McAllen is the largest city in Hidalgo County, Texas (US). It is neatly situated at the cusp of North and South Americas in Rio Grande Valley, and sits across the Mexican city of Reynosa. It is the most popular shopping destination in North America for Mexican residents. McAllen is positioned on the migratory path between the Americas and it hosts several bird and butterfly expeditions at certain times of the year. Its clear derivative can be seen in McAllen’s nine sites that together host 528 bird and 300 butterfly species, a factor that makes it a perpetual favorite among avid birdwatchers. The city’s cuisines are a delightful sum of Texan and Mexican cuisines and are called Tex-Mex.
Quinta MazatlanQuinta Mazatlan is a country estate that offers a tour to its insides and 15 acres of land around it. You would find it an urban sanctuary that offers a remarkable sight of flora and fauna (and birds and butterflies) native to Texas. This mansion would entice you the most if you are an avid bird watcher.
McAllen Nature CenterMcAllen Nature Center is McAllen’s most famous nature preserve. Best part of the nature center is that it contains nearly a mile of trails running through an unspoilt native thorn scrub offering some picture perfect landscape and superb bird watching opportunities. It is open throughout the year, seven days a week but timings do vary as per prevailing weather then.
The International Museum of Art & ScienceLocated in McAllen, the International Museum of Art & Science is home to scintillating collection of European and Latin American art from the 16th to 19th centuries, plus several specimens of Japanese prints, modern art and folk art. Also of note are some antique stained glass, images from the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Discovery Pavilion, an educational children's exhibit, a sculpture garden and a science playground.