Brownsville to Laredo on U.S. 83 and Mexico Highway 2

Vintage jukeboxes, puffed tacos, a deserted village—and a vision of Tom Landry.

by Kathryn Jones

May 2002

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The ford's first recorded use was by Spanish explorers under Escandón in the 1740's. Later, Mexican War troops, Texas Rangers chasing cattle rustlers, and smugglers crossed there. Today travelers can ride Los Ebanos International Ferry, the last hand-pulled, government-licensed ferry on any U.S. border. It takes about eight minutes for five or six men to pull the ferry and its maximum load of three cars, plus pedestrians, across the river using long ropes. Two miles on the other side is Ciudad Díaz Ordaz, but there's not much for tourists to do there. It's fun just to ride the ferry across the river and back.

I drove another nineteen miles to bustling Rio Grande City and checked in at the beautifully restored La Borde House in downtown. Designed by architects in Paris and completed in 1899, the two-story brick structure combines European, Creole, and Texas-border styles. With its shady verandas, shutters, and courtyards, La Borde looks like it belongs in New Orleans' French Quarter. My comfortable room had a huge four-poster bed, an armoire, and a Victorian sofa. For dinner I headed to Caro's, which claims to be the home of the puffed taco (there's also a Caro's in Fort Worth). I loaded up on—what else?—a plate of hot puffed beef tacos, rice, beans, and guacamole.

The next morning, I took a fourteen-mile drive to scenic Roma. From 1850 to 1900 the town served as the westernmost port on the Rio Grande for steamers carrying cotton and is one of the best-preserved Spanish Colonial town sites along the river. The fifteen-block historic district is perfect for walking, so I took Business 83 downtown to Convent Street and parked near the plaza.

Many of the ornate brick buildings were designed by German architect Heinrich Portscheller, including the so-called Pink House (now the Knights of Columbus Hall), where residents took refuge during the Mexican Revolution. At the corner of Convent and Portscheller streets is a two-story brick building that was used as a cantina in the Marlon Brando movie Viva Zapata!, filmed in Roma in the fifties.

The last suspension bridge over the Rio Grande links Roma and Ciudad Miguel Alemán. It dates to 1927 and is no longer used, but you can get a good look at it by walking out on the modern concrete international bridge. Turn around for a stunning view of Roma perched on sandstone bluffs above the river.

I like to cross the border at Ciudad Miguel Alemán because there's not a lot of traffic. (A note about driving in Mexico: I didn't encounter any delays at border checkpoints on my trip, but locals told me they can be unpredictable. As for your vehicle, the Mexican government does not require permits for travel within twelve miles of the border. If you don't own your car outright, you must furnish a note from your lender okaying travel into Mexico.) Take Mexico Highway 2 nine miles north for a short side trip to Mier, one of the most unspoiled towns in northern Mexico.

Founded in the 1750's, Mier feels old, with narrow streets and pristine historic churches. The shady Plaza Juárez is a good place to sit and people-watch. From the plaza follow the Calle Palacios several blocks to the stone Antigua Prisión (Old Prison). Here, a group of Texans were temporarily imprisoned after the Mier Expedition, a failed 1842 raid across the Rio Grande. They were soon moved to Salado, Mexico, and the next year, the surviving 176 prisoners were forced to draw lots to determine their fate in what came to be known as the Black Bean Episode. The 17 men who drew black beans were executed.

I backtracked to Ciudad Miguel Alemán and crossed over to Roma so that I could buy a picnic lunch for the highlight of my trip: visiting the ghost town of Guerrero Viejo. Founded by one of Escandón's captains, the Spanish Colonial Mexican town was sacrificed in the name of progress when Falcon Dam was built in 1953. The town was partially submerged for decades but is dry again as Falcon Reservoir has receded after a long drought.

Past the 5-mile bridge over the dam, I picked up Highway 2 and drove 23 miles to the marked turnoff. It's 9 more miles to the ruins on an unpaved road that's rutted and rough (a sedan can make it fine in dry weather, but a high-clearance vehicle is best). I had to open and close a ranch gate; on my way out, a gatekeeper charged $2 to pass through the property. Follow the blue INAH signs erected by the Mexican Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia to the site.

The most haunting ruin is the Nuestra Señora del Refugio church. A decade ago fishermen trolled for bass near its graceful arches. I sat on a stone bench in what used to be the plaza and had a picnic with the ghosts (the site has no services, so bring plenty of water and be sure to gas up in advance).

Back on U.S. 83, I made one more stop, in San Ygnacio, to walk around its rustic downtown historic district. The Jesús Treviño Fort, a sandstone compound built by the town's founder, has an unusual sundial suspended atop a stone arch. The dusty town is an unlikely artist's colony with residents such as sculptor Michael Tracy.

Outside Laredo, I pulled over at a scenic turnoff for a last look at the Rio Grande winding through the chaparral. I realized how far I'd come—not just hundreds of miles but through hundreds of years of history. I felt like I'd seen a whole different country. And in a way, I had.

Directory:

Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle, 400 N Virgen de San Juan Blvd, San Juan; 956-787-0033

Camargo's Hand Made Boots, 710 W US 83, Mercedes; 956-565-6457

Caro's, 205 N Garcia, Rio Grande City; 956-487-2255; dinner Mon through Sat, lunch Sun

España, 701 N Main, McAllen; 956-618-1178; dinner only, closed Sun

La Borde House, 601 E Main, Rio Grande City; 956-487-5101; double rooms $60

Los Arrieros Mexican Restaurant, 2017 W Business 83, McAllen; 956-686-2088

Los Ebanos International Ferry, off FM 886, Los Ebanos; 956-485-2855; pedestrians 50 cents, cars and trucks $1.50 and $2, passengers 50 cents each

Marine Military Academy, 320 Iwo Jima Blvd, Harlingen; 956-412-2207

Renaissance Casa de Palmas Hotel, 101 N Main, McAllen; 956-631-1101; double rooms $119

Smitty's Juke Box Museum, 116 W State, Pharr; 956-787-0131; closed Sat and Sun

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