Following several days traveling through the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, we headed northwest following the Rio Grande River to the storied western town of Laredo.

We had spent little time in Laredo during past trips and wanted to see what the city was all about. Perhaps the Marty Robbins’ ballad “Streets of Laredo”was in the back of our minds.

We arrived in town mid-afternoon and drove to the La Posada Hotel on the San Agustin Plaza. Laredo is fortunate to have a fine hotel on the original town square.

The town fans out from the Rio Grande River so it seemed to our benefit to stay downtown.

To gain an overview of the town’s history, we took a guided walking tour that began near our hotel at the Republic of the Rio Grande Museum.

Our personable guide, Edwardo Garcia, described the area’s history under seven flags, one of which represented the Republic of Texas during a 10-month period in 1836.

The museum building, once home to a wealthy family, served as the capitol building for the short-lived republic.

Edwardo also discussed construction of the plaza’s impressive San Agustin Cathedral that began in 1866 and was completed in 1872.

Laredo is perhaps best known today as an important commercial center for international trade. The Laredo Customs District is our country’s third largest border crossing point (following Los Angeles and New York) with four bridges crossing the Rio Grande River.

One of these, World Trade Bridge, is limited to commercial vehicles. The continuous stream of 18-wheelers rolling across is simply remarkable.

The sole pedestrian bridge is a couple of blocks from our hotel on the San Agustin Plaza. We walked to a point near the bridge in the later afternoon and were amazed by the flow of people, most of whom were Mexican citizens working in Laredo.

We were advised by a customs official that we should only cross during daytime and, once in Mexico, should not venture more than two blocks in any direction.

The desire for an authentic Mexican meal led us to the Palenque Grill Loop 20 where we overdosed on an appetizer platter, enchiladas and unique soups.

During dinner, a Laredo resident commented that Stripes, a regional chain of convenience stores, was popular for made-to-order tacos. We stopped at Stripes #9664 where we talked with the manager and tried a fajita taco and some churros.

Clever idea – gas & tacos to go.

Our next visit was to Vega’s, an upscale and interesting home-interior store specializing in custom furniture and other home goods from Mexico.

Owner Jorge Vega told us his father started the business in 1939 across the river in Nuevo Laredo. Visit his store on Sunday and complimentary margaritas are served.

We also stopped at Raymond Camina’s Mexican Mercado – Basket & Pottery Alley where we were overwhelmed by overflowing shelves of colorful Mexican goods.

Ray said his goal was for customers to have fun while giving them a flavor of Mexico. He succeeded.

At LaIndia Packing Company, Inc., we watched as employees packaged speciality artisan herbs and spices ranging from Anise seeds to Zimonilla.

The entire operation, including a small café, is in a neighborhood home. The small company has been designated a Texas treasure business by the Texas Historical Commission.

Laredo’s newest acquisition is a baseball team the city shares with Mexican neighbor, Nuevo Laredo.

The Tecolotes are scheduled to play 29 games in Laredo’s Uni-Trade Stadium that we visited one afternoon. Business manager Juan Salinas told us season tickets begin at $300,or about $10 per game; what a deal. The team is a member of the Mexican International Baseball League.

We discovered another sports bargain nearby the city.

Eighteen holes of golf, including cart, at the Max A. Mandel Municipal Golf Course goes for $37 during the week and $51 on the weekend. The par 72 course designed by Robert Trent Jones is a real beauty.

General Manager Dennis Gutierrez said birders love the course, in part because it is frequented by red-billed pigeons, a rare find in the U.S.

Laredo is in a unique location and hosts numerous special events.

The Laredo Birding Fest is in early February when migratory birds are added to the many local bird species.

The city’s biggest event is the Laredo International Sister Cities Festival held three days each July in the Energy Arena. More than 180 vendors and entertainers come from Mexico and Central America.

We had an intriguing visit to Laredo. The overall experience including the food, culture, heavily Hispanic population and shopping was an eye-opener for two travelers from South Georgia.

David and Kay Scott are authors of “Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges” (Globe Pequot). Visit them at mypages.valdosta.edu/dlscott/Scott.html. They live in Valdosta, Ga.