South Texas

The drive from Big Bend to South Texas, where my brother John and his wife Anna live, was a two day trip.  The route we chose was the closest main road to the border, through such towns as Laredo, Eagle Pass and Zapata.  There were many times you would have thought you were in Mexico.  We overnighted in the Eagle Pass Walmart.  We picked up a few necessities and observed that we were the ONLY gringos in the store.  Honest.  The public announcements were in Spanish only.  Shades of Quebec.  There was more evidence of border control than in the Big Bend area, though less than south Arizona.



We arrived in McAllen where John and Anna live and found an RV spot in a park less than a mile from their house.  That has proved convenient and hopefully lessened the imposition of out of town visitors.  Their little dog Riley is providing great company for Raggie.

John and Anna 

Greedy Raggie and Riley

The weather is warm, in the high 70's and 80's and not nearly as dry as in Arizona.  The humidifier has been stowed as it will only get more humid as we head for the gulf.  There is a pretty consistent breeze which keeps it comfortable.

Anna and I have had a couple of fun outings where I was able to combine necessary errands, haircuts and pedicure with some shopping.  Anna introduced me to a nice southern jewelry chain, James Avery, where I found a substitute for the lost favorite.  We also played a few holes of golf which I have not done for 13 years.  It was fun.

All four of us took a day and headed for the border.  The first stop was Sullivan, a small village on the Rio Grande which is known for the only hand operated ferry in the US.  The ferry  accommodates three vehicles and walk ons, then 4-5 men pull the rope across the river.  Interestingly there was a "ferry line" waiting to cross.  It felt like home.

Ferry Line

Hand Operated Ferry between US and Mexico

The second town was Nuevo Progresso where many Winter Texans go for pharmaceuticals and dental care.  Some of the places offer Margaritas while you wait to have you order filled.  An idea for Dave and Myra, my pharmacists in Vashon??  We had a good lunch and tasty margaritas.




The demographics of south Texas are interesting.  McAllen, where John and Anna live,  is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the US.  The advent of the maquiladoras and the North American Free Trade Agreement have contributed to the growth.  McAllen is also the retail center for both South Texas and the North Eastern Mexican states.  The population of McAllen is 77% Hispanic and 1% White but the area swells in the winter with the influx of Winter Texans, retired, largely White people from the midwest and Canada.  It is quite an interesting mix.
We had the Subaru serviced and both van drivers that took us to and from Bella spoke limited English.  It would be a great way to brush up on Spanish and be able to use it regularly.

The food is such a treat.  Mexican food is of course widely available and good BBQ is too.  We had a great time at Rudy's BBQ where you buy the meat by the pound.  

Rudy's Ribs and Brisket

We will head to the Gulf coast in the next couple of days.