Are Brownsville, McAllen & Harlingen Worth the Drive from Dallas?? (Houston: rent, living)

[fallguy]

Hi-
Are Brownsville, McAllen & Harlingen Worth the Drive from Dallas??

I've never been to the RGV & hope to go there someday. Then I'll have seen all Texas regions. Also need to see Corpus & Laredo someday...any thoughts on those two??

Thanks,
fallguy

[Spree]

IMO, no ... unless you are going to South Padre, then yes :-) If you are into birding, it is worth the drive. To go just because you haven't been there, you're not missing much.

The King Ranch tour in Kingsville is interesting if you like that kind of thing, then the RGV is about another 90 miles south.

[940]

I agree..unless you're going to South Padre, I'm not sure whether it's worth driving the 500+ miles to reach the Valley. It's so far that Kansas City to the north is closer but not by much!

[fallguy]

Thank you to all respondents...in summary I'll take my sweet time to get to the RGV as I remember the implication of my still-living father who was once an EPA Grant-Reviewer forced to make bus. trips to the RGV back in the 1970s: "If you never get to the RGV, that's okay..."

thanks & ttyl,
fallguy

[maxnmebythec]

I have to say yes! Course, I drove 1,010 mi (one way) to see that area. There is a real old charm to the area around Brownsville, and going back, stopping at S. Padre and all the Gulf beaches is fascinating. Depends on what you like, I guess.....

[Jezer]

I enjoyed South Padre out of season looking at the turtle sanctuary and enjoying the quiet beaches.

Sunsets were lovely.

[ChristieP]

If you must go down there, take Southwest Airlines and fly into Harlingen. MUCH better than the long drive on crowded I-35! Personally, there's not that much to see down there... the King Ranch was neat, and Padre Island is pretty (though not the prettiest beach I've ever seen!). SKIP LAREDO! Too much cross-border drug violence, and there is NOTHING worth seeing there. Plus, unless you have a Passport, you can't even go to Mexico anymore.

[jabbit]

yes if you want to understand ALL of texas... because south texas and the valley have a different feel from the rest of Texas.

Its very cool how Texas has 5 different regions that are dynamically different from each other.

[TexasNick]

If you have the time and the love of traveling like i do, then I would heartly recommend you take the drive down (i said drive, not fly) to the Valley and explore. You need to experience the 2 hour drive through the King Ranch, one of the largest ranches in the world. Stop at the various historical markers along the way. Not much has changed on the natural landscape since General Taylor and his men marched down to Brownsville to quell violence on the border in the 1840s. Right now it's the perfect weather, but it won't last long---now's the time to do it. Some people love the Valley for its unique culture and many Northerners call it home. Brownsville is probably the second most historical city behind San Antonio, but the problem is that there has been a lot of history lost over the years due to rapid development and lack of knowledge on how to preserve and enhance the area's historical features, especially her architecture. Downtown Brownsville has a heavy New Orleans flavor to her buildings because a lot of her pioneers were from New Orleans. Brownsville may not be a San Antonio or a Hill Country level of excitement and beauty, but it's great claim to fame is that it has a lot more difference in everything than any city in Texas can claim. You dont' see shades of Brownsville in any city like you see parts of San Antonio in Austin and Dallas in Houston. Brownsville is Brownsville.

If you want to do some prep work on what to expect in Brownsville, rent the movie BACKROADS with Tommy Lee Jones and Sally Field which was filmed here in the 1980s. The heart of the Brownsville lifestyle is in there, but it's quickly fading away as globalization begins to propel the once-forgotten border region into the 21st century.

P.S> The first battle of the Mexican war and the last battle of the Civil War were fought in Brownsville.

[case44]

Just get on the road and go, fallguy. The more of Texas you see, the better. All you need is your car, some money, and quite a bit of time.