Texan, American, And Mexican Charm Blend Seamlessly In This Unique Border City With Eclectic Festivals And Shops

What makes southern Texas special? Spend a day walking, eating, and shopping in the buzzing border city of Laredo, and you will likely come up with a different answer than any other traveler's given before. The jewel of Webb County, Laredo is a place where experiences are as diverse as its travelers. This is thanks to its unique blend of Texan and Mexican culture, due to its location on the US-Mexico border.

While a good bite is easy to find, a great bargain is even easier. Laredo is home to dozens of Mexican import shops, enriching the land north of the border with every traditional object imaginable, from elaborate metalwork to cacti-painted pottery and beautifully woven garments.

Reaching Laredo is simple, thanks to its exceptional connectedness by land and air. You can fly directly to Laredo Airport from major US hubs including Las Vegas, Houston, and Dallas, and adding one stop connects you easily to all major cities across the States. If you are starting your Texas shopping trip in boutique-filled, vibrant, and super walkable Austin, bear in mind Texas' culture capital is located 235 miles away. It's worth adding a stop halfway in San Antonio, where your thirst for unique wares will be sated in Texas' trendiest riverside destination with boutique shops and vibrant events.

Laredo's location makes it an ideal hotspot of culinary experiences melding American and Mexican cuisines. In fact, it's widely regarded as a Tex-Mex mecca, with establishments including Lolita's Bistro, dishing up creative takes on Mexican-American flavors, and up-and-coming gems like Barra 83 serving Mex-inspired cocktails and draft beers, plus brunch.

Laredo's charm managed to leave even the late chef Anthony Bourdain speechless when he visited in 2006 for an episode on the US-Mexico border of the beloved Travel Channel show "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations." At the end of a day spent boating through the Rio Grande to then reach the culinary heart of Laredo, the great chef remarked that "the only things that stay with you are the faces and flavors" of this charming, yet complicated, borderland. In this jumble of sounds and flavors, it's no surprise many of the amazing food spots in town are neither Texan nor Mexican, but they are a mix of pan-American cuisine, with its enriching external influences. One such establishment –- which chef Bourdain also visited -– is Tokyo Garden, championing creative Japanese cuisine.

But it's not all about bites and booze. Laredo is also the epicenter of cultural happenings in this corner of Texas, with many festivals and events taking place year-round. Take, for example, the annual BBQ cook-off to celebrate the beginning of the fall season, or even the Laredo birding festival in winter, in which people flock to witness avian species crossing what is considered one of North America's most densely populated ( "birdiest", if you may), migration territories.

If you're flocking to the Lone Star state's borderlands for its iridescent artisanal offerings, you won't be disappointed. A haven for shopping aficionados, San Bernardo Avenue has upwards of 40 blocks' worth of colorful shops, granting it the status of its own shopping district. Here you can find pottery, textiles, silverware, and all kinds of trinkets bearing the "Hecho en Mexico" stamp. Dozens of import shops dot Laredo's former main street, including La Hacienda Rustic Furniture, where you can find woodwork and custom-made furniture; Basket and Pottery Alley, selling traditional clothing and multicolor designs; and Cuevas Imports, home to wholesale metal signs, and outdoors decors reminiscent of Mexican themes.

Laredo is recognized as a hotspot of cultural celebrations of Mexican-American identity. One such festival is Laredo's International Sister Cities Festival, a three-day event where tangible and intangible heritage (think music, art, language, and food) shared between Laredo and its counterpart in Tamaulipas, Nuevo Laredo, is celebrated. Another unique event is the celebration of George Washington's birthday every February. The parade includes men wearing 19th century period costumes, and "debutantes" ready to join society, carried on highly adorned floats.

Laredo brings its energy and vibrancy to the public year-round, with monthly events including Caminarte, where citizens and out-of-towners alike are invited to explore the art on display across the city on a walking tour, and the Centro de Laredo Farmers Market, taking place every third Saturday of the month at the Outlet Shoppes. If you can't get enough of outdoorsy fun, history, and epic festivals to fill a weekend, Texas is the perfect playground.