Tips & Tales: Crossing the border through Laredo, Texas

Before I road-tripped through Texas, it wasn’t on my itinerary at all. But do yourself a favor and let places surprise you.

Laredo Texas is what is commonly known as a hidden gem. Located on the banks of the Rio Grande, it’s surprisingly famous for its irrigated acres along the river. In the 1900s it became known as the Bermuda onion capital of the USA.

Most of the heavily trafficked events that take place are of a colonial theme. Apart from celebrating the reinstatement of fun that derived following occasional somber times of the crown, these themes of celebration are just good fun and visually stunning. People have always loved an atmospheric experience.

An example of this is the famous Colonial Ball & Pageant that takes place.

Some of the gowns and outfits worn during the celebration are attributed to being over 50lbs.

I’m sure it’s no surprise to anyone that the main event of this Pageant is the attire.

The Pageant begins promptly at 8:00 p.m and the Ball immediately follows the Pageant.

It’s a debutante ball, so the original purpose was to debut young women into society. However, now its goal is to immerse oneself in another one of Laredo’s spirited historical events.

The societal board chooses two members of Laredo’s society to portray President George Washington and his First Lady, Martha. Imagine, the honor of being chosen to represent your community this way.

The event is much more than a formality. The participants portray contemporaries based on the storyline, which changes slightly every year to keep recurring guests on their toes.

If you’re considering a trip, some other current events you don’t want to miss out on are: the Washington’s Birthday Celebration and the Jalapeño Festival.

Although less of a dramatic era, the Jalapeño Festival is not to be missed. Especially, if it’s the cultural flavor you’re after.

The festival always includes a live concert, El Grito contest, waiter’s race, egg toss, Miss Jalapeno, and a jalapeno-eating contest. Although the more specific festivities vary year to year.

This party is 2 days long, February 6th and 7th, and full of music and communal pride.

The vibrant colors and overall spirit of the event draw people from both sides of the border to commemorate together.

A tourism experience I found very insightful and just all around joyful, was the Laredo’s Lost Laments of La Llorona ghost tour.

It’s a nightly event that occurs all year, so even if your trip doesn’t align with any of the festivals, this is a must-attend option for you.

It’s nice to offer yourself some diversity when experiencing a new location. This tour is guided by expert storytellers and haunted history specialists, so you’re getting the real deal. The tour features local legend ghost stories that reveal a darker, more eerie side to the border city.

You will also get your steps for the day by attending this event, as it’s an interactive, mile-long tour.

There are endless accounts of unexplainable activity that dance among the sites the guides will walk you through.

Not to mention the historic locations they take you to, to give a visual aspect to the legends you’ll hear.

You’ll visit the La Posada Hotel, a historic 1916 building once home to two schools Next is the Republic of the Rio Grande Museum, one of Laredo’s oldest buildings The museum was also once the capital of the Republic of the Rio Grande, however brief. This site was chosen as the halls of the museum are said to host recurring supernatural visitations.

This is my favorite site of the tour. The tropical architecture evokes a sense of a serene getaway. However, there’s a presence you can’t really explain. It hovers by the pool in the back.

You’ll next have the experience of Casa Ortiz, known for its Spanish architecture and a mysterious past of disappearances and familial despair. Each stop is artfully selected for its supernatural significance, giving you an unforgettable and educational evening.

The next event is a very important one, as it’s one of the biggest events in the United States/ Mexico all year.

The Washington’s Birthday celebration in Laredo is one of the oldest and largest national celebrations of the USA.

It’s known as a month-long event honoring the “heritage and border unity” of our country. The celebration often draws up to 400,000 residents of the American & Mexican nations to celebrate together.

A major attraction of the party is the International Bridge connecting Laredo and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Children of both nations portray the strength of friendship, in a stunning visual display of colors and culture.

One of the more surprising parts of spending time in Laredo, Texas, is its convenient access for a day or weekend trip into Mexico. It’s also known as one of the more relaxed crossings, for everyone reluctant to experience any excess hassle on their Texas trip.

My experience crossing the border was seamless entering Mexico from Laredo.

And.. less seamless entering back into Laredo from Mexico. But that was just some confusion with border patrol.

Friends were made all over Mexico and unfortunately, having a bunch of hitchhikers in your van, all from different parts of the world, brews slight concern. The holdup was immense, though it was comical.

We all originally met in Hidalgo, at a climbing camp, and continued traveling the country together. By the time we crossed back stateside, we were all piled into different vehicles as friends and border patrol was very suspicious.

We were all separated and eventually granted permission back into Texas, after many hours.Lucky for us, there’s a 24-hour Denny’s, about a 20 min drive from the border, and before the separation, we had all agreed upon it as our meet-up point.

These are all the border crossings offered to citizens between Laredo, Texas, and Mexico.

• Bridge 1 (Downtown): Pedestrian and passenger vehicles.
• Bridge 2 (Juarez-Lincoln): Passenger vehicles and buses.
• Colombia Solidarity Bridge: Located to the west, often used to avoid downtown traffic.

A tip that the official customs officers will give you is: to check the live traffic cameras online before crossing.

Pedestrian crossings take minutes, but returning to the U.S. can take longer depending on lines. Make sure you keep your passport available and close to you at all times. It’s a non-negotiable essential to your return to the United States.

**Disclaimer: Border conditions can change rapidly. Always check official U.S. Customs and Border Protection updates before traveling.**

Try to exchange your dollars for pesos, in advance, before crossing the border, if you’re not in a time crunch. They have shops all around Laredo for this purpose.

To find the closest one to you, you can search for ” Casa De Cambio, on Google Maps.

Avoid border towns, if you’re to spend some time before you cross, sleep for a night, etc – do so a bit inland. The towns lining the border, on both sides, typically see a spike in all-around crime.

As far as the night prior to crossing, I would try to give yourself 30 minutes of driving time between your camp spot/ hotel and the actual border.

If you have dogs, make sure to have them leashed prior to driving through the border, as it makes it much easier and less of a hectic scenario, if they’d like to search your car. This way, you can easily remove yourself and your dogs from the vehicle and let the border patrol do their job.

Something I do weeks before driving into unknown territory, is research the pet import regulations of that country. I do this to make sure the dogs have all the shots required and the correct paperwork. I try to limit any potential problems whilst crossing.

Personally, I am careful not to take my dogs through a border that is likely to quarantine them, to limit trauma. But to each their own.

Once you safely arrive in Mexico, the first thing you should do is get a temporary import permit at the welcome center. The building you need, specific to the Laredo crossing, is just past the border, over the bridge, on the big white building to your right.

Now all that’s left to do is enjoy your trip and to absolutely do a late-night dinner at Denny’s once you arrive safely back in Laredo, Texas.