McAllen, Texas: An Unexpected Foodie Destination

McAllen, Texas has become an unexpected culinary incubator in southern Texas- melding traditional Tex Mex & Mexican cuisine with a Texan twist on the farm to table dining experience...

This post was created in partnership with Visit McAllen. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

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When I traveled to to the city of McAllen in the southern tip of Texas last November, I expected to find some amazing local Tex Mex & Mexican restaurants. After all, McAllen is located in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, just a short 10 minute drive from the Mexican border. And while I did sample some amazing traditional Tex Mex fare during my stay, I was truly surprised by the number of restaurants in this city that had embraced the farm to table concept in new, exciting, & delicious ways. 

I was introduced to a bodega that proudly cures it's own meats. To a restaurant & bar in the New American style of dining that prides itself on it's cocktails inspired by locally sourced ingredients. To a wine bar & bistro that is redefining fine dining in the Rio Grande Valley area by bringing the freshness of the valley to each and every one of their dishes. 

The local food scene of McAllen, Texas definitely far surpasses the expectations that you may have of a just north of the border Texan city. This bustling metropolis, which attracts about 18 million visitors each year, has become somewhat of a culinary incubator- melding traditional Tex Mex & Mexican cuisine with a Texan twist on the farm to table dining experience...

Experience a Taste of Route 66 in Amarillo, Texas

The city of Amarillo, Texas embodies the very essence & spirit of Route 66 with its quirky roadside stops & historical sites...

This post was created in partnership with Visit Amarillo. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

I think many Americans and foreign tourists alike share the dream of one day traveling the entire length of the historic & iconic Route 66. It is one of those bucket list items. The ultimate American road trip. A journey back to a simpler time when Cadillacs ruled the roads & families packed up the station wagon or camper to head out west for the annual family vacation.

But the nearly 2,450 mile drive from Chicago to Santa Monica can seem a bit daunting at first. This trip can take you weeks round trip, especially if you stop often to take in the quirky & iconic roadside attractions along the way. I mean, what's the point of making the epic Route 66 journey if you aren't going to actually going to make the time to experience everything this nostalgic highway has to offer?

If weeks of paid vacation time is not something that you currently have the luxury of possessing, but you are itching to get a taste of Route 66 then a trip to Amarillo, Texas is definitely the cure for what ails you. ;) Amarillo happens to be the largest city along the 178 mile stretch of Route 66 from Oklahoma to New Mexico. And even though only a little over a mile of the Mother Road runs through the historic district of Amarillo, the city embodies the very essence of Route 66 with its quirky roadside stops & historical sites...