PAINTING THE TOWN RED...AND YELLOW AND BLUE AND GREEN...

Harlingen, a Texas Main Street charmer, boasts walls brighter than its balmy, subtropical sunshine. Over a half dozen murals decorate the Jackson Street Historic District, making a stroll along its avenues a vibrant and happy affair. Download a map of the Mural Project from the city's Chamber of Commerce website or see how many you can discover on your own. While you're at it, dine at the restored Reese Hotel—now a refurbished multi-use icon—or hit the Arts and Heritage Museum for the lowdown on Harlingen's history, culture, and creative highlights. And plan to be on site for the Jackson Street Market Days happening the first Saturday of every month.

Home to the region's first gravity-fed irrigation canals, Harlingen has a long history in agriculture and, in fact, the city's economy was almost completely driven by growers in the early 1900s. Not so today, as Harlingen's growth has taken off in all directions including arts and entertainment, shopping and nature tourism, sport parks, complexes and arenas, and is host to professional and minor league baseball, basketball, arena football, and ice hockey teams. Go Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees!