Our strongest holiday memories of home and family tend to center on food — the whole family, from infants and great grandparents to distant cousins, gathered at the table on Christmas. The special foods prepared for the holidays still evoke the happy gatherings, bygone days and an era when the pace of life was slower. Yet traditional holiday foods are shifting with the times, too. Singlehandedly, Delia Lubin of Delia’s…
Dozens of dolphins moving down the Brazos Santiago Pass to the Laguna Madre have a lot in common with the people aboard the nearby Bay King charter boat. One and all are fishing the bountiful waters of the Laguna Madre, enjoying the clear water, bay breeze and the camaraderie of fishing together. Fishing the bay has a timeless allure whether you are casting your line into the gin-clear water from…
Unlike Laredo, the Valley’s trucking industry is dominated by locally-owned, family-operated businesses. From food and furniture to clothing, electronics and medical devices, almost everything we use is delivered by trucks belonging to regional and national freight lines. The businesses that keep all the trucks rolling and the supply chain serviced are generating enough income to stay in business and provide employment to a busy segment of the local population. Retailers…
Looking like graceful three-armed swimmers slowly stroking across the skyline, wind turbines are signaling the arrival of a new Valley industry. By the end of 2012, Willacy and Cameron Counties will have 383 wind turbines in operation. In Kennedy County, the Penascal Wind Farm (owned by Iberdrola) with 168 turbines and Gulf Wind with 118 are already channeling electricity to Texans. Today Texas has over ten thousand megawatts of windpower,…
When David Morris downsized to a condo half the size of his house, he took friends’ advice and hired Estate Sales & Liquidations by Jessica to sell his excess holdings. “My friends said you don’t want to be there to watch your personal stuff leave,” Morris explained. The professionalism of Jessica Kuykendall and her team impressed him… and left Morris with an almost empty house following a pre-sale and the…
When it’s 96 degrees out there, brain freeze seems a small price to pay for the delicious chill of ice cream in your mouth. From traditional ice cream sundaes and raspas to frozen yogurts and Italian ices, everyone in the Valley is willing to wrap themselves around a frozen treat once summer arrives. Be thankful your choices are limitless. Red Mango Frozen Yogurt is the new kid in the Valley…
Creativity is intelligence having fun, according to Albert Einstein. But can you run a business based on creativity, which is traditionally the realm of artists, musicians, and writers? The stereotype has them setting their own hours, wearing nontraditional attire, acting independently and not earning much. In “The Rise of the Creative Class,” author Richard Florida gave an entirely new definition to the term creative class, which he describes as the…
The Rio Grande Valley’s first Costco is a game changer. Costco is the largest membership warehouse club in the U.S., according to Greg Brenner, Costco Warehouse Manager in Pharr. It’s the seventh largest retailer in the world with sales of $90 billion annually, while its nearest competitor rings up $50 billion. Built from the ground-up in only three months, the 151,000-square-foot Costco warehouse is the 601st store of the Washington-based…
If your image of a Bed & Breakfast is a fussily decorated Victorian house heavy on dried flower arrangements and porcelain figurines, it’s time you saw the Rio Grande Valley’s refreshing, site-specific take on B&Bs. A dozen B&Bs cater to Valley visitors who love both comfort and the outdoors: birders, anglers, naturalists, beach walkers. In urban and rural settings, these retreats provide privacy and high levels of service at unique…
Being on the Texas-Mexico border presents entrepreneurs with business opportunities not found elsewhere. From ropas usadas (used clothing traders), duty-free stores and customs brokerages to casas de cambio, foreign trade zones and dealers in used heavy duty machinery, numerous Valley companies are business that could function only on the border. Two of the Valley’s international bridges are privately owned, providing income from tolls, parking and leases. Transmigrante expediters at the…