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La Sal del Rey & Raymondville, Texas

November 19, 2015 by Jillian Leave a Comment

raymondville, texas

la sal del rey & raymondville, texas

raymondville, texas

It’s raining yet again down here in southeast Texas and I still don’t have an umbrella for some reason โ˜”๏ธโ˜”๏ธ Maybe because trying to frantically open one inside my car or the doorway of a building as rain splashes down around me is like trying to solve a Chinese puzzle box. It’s more trouble than it’s worth in my world, and I’d rather be rained on for a few seconds than open an umbrella ๐Ÿ’ฆ๐Ÿ˜“๐Ÿ’ง

Umbrella or not, it’s really making me wish I was back in the Rio Grande Valley, where it was bright and sunny all day everyday like a tropical heaven โ˜€๏ธ๐ŸŒด I looooove this southernmost region of Texas almost as much as I love chocolate and puppies. I already wrote about being Vegan in the Rio Grande Valley and Exploring the Rio Grande Valley, and I have one more post in this three part series. Here are my favorite photos from my adventures to La Sal del Rey and Raymondville, Texas.

welcome to la sal del rey

La Sal del Rey or “The King’s Salt” is one of three naturally occurring salt lakes in south Texas. According to the sign that greets visitors upon arrival, the 530 acre lake contains approximately 4 millions tons of salt and is 10 times saltier than the ocean. Beginning in prehistoric times, it was a valuable source of salt for humans, including Native Americans, Spanish explorers, and western pioneers. Today, it is a peaceful refuge for the many species of wildlife that call this region home.

trail to la sal del rey

If you plan on visiting, make sure you wear sturdy shoes because it’s about a 20 minute walk from the parking area to the actual lake. You’ll pass bright green fields, lush foliage, and beautiful flowers.

yellow flowers

wispy flowers

flowers

I was the only person there for the entire visit, so it was quite peaceful. But I also freaked out a little every time I heard something rustle in the bushes near me ๐Ÿ™ˆ so I was pretty relieved when I finally came to the end of the trail and walked out into a vast opening of sand, salt, and water.

la sal del rey

la sal del rey

It looks like snow on the ground, but that’s the salt. To the left, the lake is all dried up and covered in interesting animal tracks. I saw bird, deer, and ocelot prints! ๐Ÿพ To the right there’s still water as far as the eye can see.

la sal del rey

animal tracks

ocelot tracks

sand

I walked across the dried up part of the lake as the clouds lifted and the sun came out. I got there late morning and it was already hot, even in early October. Definitely bring a small backpack with water, snacks, sunscreen, and sunglasses.

la sal del rey

la sal del rey

la sal del rey

la sal del rey

Closer to the water, it gets very muddy and slippery. But it’s worth the dirty shoes and potentially falling on your butt to get down to the bank and taste the salty water!

la sal del rey

la sal del rey

la sal del rey

la sal del rey

I really enjoyed the vast serenity of this place, especially knowing I was the only person around. Just me and the ocelots. I walked the trail back to the parking area and took a left onto the palm tree lined county road for my second visit back to the tiny town of Raymondville, which is only 20 minutes away.

rio grande valley

Raymondville is known as the “Gateway to the Valley” because it’s located in the northernmost region of the Rio Grande Valley. It’s a small, slow paced town and honestly there’s not much to do there, but I somehow managed to need two trips to do it all.

texas theatre in raymondville

downtown raymondville

The main drag of downtown is on Hidalgo Ave and it barely covers one block. This little strip is made up of bright colored buildings, thrift shops, the old theatre, a bakery, and a few other odds and ends. On the other side of the intersection is the historic courthouse, and although it’s not as stately as one would imagine, I enjoyed the architecture and the tiny public library sitting behind it.

raymondville courthouse

The downtown area is full of old buildings, including some interesting looking churches. I love the one below with it’s yellow accents.

church in raymondville

first baptist church raymondville

One of my favorite places in town is the museum, which is housed in a beautiful red brick building that was once the local high school. The museum gives a good background of the history of the Rio Grande Valley, prominent figures in the region, and what daily life was like there through the decades.

museum in raymondville

And being the weirdo that I am ๐Ÿ‘ฝ I always walk through the historical cemeteries in any town that I visit. I figure it’s kind of like an outdoor walking history tour ๐Ÿšถ๐Ÿšถright…..? Well, this cemetery was very colorful and vibrant and backed up to a nice, lush field.

cemetery raymondville

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Raymondville, even though the people there gave me funny looks because I obviously was not a local (!), but everyone I talked to was extremely friendly. I can’t wait to go back to the valley and continue exploring, there’s so much history and culture. Until then, I’ll power through this rainy streak in southeast Texas and hope that the storms don’t cut off the electricity again (note: showering by candlelight at 1 am is not something I need to experience again). Happy Thursday!

Jillian โ™ฅ

Related posts on Compassionate Women:

  1. Exploring the Rio Grande Valley
  2. Southeast Texas: The Golden Triangle and Galveston
  3. Day Tripping in Historic Nacogdoches, Texas

Filed Under: Bits & Pieces, Travel Tagged With: cemetery, compassionate, compassionate women, downtown, field, flowers, historic, la sal del rey, la sal del rey & raymondville, lake, museum, ocelots, raymondville, rio grande valley, salt, salt lake, south texas, Texas, the king's salt, the valley, travel, women

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HEY THERE! I’M JILLIAN.

I live near Houston, Texas with my rescue dog Stella! I create cruelty-free recipes that are delicious, to demonstrate that it's easy to follow a plant-based lifestyle. Not only are the health and beauty benefits noticeable, but it creates a more sustainable planet and keeps our animal friends safe & happy. In our spare time, Stella and I also love watching movies, reading, snuggling, and taking long walks! LEARN MOREโ€ฆ

Check out the documentary I directed!

remember my soul

Feature-length documentary that uncovers the Jewish history of the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas and the customs & traditions the Jewish people there have contributed to.

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Perfected my vegan pulled pork recipe ๐Ÿ‘… Made so Perfected my vegan pulled pork recipe ๐Ÿ‘… Made some tacos with it, a side of roasted potatoes, and my "magic" sauce ๐Ÿ’ฏ
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