Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-11-08
Here's Small, Worm Part
Of Second Largest State
BY LOUIS ALEXANDER
Contributing Writer

Contributing Writer
As Washington begins pulling
its woolens out Of the moth
balls. residents of McAllen.
Harlingen and Brownsville are
preparing for q shirtsleeve win
ter along streets lined with
palm trees.
The temperature during
January viii average so degrees
in the 75-mile strip paralleling
the Rio Grande and the Texas
border with Mexico. Many MD
western refugees from snow
and winter will flock down to
the Rio Grande beginning in
December.
The valley Of the Rio
Grande is Just beginning to be-
come popular with vacationers
from Washington, New York
and New England.
They are finding In 1t the
oleanders blooming in profusion
among palm trees, the mild and
sunny climate-deep in the
heart Of Texas-that they have
liked In Florida and southern
California. n
The Valley, however. has not
yet succumbed to the f1amboy-
ancy that are the hallmarks Of
Miami or southern California.
on the Yankee-or Texas-side
Of the border things are quiet
and comfortable. Cafeterias
and motels are more plentiful
than elaborate restaurants and
hotels in the string of towns
that stretch for 81 miles from
Brownsville and Harlingen
along the palm Lined Main
Street" Of the Valley-U. S.
Highway 83-to McAllen, Edin-
burgh and Mission. !,
Souvenir shops. night clubs
and colorful plazaS mark the
towns on the Mexican side Of
the border. There are bull fights
on some Sundays in Matamoros
and Reynosa; some tourists
drive on further northwest to
storied Laredo and cross to
Nuevo Laredo for the bullfights,
which are held there each Sun
day.
Looks Deceiving
The looks of restaurants are
deceiving. The frame building
that is Joe's Place on the border
side of Reynosa's outskirts
houses a clean restaurant
popular with tourists and Nc
Allen residents alike - where
you can get a nine-course din
ner featuring quail or pheasant
for about what supper costs in
a good Washington cafeteria.
The New Orleans Bar in
Nuevo Laredo is similarly
deceptive. Tourists should be
wary, nevertheless. for equally
dumpy exteriors house reStau-
rants in which the interiors are
nothing to rave about either.
AT night the central plaza in
each Mexican city is alive with
people, music, and light. The
retail shops fan out along the
streets from the central plaza.
around which you can. also see
the towns most interesting
churches and their modern
municipal government build
ings. H
By design or tradition, the
hours kept by most Mexican
tourist shops coincide with
tourist hours. Whether they
close for midday siesta or not,
most shops remain open till
8 or Q pm, some later than
that.
Leather purses. slippers and
belts are good buys. in plentiful
variety, at the shops on both
Mexican and United States
sides of the border.
From downtown Brownsville
it's Just a short walk across
the international bridge into
Matamoros. Most people drive.
or take the bus, past lovely
stucco homes in pastel colors
the better ones offering OBJ
servers q modern expression OF
the classic Spanish architecture
with its central patios, outer
fences, moorish arches and
elaborate metal grillwork. From |
McAllen, it's dozen minutes
drive, or ride on the bus,
through the border village Of
Hidalgo across the bridge into
Reynosa. Laredo and Nuevo
Laredo, just northwest Of the
valley, are virtually twin cities
in their closeness, but two diff
ferent worlds in their civic
appearances.
Crossing Is Easy
There's no problem for tour
lists about going in and out of
Mexico. Thousands of visitors,
residents and workers make
the round trip every day. You'll
need only proof Of citizenship
"a birth certificate, baptismal
certificate or draft card.
It's not always quiet on the
Texas side Of the border dur
ing the winter. Harrington has
its Fiesta Turista, with con-
tests and dancing. Brownsville
has its historic Charro Days,
in February. The whole val
ley joins in the Citrus Festival,
and in honoring the queen,
right after Christmas.
The trip down from the Wash
ington area carries you across
the famous King Ranch of
Texas, with it's Santa Gertrudis
cattle, its miles of mesquite and