newbie

Hi, im a college student participating at a work and travel program for four months in Mcallen. I dont have a car and i%26#39;m not planning to rent one during my stay. How do i get around the city/state? I%26#39;ve searched the net for good places to visit but if anyone could recommend me attractions or activites that i could do while i%26#39;m there, i%26#39;d appreciate it. I%26#39;ll be staying from march until june. Thanks.

newbie

Good luck...it%26#39;s difficult to get around down here without wheels of some sort. Also, not too much to do here: go out to eat (so-so selections), go to movies, go to the mall, out to Padre Island (not much to do there...although, I highly recommend eating at the Padre Island Brewing Co. It has really good food, decent prices and they brew their own beer there...excellent quality) Unfortunately, there%26#39;s not much else here...that%26#39;s in part why we will be moving to San Antonio within the next year or so. Again, good luck.

newbie

I%26#39;d highly recommend renting a car, as the previous poster stated quite correctly that public transportation at this point is inefficient at best.

Not sure what your interests are. Reply back with some specifics and I can do my best to help you.

thanks for the info.

my interests are scuba diving, music (i play the keyboards), sports, photography, dancing, films (indies and mainstream). i%26#39;m really not %26#39;choosy%26#39; with the activites or attractions. i%26#39;m up for anything and i intend to make the most out of my stay there. hmm, what if i get a bicycle? will it be good enough? i dont think it%26#39;s practical for me to get a car. i%26#39;m not american and it%26#39; hard to get an international driving license. i asked my travel coordinator about it.

Can i get some tips on buying things, clothing, and the day to day life there? thanks

I still recommend a car, especially for getting to South Padre. However, I researched the public transit question a little more, and have provided a link below:

http://www.mcallen.net/bus/me.htm

Scuba diving: I%26#39;m not a scuba diver, but here are a couple links that should work.

http://www.divesouthpadre.com/

http://www.sandslave.com/scubaspi/

Photography: Again, not much of a photographer, but I do know there is plenty of beautiful scenery here, be it flora or fauna. Here%26#39;s a good place to start:

http://www.worldbirdingcenter.org/

Music: Plenty of choices depending on what you like. There are clubs for whatever genre you like. Hillbilly%26#39;s, Club Onyx, Metropolis, Yacht Club, Graham Central Station, just to name a few.

Sports: Plenty of parks around town for pickup games of soccer, basketball, or whatever. If spectating is more your thing, there%26#39;s a baseball team in nearby Edinburg. Check the website below.

http://www.edinburgcoyotes.com/

Movies: If indies are your thing, check out Cine El Rey. For mainstream offerings, your best bet is the large Tinseltown on the Nolana Loop. You can%26#39;t miss it.

http://www.cineelrey.com/

Clothing while you%26#39;re here will vary a little bit. When you first arrive in March, you%26#39;ll probably be most comfortable in pants/jeans, and maybe a long sleeved shirt or jacket. For example, yesterday it was 75 F and sunny. Today, it%26#39;s 50 F and rainy. (24C and 10C, respectively) By April, the average temperature during the day will hover somewhere around 85 F (29C) during the day, and 65 F (18C) at night. May and June will be warmer still, so light, loose fitting clothes are best. Most people will be walking around in shorts/t-shirts/sandals.

When it comes to day to day life, here are a few things I think can really help:

- If dining out, go early. McAllen is filled with large chain restaurants that fill up extremely quickly. By 6:30, y ou%26#39;ll be waiting an average of 20 minutes for a table.

- If travelling to Mexico, carry small bills. Don%26#39;t carry large amounts of money, and what you do carry, make sure it%26#39;s $10 or smaller. You r US dollar will get you about 10 pesos in Mexico. The actual exchange rate is about 11.5 pesos/dollar, but expect 10/1 from vendors. Small bills get you more for your money than large bills, and, you WILL get Mexican change.

- The water that comes out of the tap is OK to drink. However, most people drink bottled water.

- As a pedestrian/cyclist, be careful. There are many more autos on the road than either walkers or cyclists, and as such, you will not have the right of way. Be extremely careful when crossing at an intersection, because many people will try and beat the red light.

I think that%26#39;s all for now. As far as buying things, what are you looking to buy? Alcohol? Reply back and I%26#39;ll answer as best I can. Hope this helps.

bloom-