Shopping

• Located a short distance from the resort is the Sunrise mall. The mall has Bealls, Dillards, JC Penney,
  Sears, and over 100 Stores to choose from.
• Close by is a flea market. The flea market contains over 2,000 booths of unique items such as plants,
  produce, clothes, tools , antiques and other treasures. Open all year round Sat and Sun 5:00am-6:00pm
• Close by is Matamoros Mexico. The shops and markets of Matamoros offer many art, handcraft, and
  souvenir options. Good values are available on items ranging from leather goods, silver and gold
  jewelry, colorfully woven fabrics, pottery, and even prescription drugs.

Birding
The Rio Grande Valley, a top birding destination, is a migratory flyway between North and South
America. More than 500 species of birds and 300 species of butterflies migrate through the Rio
Grande Valley. The native and migratory species create opportunities for all watchers to add to their
life-list of birds viewed There is network of nine unique birding sites in the Lower Rio Grande Valley
which serves as special places for learning and discovery. The Resaca de la Palma State Park which is
located in Brownsville boasts the largest tract of native habitat in the World Birding Center network.

Biking
As you bike along the Brownsville Historic Battlefield Trail you are following in the footsteps of a rich history. Over 160 years ago with the annexation of Texas, the United States became a party to the 10-year dispute with Mexico over which river defined the southern border of Texas. This dispute culminated in the Mexican-American war. The first battle field of the War took place at Palo Alto which is now a national park that is located at the northern end of the trail.

On July 4, 1904 the St. Louis Brownsville and Mexico Railroad Co. opened a track between Brownsville and Robstown. In 1999, the city of Brownsville purchased the corridor after rail service had ceased and began the process of establishing the Brownsville Historic Battlefield trail and the Southern Pacific Linear Park. The Linear park along with the Dean Porter Park and the Gladys Porter zoo are on the southern end of the trail

 The trail is paved and has many rest stops along the way. The trail is about nines miles in length,

Fishing
South Padre Island and Port Isabel on the Gulf of Mexico offers many opportunities for deep and
shallow salt water fishing. There is abundance of guides and charters for both deep sea and shallow
fishing. Surf, pier, bay flats, and jetties offers many bank and wade salt-water fishing opportunities
The fresh water canals, lakes, resacas, and the Rio Grande River offer catfish, bass, and croppy.

Golfing
A National Golf Foundation poll concluded that the Rio Grande Valley has more playable days of golf
(less than 25 days lost) per year than anywhere else in the United States. The Valley Inn and Country
club, Brownsville Golf Center, Fort Brown Municipal, River Bend Resort, Rancho Viejo Country
Club and South Padre Island Golf Club are close by 18 hole golf courses.

Additional places

• The Gladys Porter Zoo is an oasis nestled in the center of Brownsville. With 26 acres of lush tropical
  plants and some 1,600 animals, the Gladys Porter Zoo is known for its successes in breeding
  endangered species of wildlife.
• The Palo Alto Battlefield was the first in a two-year long conflict that changed the map of North
  America.
• The Brownsville Museum of Fine Art has outstanding permanent collection that today exceeds 300
  works, which include those works by Marc Chagall, N.C. Wyeth, and Alexander Calder to name a
  few.
• Laguna Atascosa NWR is the largest protected area of natural habitat left in the Lower Rio Grande
  Valley, an oasis for wildlife with few alternatives. The refuge's 45,000 acres become more valuable
  with each acre lost to development--valuable to wildlife and valuable to those who enjoy wildlife in
  wild lands.
• Rio Grande Valley Wing has a complete collection of combat aircraft which were flown by all
  military services of the United States in World War II.
• The Historic Brownsville Museum houses a variety of exhibits that interpret events from
  Brownsville's past. Exhibits include data from the earliest military fort in our area to the arrival of
  French teaching nuns to displays of agricultural and ranching tools & much more.
• The Costumes of the Americas Museum was displays the traditional costumes worn by different
  cultures in the Western Hemisphere.