::Visiting the Valley~Summer Road-trips:: #WeekendSnapshots

::This is a link-up post with Ari and Jessica on this week's #WeekendSnapshots::

Some of the best memories from when I was a kid, were when my parents would load us into the car to make a 7-hour drive to Reynosa, Tamaulipas & South Texas. With homemade tortas, bags of chips, and canned sodas. These days we want to recreate these moments and memories of family time to visit family with our kids. We may not cross into Mexico anymore but we have visited South Texas, the last 4 years, it's become a bit of a yearly trip now. {You can see our trip from last year ::HERE::}

We have gone not only to visit family but to celebrate life, with the birth of one of my nieces. It's been the best "excuse" to make the 6-7 hour long trip to McAllen every year which then turns into a mini-vacation destination for us. Last year we visited the best little museum in Edinburg and then we headed off to South Padre Island for a few days. This year we decided to make our trip a little shorter but still managed to visit some awesome local sites. 

First place was Quinta Mazatlan and then there was the McAllen Nature Park, which was right next to a local eatery called La Lomita which has some great gorditas! We also visited a local comic book shop, where my cousin drew one of the superheroes! Pretty neat, I know.

Quinta Mazatlan is just that a beautiful Quinta set right in the heart of McAllen near the border with Mexico. It is known that the original owner of the Quinta was a writer and adventurer. The Quinta is perfectly set for both, a serene and quaint place to explore and get away from it all. The Quinta has so many wonderful areas to explore and learn about nature and the local habitat. If you have never been it's worth the time and heat to get to know the area.

According to the Quinta History:

"Composer, writer, and adventurer, Jason Chilton Matthews (1887-1964) traveled the globe collecting artifacts and stories while serving in 11 countries during World War I and even fought alongside Lawrence of Arabia. When he finally settled in 1935 with his affluent Pennsylvania wife, Marcia Jamieson (1891-1963), they built Quinta Mazatlan at what Matthews called the “Crossroads of the Western Hemisphere.”"

We had a wonderful time and the kids enjoyed exploring. The day we went it was hot, humid and rainy but it didn't stop us from wanting to learn more about this great Valley treasure! In all my years living in the Mission, I never knew about it. Goes to show how fast life can speed by you without you realizing the beauty that you grew up with. I sure am glad that now as an adult I am taking the time to seek out these places for my kids to enjoy. Also, that my Husband is uber talented at googling local attractions. Ha.

One of my favorite rooms in the house was a pink room filled with Calaveras, Mexican paper dolls and a ceiling covered with amuletos. I want to live in that room. Ha. The kids loved all the trails and finding live creatures as well as very life-like steel recreations of local animals.

::El Valle:: A little Momma History

If you know me and my family. You know that my parents were a type of 1980's/1990's nomads. We moved. A lot. To accommodate work and monetary needs. So much, that each of my siblings were born in different cities of Texas; Brenham, Houston, Fort-Worth and Mission. Yep. We were that family. My parents were a type of "migrant worker". 

My Dad was a painter, him and my uncles formed a large group that in the 80's would travel to Detroit, Michigan to successfully find work. My Momma a housekeeper, pretty much adapted anywhere. In the early 90's our constant travel between Texas {Houston, Dallas, South Texas} and Michigan ceased. We came to settle in South Texas; Mission, Texas to be exact. From 1992/93 until I graduated High School in 1999 we lived in the Rio Grande Valley or "El Valle". 

My Grandmother who lived just across the border in Reynosa was the matriarch of my Father's family. She had fallen ill to Diabetes, losing her limb and ultimately dying after only a few dialysis treatments in 1995. We had moved to the Valley to be closer to her, after she passed away my parents slowly found their way back "up north". During that time the economy in the area was struggling and I had dreams of a college education, far, far away from the rural like environment.

I had lived my whole life between the big city lights and skyscrapers of Houston and the barren lands of Mission, Texas. Where grapefruit filled the fields and my dreams seemed to get lost. I wanted to get out the Valley and quickly! The Valley didn't have a future for me. I have always been a seeker, a secret adventurer. I knew that my life would be better sought in a big city, that had no limits. 

I left Mission; graduated college, got married, traveled, explored life and finally had children. When my Husband first visited my "hometown". I was scared, almost embarrassed of what he would think of this, truly...country girl. To my surprise, he said "I could live here one day". I quickly realized how much the Valley had given me and now that we have children, it's an idea that often comes to my mind. Raising my children in a small town, where everyone knows your name and you can excel in smaller groups.

These days our travel, sadly for the time being exclude Mexico, so we have made short road-trips, our favorite kind trips! We have started to explore Texas one town at a time, some familiar, others not so much. It has truly become our thing. And, that I am so proud of it.

In order to involve our children in great memory making, learning experiences we have decided to make every small town or big city in Texas a true adventure for them. Our trips last year included; South Texas (McAllen and Mission), as well as San Antonio and camping in Garner State Park. We have also traveled to Louisiana and before we had "Dos" {2} kids we went to New Orleans, Mississippi and Destin with our Santi, Cami was in the belly so I guess it counts. 

Why am I rambling of where I came from? Well our recent travels to the Valley turned up in a BIG way for us! We had so much fun!! I will be sharing more about our trip over the next week or so. 

HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY!!!

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more fun pictures!!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mommaofdos
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/mommaofdos/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MommaofDosTX
Instagram: https://instagram.com/mommaofdos/

{Mi Gente, Es Mi Pasion}

Please check out this Blog Post by fellow Houston Blogger {MUCH more successful than I am!} Juan Alanis over at Juan of Words!

It's a very emotional and motivating story about Child Migrant Workers of South Texas...it definitley hit home for me.

 LA COSECHA