San Ygnacio and Falcon Reservoir/Lake

Our hostess Doña Juanís

Mar y Tierra

Driving downstream from Laredo on US Hwy 83 we felt the need for a second cup of coffee by the time we reached San Ygnacio. We stopped at a wonderfully colorful restaurant, Mar y Tierra, mostly Tierra since we didn't see fish on the wall posted menu.  We were greeted by a warm and ebulient woman who insisted on feeding us. Mind you we'd already had a late breakfast at the Posada Inn in Laredo. Coni noticed, however, that there were 4 calendars among the many decorations hanging on the walls. The calendars brought to mind Blue Highways by William Least Heat-Moon, a book containing the exploits of a writer who traveled the secondary highways of the country. He concluded that the number of calendars provided by clients to the owners of restaurants were a direct testament to the quality of the food. Four calendars means the food must be given serious consideration. And, we proceeded to do just that.

Bean and noodle soup

Doña Juanís exclaimed that she had just put two fresh flour tortillas on the comal. She brought us two different kinds of soup; a wonderful noodle and bean soup and a regional variety of menudo or tripe soup. Thus fortified we set out to visit San Ygnacio.



Dating from approximately the same time as Laredo, San Ygnacio was never meant to become a city and it did not. It originated on the banks of the Rio Grande as the home of a ranching family in the mid 1700's. It is included in the National Register of Historic Places. In San Ygnacio we had the honor of meeting Sr. Uribe, a direct descendant of the founding family whose home literally sits on the banks of the river. Some of the buildings have been restored to give a wonderful sense of what these homes must have been like two hundred and fifty years ago. All were made of beautifully crafted stone. On some walls the builders left gun ports to protect agains attacks by the Lipan Apaches. This Native American tribe was particularly reticent to accept the European settlers.

Blending with nature
'69 Dodge

Back on Hwy 83 we drove towards Falcon Dam/Reservoir one of the largest bodies of water in the southern part of Texas. We stopped to ask for directions of a woman, Elvia Garza and her son, Miguel. While listening to their directions we noticed a beautiful '69 Dodge pick-up truck covered with ivy. After asking permission to photograph it the woman launched into explanations of the make and year of several old vehicles on the property. We spent a delightful time walking through thorny bushes to discover yet more old trucks and parts of others. One of those trucks was a Chevy Luv. Does anyone remember them?

Back on track again, we headed for our original destination of Falcon Lake. We came to the dam and rode half-way across it where the US and Mexican flags the water boundaries of the two countries.

Falcon Dam/Reservoir

Tomorrow we plan to visit two other old towns: Roma and Rio Grande City.