During your holiday season free time, you will hear the question, “What are we doing today?” I’ve got some great answers – some of these are off the beaten path and show sides of the Valley you may never have seen. Other ones, I’ll bet, you haven’t revisited in years. Mostly outside and totally fun, these staycations are each worth taking time to explore.
Hidalgo Festival of Lights: About a gazillion lights and 500 giant Christmas displays turn Hidalgo into a twinkling wonderland guaranteed to put you in the Christmas spirit. Free outdoor shows every evening from Dec. 1 to 19 at 7 p.m. include the marvelous Estudiantina Guadalupana on Dec. 7-10 and Dec. 12-16. For $4, you can hop on a trolley tour of the Christmas light decorations. For $10, you get the trolley tour, a supper and a reserved seat at the nightly concert. This year’s theme is Victorian Christmas. Download self-guided driving maps of the lights and get more info at http://www.hidalgofol.com/.
A four-hour cruise: A Brownsville Ship Channel cruise takes you past the towering marine oil platforms under construction at AmFels, the three shipbreaking companies which open up giant freighters like tin cans, and the shrimp fleet. Add dozens of dolphins, shore birds, the oyster beds of South Bay and the Port of Brownsville’s silos and docks to make a memorable day on the water. Several ships offer four- hour trips from South Padre: Murphy’s Law (761-4752, $35) and American Diving (761-2050.)
A Four-star road trip: Start at La Sal del Rey kiosk on Highway 186, four miles east of Texas 281. Walk one mile on the wide gravel path to reach the huge salt lake that shimmers like a snowfield in the winter sun. Your footsteps in the crusty salt fill up immediately with brine. You’ll see wild javelina and lots of wildlife at this tract of the LRGV Wildlife Refuge corridor, and it’s free. (784-7521.) Then head east on 186 to 1425 and turn west and south on 491 until you reach Lee Lane and Hilltop Gardens, the oldest aloe farm in the US. A self-guided tour ($1) takes you to the sensory, healing and children’s gardens as well as the large and diverse aloe collection. (hilltopgarden.com, 262-2176, closed Sunday.) Retrace your steps on 491 and continue east to Lyford. On the east side of Hwy. 77, pick a road, any road and drive past some of the region’s 600 wind turbines. All will be operational on Jan. 1, 2013.
For more of this story by Eileen Mattei, pick up a copy of the November edition of Valley Business Report, on news stands now, or visit the “Current & Past Issues” tab on this Web site.