La Plaza Mall has grown, but for me it's less a place to shop and more a place to walk with air…read moreconditioning and observe with amazement and wonder the diverse crowd of humanity and also the evolved mall creatures with rainbow hair and pieces of metal sticking out of their tongues. Unless you're really into paying large amounts of money for the privilege of advertising for a company by wearing clothing covered with their logo (so others know you paid $800 for your sneakers), or cheap Chinese imported fad stuff, you may want to use the entrance that leads directly into the anchor store you want to shop. Thank God, there is still a JC Penny, Dillard's and Macy's and a few decent places to eat. Those who are more adventurous can enter the vortex that is the mall where there are other stores like Old Navy, Abercrombie & Fitch, Build a Bear Workshop, Torrid, Hot Topic, Sephora, Bath & Body, Victoria's (not so) Secret, Van's, Boot Jack, and a few chain jewelry stores like Zales, Kay, and Reed's. Naturally (or unnaturally) there is also a labyrinth of kiosks and other smaller stores all competing for your attention and money. You'll find people trying to spray you with fragrances, straighten or curl your hair, fit you with a hair piece, put some new glitter make-up on your face, or polish your shoes for free ...only to try to pressure you into buying their way over-priced shoe polishing kit or at least give them a big tip. Can you tell I'm not really into malls? I had not been in over a year. I was going to the bank, but discovered it doesn't open till 11 AM, so I could drive somewhere else or walk around for 25 minutes. I chose the latter as walking is good exercise. The Northside newer expansion of the mall has some good restaurants like Texas de Brazil and Yard House. Of course you can always go to the food court and eat a large pizza sized cookie or some kind of fast food while trying to pretend you don't mind the whining children and their parents who ignore them. Thankfully, when I went it was a weekday morning and not many mall creatures were out. The parking garage was mostly empty. But I saw enough that I know I do not want to return during the Christmas shopping season. If you happen to be a mall creature, I wish you well, and a long happy life. Please don't take it personal if I do a double take when I see you made up as an Anime character doll complete with special pupil-enhancing contact lenses, or sporting subdermal implanted Vulcan-style bumps or a third eye tattooed on your forehead. My reaction is involuntary and partly out of shock. I've never had a piercing except for my annual flu shot.

I have been visiting this mall for many years, and it's one of the best options in the valley area…read more It offers bigger and better stores compared to another mall I usually go to. This location is always very busy, so expect it to be congested, especially on weekends and holidays. One thing I wish they would change is the food pavilion. I would like to see them add something to prevent the chairs from making noise when people drag them.

Went here to see Los Temerarios and really wish they would have chosen a different venue. Parking…read morewas terrible (worst we have experienced at this type of venue). Officer told us parking was full, yet most paved spots were empty (!!) It was raining when we went and it was all muddy. Cars were getting stuck. Seats are not comfortable for bigger people. They closed down bathrooms before the concert ended. They can do better.

They deleted the posts and blocked me from telling the truth. They're packing us all in together…read moreand aren't practicing social distancing. They make it appear that the cars will be spaced apart, but they parked two cars around me and claimed they have every right. There is still open spots. DECEIVING MARKETING TO MAKE MONEY!!! We bought the tickets because the picture online clearly shows in detail an open parking space between every car. If we knew that we would be so close, we would have never bought our tickets.

McAllen - Miller International Airport (MFE) is a great little Airport. Not too big, not so small…read morethat you cannot get a good meal. The location is excellent, across the street from La Plaza Mall, a hotel, and numerous shops and restaurants. There is also Uber and other similar services available. They have an Explore McAllen Marketplace and Café in the waiting area as well as inside the Terminal. In the Terminal there is also a Café, bar, VIP room, clean restrooms, and free Wi-Fi. There are six gates and two luggage carousels. So, I always smile when flying in and the crew announces, "your checked luggage can be picked up at Carousel Number 2." Just stand in between 1 and 2 , and you'll be positioned perfectly regardless of which Airline. Speaking of airlines, MFE has flights with United, American. Aeromexico, Delta, and limited flights with Allegiant and Volaris. If you arrive from and International location you will go through immigration and customs first downstairs. It has been my experience that the immigration and customs process is more detailed and takes longer here, as they go through every bag. Not a problem if you are behaving. There are also a few car rental desks across from the luggage carousels. Avis, Payless, Hertz, Enterprise, National, Dollar and Thrifty. Budget is a few blocks away, walkable, but not easy in the South Texas heat. They have easy parking for reasonable prices. Short term and long term. Airport Security is also well organized and uses facial recognition. I like this Airport because it's so easy to get in and out. The only times I've seen lines is when multiple airlines have flights departing close to the same time.

At 4:45 pm I tried to get a coffee from the coffee shop and they had no coffee. The employee…read moreclaimed she was closing at 5 pm and had already cleaned the coffee machine. So i opted for a soda. She said card only. Again. She had already closed the register. Bad attitude and no help. No other place to get something to drink with cash.

Beautiful location for photo shoots with a lot of great backgrounds people who work there are very…read morenice and helpful

The Hidalgo Pump House Heritage and Discovery Center is a great addition to this small town. This…read morelocation is being changed, remodeled, and repurposed to become more of a tourist attraction, but being kept with antique architecture that gives it a quaint but welcoming look. The pump house itself has a private parking lot and you can park for free. It's also free to walk around the outside of the pump house which provide many picture opportunities. However, if you are seeking this place out for event pictures (like a wedding photoshoot) then you do need to go to the front desk and ask for permission. I don't know, but I would imagine there might be some sort of fee involved. Though not quite a botanical garden, there are plenty of flora to look at, take pictures of, and enjoy. I have seen some pedal boats and kayaks in the river, but I have yet to see the business actually running, but I usually go after closing hours when walking as part of my exercise route. There is a small gazeebo that ends up at the river and other interesting paths to follow. A juxtaposition can be found once you bump into an actual fence that divides the US side of the river to Mexico's side of the river. This is a great place to propose to someone. They have an outdoor auditorium in which they will show free movies for children. Since you can access this location after hours, proposing to someone here makes it a beautiful reminder for your partner. Once you are done enjoying the sights, walking outside the pump house now offers the opportunity to frequent some of the local businesses that are growing around the area. There is a place really close by called Tikis which sells Mexican snacks, a tea house that has some sandwhiches and other meals, and a block further down is a crêperie called Creparis. Most of these businesses, though, close by 9:00 PM so plan ahead if you want to visit those locations. Also, since they are local emerging businesses and not chain restaurants, some don't offer the choice of paying with a credit card. I suggest you take at least 20 dollars cash with you. Over all, your night will be memorable and more so if you come during the Christmas time where they decorate entire blocks leading to this location. Enjoy.

This memorial is very well done! I had no idea it was here in McAllen, Texas until I saw it on…read moreyelp! Each of the Armed Forces is well represented here. There is plenty of free parking. Stop by and check it out.

What a treasure, the size and breadth of this memorial will amaze you. The construction is still…read morenot fully completed but I've never seen such monuments outside of D.C. I was lucky to have a veteran on site during my visit, willing to answer my questions and provide background story about construction phases of this memorial.