Turnoff the beeline routes to the Lower Rio Grande Valley! Enjoy how this guidebook describes a region that tourism has largely bypassed but history cannot ignore.

You'll visit more than 120 historical landmarks where centuries of hard-won settlement and ranching tradition are not only preserved but continue as a cherished way of life.

The treasures of South Texas' vibrant natural world also open along the 300-mile route. Limitless prairies, cloistered thickets and best of all, private preserves where native plants, bird life, butterflies and critters abound as no where else in North America.

No one's a stranger at the dozens of Llanos Mesteños heritage ranches that welcome guests with old-time South Texas hospitality. Here, gates open for memorable ranching history and nature programs. Hunker down and hear the stories as "Cowboy coffee" and vittles are flamed over a mesquite campfire!