Yesterday we went into the city proper of McAllen to look at the shops and sightsee. From this picture
you see that maybe we are in Mexico? Sure felt like it. Every store front was busy with people, sales persons outside hawking their wares - and when we walked by them - they quickly switched to perfect English - am I that obvious that I am not a Tejano? Perfume shops, gold jewelry shops, junk shops, small stands selling tacos and such, electronic stores, and a really cute store that sold children's formal wear. This store
catered to the family looking for that perfect first communion dress/tux or babtismal outfit or wedding outfit. Was just adorable! And, I noticed a number of stores where there were Asians running the stores behind the counter. Hmmmm. In town is a JCPenney store with an historical marker in front. We read it and it said that the building was built specifically for JCPenney and has been used continually by that company since being built. Of course, I had to go in and see what was so special. I felt like I had stepped back way in time, when I was a kid and my sister and I taking the rapid transit to downtown Cleveland and walking through the Woolworth store on Euclid Avenue. Multiple floors, stuffed just crammed in, people every where. And anything you could want was there. Wow. Another wow for the day - some stores had "Aceptamos Pesos" signs meaning that they accepted the Mexican Peso for cash. At the Penney store the woman in front of me in the checkout handed all her money to the cashier to pay for it - obviously not knowing how to count or make change in American currency. When we left and began our drive home (about 5 miles down the road) it didn't dawn on us until we passed the bus station, but the international bus depot was just one block over. Most of these people came in off the bus, shopped, then head back to the bus for the trip home that afternoon. And no, we won't go to Mexico - the reports in the paper and on TV reflects terrible violence with killings, drug trafficking, just 10 miles from here. But we would definitely come back here to McAllen for another winter, feel absolutely safe.
you see that maybe we are in Mexico? Sure felt like it. Every store front was busy with people, sales persons outside hawking their wares - and when we walked by them - they quickly switched to perfect English - am I that obvious that I am not a Tejano? Perfume shops, gold jewelry shops, junk shops, small stands selling tacos and such, electronic stores, and a really cute store that sold children's formal wear. This store 
catered to the family looking for that perfect first communion dress/tux or babtismal outfit or wedding outfit. Was just adorable! And, I noticed a number of stores where there were Asians running the stores behind the counter. Hmmmm. In town is a JCPenney store with an historical marker in front. We read it and it said that the building was built specifically for JCPenney and has been used continually by that company since being built. Of course, I had to go in and see what was so special. I felt like I had stepped back way in time, when I was a kid and my sister and I taking the rapid transit to downtown Cleveland and walking through the Woolworth store on Euclid Avenue. Multiple floors, stuffed just crammed in, people every where. And anything you could want was there. Wow. Another wow for the day - some stores had "Aceptamos Pesos" signs meaning that they accepted the Mexican Peso for cash. At the Penney store the woman in front of me in the checkout handed all her money to the cashier to pay for it - obviously not knowing how to count or make change in American currency. When we left and began our drive home (about 5 miles down the road) it didn't dawn on us until we passed the bus station, but the international bus depot was just one block over. Most of these people came in off the bus, shopped, then head back to the bus for the trip home that afternoon. And no, we won't go to Mexico - the reports in the paper and on TV reflects terrible violence with killings, drug trafficking, just 10 miles from here. But we would definitely come back here to McAllen for another winter, feel absolutely safe.
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