and live music; and Hillbilly’s on N. 10th is a local favorite for country music and dance

If you’ve come this far south in the country, you must make a pilgrimage to Mexico. Despite swine flu and border drug violence, the passage through the Rio Grande Valley to Mexico is fairly uneventful. As long as you have your passport you can simply walk across the border to Nuevo Progresso, Mexico from Progresso to buy a piñata, eat tostadas de carne deshebrada, or stroll the colorful streets. Other border towns include Reynosa and Matamoros.

You don’t need to go to Mexico though to find what you need for cheap (besides pharmaceuticals maybe). The markets in Mercedes and Alamo have everything you can imagine from live chickens and puppies, fresh fruits and vegetables of all kinds, music, kitchen and household appliances, clothing: new and used, tools, cleaning products, furniture, school supplies, cowboy boots: buy some or just get your shined, toiletries and over the counter medications, and probably anything else you can imagine.

For the outdoorsy types (which for most of the year also means being a hot weather outdoorsy type), there are several options of parks in which to see wildlife and have a nice walk.

· Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge near Alamo, has 2,000 acres of subtropical landscape and hundreds of species of birds to see, some of which are not seen elsewhere in the country

· Falcon State park, near Roma is a popular fishing spot, and while swimming is available the safety of the water is highly questionable

· Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park near Mission (the Poinsettia capitol of the state) has plenty of trails, camping, and the usual slew of Texan critters

Brownsville lies at the other end of the Valley, which is southwest of Port Isabel, and South Padre Island (SPI). Brownsville is the portal town to bustling Matamoros, Mexico.

South Padre Island, which is connected to the mainland via a bridge to Port Isabel, is well known for its rowdy college spring break. Aside from the month of March however, South Padre is a quiet little beach town.

· Hang out of choice: Naturally’s Veggie Café and natural shop on Padre Blvd.

The copyright of the article The Rio Grande Valley of Southern Texas in SW U.S./Hawaii Travel is owned by Rachel Olsson. Permission to republish The Rio Grande Valley of Southern Texas in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.