Hi All,

Visiting the in-laws in Mercedes Texas, just in time for the rain :p

Amazing how polite everyone is here. Seems like 80% of the people here are Latino, I was expecting a lot, but Spanish really is a first language here.

Need to find something interesting to see while I'm here.

Well, you aren't too far from South Padre Island. You could make a day-trip to Corpus Christi to see the USS Lexington.

http://www.usslexington.com/

You might give this a look as well:

http://traveltex.com/plan-your-trip/travel-guide/order-travel-guide?{MatchType}={AdId}={Keyword}?utm_source=YahooBing&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=domestic

The only thing I can think of in Mercedes would be to sit on the north bank of the Rio Grande and watch the drug runners crossing. LOL

Great tip!

Now I just need to convince the gang to go

Are you going to the Lexington or to watch the drug runners?

Flip a coin!

Wear sneakers for either...and add a flack jacket for the latter!!

Well the in laws offered to take us on a tour of the border so we may do both

I don't live in Texas, but when I visit, I go to Shipley's Do-nuts for some Kolaches. There's one in Harlingen, which is near Mercedes. I would recommend visiting Shipley's and getting the jalapeņo, sausage and cheese Kolache.

Needed quite a while to realize Mercedes Texas is not a new German coupe. Well.. ignore it. Carry on.

Most cities and towns in southern Texas have very high Hispanic populations. Even Odessa where I lived for a couple of years is probably about 40% Hispanic and it's not even that close to the border. I hope you have a great time!

I grew up in El Paso - sort of - lived there 15 times - dad was career U.S. ARMY Air Defense - find the family Mexican food restaurants. Yumm, can't compare.

In El Paso it was the Pine Knot Jr. on Yandell. Gone but not forgotten.



Pico de Geeko

5 tomatoes
6 jalapeņos
2 white (sweet) onions, small to medium
3 scallions
1/3 bunch of cilantro (washed individually and sorted)
1 lime
1 package of Margarita salt

Hand-chop all produce except the lime.
Remove the seeds from the jalapeņos and the tomatoes.
Use a third of a normal bunch of cilantro, include the stalk.
Combine all the produce into a bowl. Squeeze the lime into the mix.
Add salt, and then some more.
Chill for 30 minutes.


WC

I miss some aspects of Texas. Lived near Lubbock (Reese AFB) for 3 years.

Galveston, especially during spring break. Bring Cialis.

If you're gonna do kolaches, go to West, Texas and get the real deal.

El Paso was rather interesting. For a lifetime Miami boy like me, the terrain around El Paso was quite exotic. I made the mistake of visiting Juarez though. Never again.

El Paso is the real name? I thought it was North Juarez. Learn something new every day.

LOL! Yeah, El Paso did seem to be a slightly less seedy version of Juarez.

Hee hee, all the things that pulled me back to El Paso are gone - my folks and sibs are now in Austin, the Pine Knot is a surf bar... We always lived on the east side of town near the airport. Hueco Tanks is a fun spot to visit, but that is pretty well restricted now. And as far as Ft. Bliss goes, I heard that about 10 years ago some senator from Kansas got the whole Air Defense organization to move to his state - now the ADA guys have to travel back to White Sands for all their field firings.

WC