Quirky Charm in McAllen, Texas

Bland is out; quirky is in- and McAllen is one quirky city.

If you're interested in covering something a little left-of-center, take a look at the following:

Things to do:

Curandero-a- Have you ever been to a witch doctor? It's something like that. A curandero (or curandera if it's a woman) is a cross between a psychic, herbalist, spell-caster, and healer. They are most often found in a…

Yerberia- or herbaria, a store selling crystals, candles for prayers, ingredients for potions, and other assorted items used in alternative healing and spiritual rituals.

Day of the Dead- People in McAllen celebrate November 2 as Day of the Dead. There are altars erected in homes in honor of departed loved ones, picnics to cemeteries, even a festival with skulls and crepe paper flowers as decorations.

Chupacabras- Bet you've never seen one! A chupacabra, or “goatsucker,” is a mythical (we think) creature reportedly sighted now and again in these parts. It's South Texas's answer to Nessie or Bigfoot!

Places to Go:

Los Ebanos Ferry- I'll bet you've never helped pull a ferry across a river. This is your chance at Los Ebanos, the last hand-drawn ferry across the Rio Grande. Ride across on foot or in your car, touch Mexican soil, then turn around and ride back again. And yes, you can really help tug on the rope!

Exotic Animals- Several ranchesjust outside of McAllenare homes to animals originally from Africa and other continents. You can see and photograph nilgai, emu, fallow deer and other unusual critters.

People to See:

At first glance, Benito Trevino appears to be the stereotypical Mexican American- small in stature and sporting a big, bushy mustache and an easy grin.  A geologist, rancher and indigenous flora and fauna expert, he learned all about traditional uses of South Texas plants at his grandmother's knee. Today he gives tours of his ranch/B&B, pointing out the tracks and traces of various animals and insects, regales visitors with tales of peyote pirates who invade his property, and serves cookies hand made with flour ground from the bean of the mesquite tree. He also consults with medical doctors to assist them in prescribing medicines that won't interact poorly with those who still eat off the land.

            St. Francis of Assisi is one of Catholicism's most well-known saints. Father Tom Pincelli is seen by some as his natural successor. A practicing priest, Fr. Tom, also known as Fr. Bird, is one of the country's foremost birders in an area full of experts. Fr. Tom was a principal in instigating the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival, one of the nation's most well-respected birding events. He writes a long-standing local newspaper column on birding, and is on the Board of Directors of the American Birding Association.  He's on of the McAllen area's most sought-after speakers and birding guides. Oh, yes, and he's a hunter as well.

Cuisine:

            McAllen has delicious Texas barbecue, fresh seafood and authentic Tex-Mex, among many other cuisine choices.  But here are some unusual selections you may not have tried:

Grapefruit pie- Home of the ultra-sweet Ruby Red grapefruit, local restaurants serve a warm, whipped-cream-topped sugar-free pie filled with juicy sections of the delicious citrus.

Cabrito- It's goat meat. It's a little dry to me, but lots of people just love it.

Barbacoa (cow head) and Menudo (beef stomach)- Local favorites, these are dishes made of the parts of cows most people in the U.S. wouldn't touch with a 20 foot pole. But people here  roll it up in tortillas and dive in!

Nopales- or nopalitos, also called tuna, is edible cactus. Most commonly served as a meat substitute during Lent, the cactus pads are de-stickered, cut in small pieces, and sometimes mixed with eggs, or served as a burrito filler. They have a consistency similar to raw okra.