Alice on US Highway 281 - Hub City.

South of San Antonio on Highway 281 we have Alice. The lands south of San Antonio are commonly referred to as South Texas. Alice with a population of around 20, 000, was named after the daughter of one of the founders of the famed King Ranch, Alice King Kleberg. The post office opened for business in 1888.

Called the "Hub City" due to its geographical location between Corpus Christi, McAllen, Laredo and San Antonio. Alice's location between these cities makes it an ideal center for distribution. At the intersection of 44/359 and Texas US Hwy 281. East out of town on Highway 44 is the Gulf of Mexico.

Recreation in Alice include hunting, fishing, city parks, with two golf courses. Close proximity to Lake Corpus Christi, and Padre Island makes it a haven for people escaping a winter freeze or for a fun get away. The combination of rich, fertile soils and long growing seasons provide farmers and ranchers with ideal conditions. Agribusiness is the second most important source of income for the Alice area. The city is also one of Texas' largest beef cattle centers. History for the area is displayed in the South Texas Museum near downtown.

Alice Chamber of Commerce:  Alice Parks & Recreation Website:

Alice is recognized as "The Birthplace of Tejano" dating back to the mid 1940s. When Ideal Records, was based here, "the heart of South Texas", launched what was to be the first home-based recording company to record Tejano artists exclusively. in South Texas, which boasts a large Latino population, conjunto, the accordion-heavy subgenre of tejano music is huge.

After Mexico's independance, Central European immigrants with German farmers and brewers settled on both sides of the border. They brought with them the accordion, a recent invention in Germany. Mexican and Tejano musicians borrowed it quickly, seduced its loudness, with the ability to play bass and melody. Accompanied by bajo sexto and contrabajo and later with saxophones and drums, the accordion became the leading instrument of Norteño music, in Mexico or Conjunto Tejano (Tex-Mex) across the border. Tejano in 20th century became the hispanic equivalent of country music for Southern Anglos or the blues for Afro-Americans.

Premont on 281, with a population of around 3,000 friendly folks here. Was founded in 1908 and a post office was opened the following year and the town soon expanded. Incorporated in 1939. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Premont was a mission of Falfurrias. The community is a highly productive agricultural region, with oil and gas production as well.

Falfurrias, Texas, less than 6,000 inhabitants, south of Alice and Premont. Located at the intersection of US 281 and Highway 285. East on 285 to Baffin Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. In 1909 purebred Jersey dairy cattle were imported to Mr. Lasater ranch and eventually built what was said to be the largest Jersey herd in the world. The butter that made the town a household word across Texas is no longer produced locally. The name was bought by a large dairy company. Irrigation, introduced during the late 1920s, brought in truck farming and the citrus fruit industry. The discovery of extensive oil and gas reserves around Falfurrias in the 1930s and 1940s added a new dimension to the town's growth and prosperity.

Falfurrias, the little town with a Checkpoint, it seems like in “the middle of nowhere” but, is in fact, it is in the middle of everything, with one of the highest seizure rates in the country. Highway 281 has a three-lane checkpoint which is one of three permanent checkpoints in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol’s Rio Grande Sector.

Hope you enjoyed this little slice of South Texas.

Happy Motoring, safe travels and Ya'll come back...