When outsiders first encounter a Texas-Mexico border town, such images are often brutally reinforced. Although I m not a blonde, I'm fair-skinned enough to stand out in this crowd, and I admit that sometimes I feel like a walking dollar sign. It s no wonder that many folks come away thinking that living in a border town is fraught with poverty and danger. The two cities are known as los dos Laredos . Whether you're toying with a weekend trip across the border or just passing through, here are four good reasons to target Nuevo Laredo as your destination or crossing-point.
Border towns are easy to visit.
Should you choose to drive across, unless you plan on going beyond the 24-kilometer checkpoint, you won't need to obtain a vehicle permit. However, I still recommend insurance, if your policy doesn't cover the frontier. Nuevo Laredo is especially pedestrian-friendly. International Bridge I takes you from downtown Laredo, over the river, right into the central business district. This district, El Centro, extends south along Avenida Guerrero for quite a distance, although the heart of the tourist area consists of the first eight or so blocks immediately south of the Bridge.