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McAllen, Texas: birds, butterflies and burritos

In una cittadina al confine tra Stati Uniti e Messico, dove le culture e le lingue si fondono e confondono, per scoprire con gli occhi di James Weaver una realtà di contrasti e sorprese.

Although the Rio Grande River marks the boundary between the U.S. and Mexico, its only a river and business, language, and culture flow back and forth from both sides. About 70 percent of the residents in McAllen, Texas, are Mexican or Mexican/American.

It’s easy to think you’re “south of the boarder”. Spanish language is regularly spoken along with English and many signs are in both languages. Thousands of cars and commercial vehicles pass back and forth across the boarder each day. Many Mexicans work in McAllen, students attend school here, and shoppers regularly frequent the malls. Many Mexicans own homes in the city.

McAllen and its neighboring communities of Pharr, Mission, and Edinburg make up a thriving metropolitan area. (Reynosa, Mexico, with 1.5 million residents in only minutes away.) While I expected to see lots of light industry and commerce, I was surprised to learn how big agriculture is here. Those delicious ruby red “Texas” grapefruit are grown here along with a vast array of other vegetables and fruit. The farm fields are Texas size and you can drive for miles with nothing but cultivated crops on both sides of the road.

The region is one of the nation’s top locations for birders (and butterfly enthusiasts). Many species of birds and butterflies migrate through the area each spring and fall in addition to a large number of tropical species that live here year-round. There are a half dozen or more wildlife reserves and state parks in the area where people can see birds, butterflies, and other animals. I saw my first feral hog here and spotted a half dozen (first sighting for me) birds.

Quinta Mazatlan, a city owned Spanish style mansion and garden located near the airport, proved to be a great place for birding. See www.Quinta Mazatlan.com. Other places to visit include Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park and the Santa Ana National Wildlife Reserve.

If you like Mexican food or Texas barbecue, McAllen is the place to visit and eat. The area boasts over 500 restaurants. While national chains are plentiful, there are many locally owned restaurants that serve delicious food from around the world including Mexico and the US. Among the city’s top restaurants are Espana Mediterranean (Mediterranean), Venetian Fine Dining (Italian), Costa Messa (Mexican) and Tony Roma (barbecue). They are all excellent.

McAllen hosts a number of exciting events scattered throughout the year. The city’s ArtWalk is a free self-guided tour of art galleries and artist’s studios in one of the oldest neighborhoods of McAllen. It’s held the first Friday of each month September through May. PalmFest is an annual event that celebrates the culture and history of Deep South Texas.

Held the first weekend in October, it features cultural entertainment, children’s activities, ethnic foods and music. The Candle Light Posada, held the first weekend of December presents Christmas entertainment, food booths, luminaries, twinkling lights, caroling, traditional Mexican Posada, a parade and a live nativity.

The city’s International Museum of Art and Science features an outstanding collection of Mexican arts and crafts, and its earth science gallery focuses on geology and archeology with a long-term exhibition of dinosaur tracks, fossils and minerals, and a interactive meteorological display. See www.imasonline.org.

In nearby Edinburg, visitors can see a large collection of exhibits and artifacts covering South Texas’ fantastic-but-true history. Fully renovated 2003, The Museum of South Texas History presents a broad overview of the region, from prehistoric tribes through Spanish exploration and colonization, the Mexican War, Rio Grande steamboat era, Civil War, early ranching and farming, border wars and more. See www.mosthistory.org.

In Pharr, in one of the city’s oldest buildings, is Smitty’s Jukebox Museum. Learn more at www.traveltex.com/activities.

McAllen has been named an “All America City” and is growing by over four percent annually. The city population is expected to reach or more 151,000 in the next five years. Each winter the city and region attracts ten of thousands of additional winter residents from Canada and northern states. Many who come for the winter decide to stay year-round.

McAllen is the retail shopping center of South Texas and Northern Mexico. In this bi-national metro area, city retailers serve a market population of over 1.5 million people. The city’s La Plaza Mall is one of the highest grossing malls in the United States. Many of the retail outlets are among the most profitable stores in their chains.

Plan your trip to McAllen and the Rio Grande Valley beginning at www.mcallen.org/visitors

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