::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.

::Traveling Texas with Toddlers:: South Texas that is.... {Part 1}

This Summer we had a semi-planned trip to South Texas. Our first big road trip of the year. I finally sat down to edit our pictures and write our re-cap! 

Day 1- Day 3

::Houston,TX  to McAllen, TX::

Friday-Saturday/Sunday

Honestly, we loved our trip it was a great South Texas experience and we know that we can make it better every year to come. The main reason we planned the trip the first weekend in June was to be a part of my nieces birthday. We celebrated with Emma and basically visited with family that we had not seen in a year for about 2 days or so.

I grew up very close to my cousins in Reynosa. We visited them months at time, 2 to 3 times a year when we didn't live in the Valley. I want my children to have that same closeness with my loved ones. The same sense of family and love. The same innocent childhood that we all deserve.

On Sunday my parents were leaving us, we had breakfast with them in McAllen finding a lot of good snack and food places! Camila even got to see a lot of Quinceañera dresses. Her favorites. Something that really makes me happy. A tradition that will not end with my generation. My parents left soon after our morning in McAllen, they came back home to Houston. So, we headed over to the South Texas Museum of History, we found it through a brochure at our hotel.

::Edinburg, TX ::

Sunday
South Texas Museum of History

The museum was a wonderful exhibit from the moment you open the door! 

We transformed from Vaqueros to Conquistadores. We learned about our ancestors and how Mexico evolved from Tejas to Texas. The wars, the hardships, and everything in between. Mexico History, Texas History and so much more. Every corner of the museum held a new treasure of  interactive information. It kept the kids entertained and I honestly loved it. Every hallway elaborately and colorfully describing Texas History. Made us wish we lived in the Valley and could go to all of the events! They have so many great ones going on this Summer, make sure you check out their website. 

We loved the hands on, and narratives. Definitely a hidden treasure of the valley. I had no clue we had this museum so glad we found it. My kids truly embraced it all and took it one bit of brain developing information at a time. If you have children of any age, or not, and you are in South Texas, I highly you encourage you to visit this museum. 

Day 4-Day 6
::McAllen, TX to South Padre Island, TX::
Monday-Wednesday

::San Juan, TX::
Monday
Basilica de San Juan del Valle

Part of learning where I grew up and where we come from, has a lot to do with my faith. Being Catholic is something that I feel I haven't taken lightly. I want to instill in my children our faith, our culture and what it all means. I know that by exposing them early on to all of this will help them not only form their own beliefs but shape their future decisions. Even if they don't decide to continue in the religion, I hope that they would at least make informed decisions about what they want to believe in. 

San Juan is a church I grew up going to. The Miracle room is my favorite. The altar is amazing. My life is forever deepened in what I want for my family. I pray. I do. God knows us well. 

Oh and it wouldn't be a vacation without a little tantrum action... yep. We have those moments. We are real. We are not perfect. They ran and cried outside the church. Nice. I know.

To be Continued......