Historical Tour

DAY 1

Start your day with a satisfying breakfast at your hotel and head over to Edinburg and visit the newly restored Train Depot. After hearing about the renovation project and a brief history of the station it's down the street to the square. On the northeast corner is the Hidalgo County Historical Museum, which is housed in the 1910 county jail. Here your group will learn about the history of Hidalgo County in an award-winning museum.

Once you have a good overall picture of the history of the area you'll catch US 281 into Pharr and visit the Old Clock Museum to view over 2000 rare and beautiful clocks collected from all over the world. Next stop Harlingen! On the way you can see the giant mosaic on the Virgen de San Juan Shrine in San Juan. Your first stop in Harlingen will be the Rio Grande Valley Museum Complex where you can peruse the historic buildings and view several local historical items and the latest traveling exhibit.

By now your group should have worked up an appetite, so it's off to lunch at one of the many local restaurants. After a delicious lunch, travel down to Brownsville for a quick stop at the Historic Brownsville Museum on the way out to see site of the last battle of the Civil War at the Palmito Ranch Battlefield, and then the Palo Alto Battlefield where an artillery duel of the Mexican War occurred. On the way back towards McAllen, there is one last stop in Harlingen to experience the Iwo Jima Monument Memorial and Marine Museum.

Back in McAllen for a quick rest and time to freshen up, then off to dinner at one of the hundreds of fine restaurants in McAllen. Maybe some Mediterranean or Japanese cuisine? If your group has some energy left, and depending the schedules, you could catch a performance at the McAllen Civic Center-maybe a traveling Broadway play or dance troupe from Mexico.

DAY 2

After a scrumptious breakfast at the hotel, head over to Hidalgo and visit the Hidalgo County Irrigation District Pump Station, which was built in 1908. Dr. Bob Norton, who is heading up the restoration, will explain how the gigantic pumps lifted water from the river and turned a hostile thorn forest into rich farmland. On the road heading west, up river, make delightful stop for a ride on the Los Ebanos Ferry, the last hand drawn ferry in the country. After the nostalgic ferry ride, head westward to Rio Grande City and visit Fort Ringgold, which dates back to 1848, and the La Borde House, a restored Victorian period inn.

Next stop is Caro's Mexican Restaurant, a favorite of Valley residents, for a delicious Mexican meal. After your lunch, it's off to Roma, site of several renovation projects, on the old square over looking the Rio Grande. This square was a location in the film viva Zapata. Roma was founded in 1765 and was the center of a thriving river trade in the 1 9th century. Explore the plaza and venture down to the riverside. Head on up to Falcon Dam and view Falcon Lake and the spillway. Midway across the dam is the international marker that marks the U.S.-Mexico border. Back on the bus for the ride east towards McAllen. Stop by Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto in Rio Grande City. It is a replica of the Grotto of Lourdes Grotto in France, built of rocks and petrified wood in the 1 920's and includes the statue of the Virgin and the peasant girl, Bernadette Soubirois.

Now for the restful ride back. Your group will need it for the fun time they will have this evening at Pepe's River Fiesta, with dinner, drinks, live music and dancing, all with a spectacular view. Located on the Rio Grande in Mission, this is a popular hangout for our lively Winter Texans (and a few locals who can keep up with them).

DAY 3

After a restful night's sleep and a late rise, to recover from two exciting days of historical exploration and the lively McAllen nightlife, it is time to experience a little of "old" Mexico. After a short drive down to Weslaco and then south to Progreso, cross over to Nuevo Progreso, one of the Valley's favorite south-of-the-border shopping destinations. All of the shops and restaurants are on the main street starting immediately after crossing the bridge. Take a few hours to explore the quaint shops and haggle with the owners for the best bargains on Mexican arts and crafts. Rest your feet at one of the fine restaurants in Nuevo Progreso and sample some traditional Mexican food - cabrito, quail, frog's legs or bistek. Enjoy a cool, refreshing margarita with an olive, careful--they are stronger than what you may be are used to!

Now that your group has had a small sampling of what McAllen and the Valley have to offer, it is time to say farewell and head out to your next exciting destination. Maybe you will head further south and explore the interior of Mexico, head north to San Antonio, or northeast to Corpus Christi. We hope you enjoyed your stay and hope to have you back real soon!