Article: Drive south on I-35 for a hot time on both sides of the Rio Grande.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

LAREDO, Texas _ This is the beginning, or the end, depending on your perspective, of Interstate 35.

I gazed out at the dry flatland and sparse brush that defines west Texas along the Rio Grande. And wondered. Would people come here for a vacation?

Laredo is not, after all, known as a recreation destination. It doesn't have the history and charm of San Antonio, the night life and music of Austin or the sophistication and culture of Dallas.

But people do come here every day. Some are visiting Aunt Clara and Uncle Fernando; some are driving trucks on the NAFTA highway to Mexico.

What they've found is what I found: a laid-back, rapidly ...

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