Welcome to SPI-Shuttle.com

spi-shuttle.com at the Birding Center, your shuttle bus for the tropical pleasures of South Padre Island
SPI-Shuttle.com is your tour provider in the Lower Laguna Madre , covering South Padre Island, Port Isabel, Laguna Heights and Laguna Vista.

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Border, Birds and Beer tour - overview
  Tour is via shuttle bus   transit time 1 hour 45 min to two hours   Bathroom facilities on all sights/stops   Full ADA compatible tour   Bird watching oppertunity   Butterfly watching opportunity   Photoopportunity 
Full day tour, fare 85,- per Person
We offer this tour during the Winter month since 2018 once a week by request to show you some hidden treasures of the Rio Grande Valley

The tour takes you along the southern border to the old Hidalgo pump house where you have ample time to explore it and
the lake-like channel leading to the pump intake which  makes an ideal habitat for spotting some of the Valley's subtropical birds.

From there it leads north to Quinta Mazatlan which  is a historical Adobe mansion, nature and birding center located on the southern edge of  McAllen

A short stop at a local restaurant ( Smokin'Moon )will allow you to gather strength for the last treasure along our trip

5 x 5 Brewery where we hope all of our guest are  good, and we know that all of their  beers are of the best quality.
Since the last pleasure is kind of "open end" and we do not want to pressure anyone, the ending of the tour is only approximately for 5-7 pm in Port Isabel, South Padre Island.



Detailed tour description:

Estimated pick up and transit times
This tour requires a minimum of 6 passenger and is limited to 24 so all have a good time.
Please reserve your seat n time.

After we pick all up, we drive over San Benito to Hwy 281 which goes parallel to the US / Mexico border.

We arrive after 1 hour 45 min  at the old Hidalgo pump house and Birding center.
Tropical kingfishers – both green and ringed – like the combination of water and woodland along the Old Hidalgo Pumphouse’s

The Hidalgo Pump house, built for commercial-scale irrigation in 1909, drew water from the Rio Grande and channeled it to thousands of crop-laden acres nearby.

The pump house, operated first by steam before coal and electricity followed, performed its duties until 1983 when an all-electric pump house was installed downstream.

Today, the Hidalgo Pump house has been restored as a museum and its surrounding grounds serve as one of the World Birding Center sites.

Visitors may tour the pump house and marvel at the enormous machinery that once powered the pumps under Texas sub tropical heat.

 The network of smokestacks, pumps, gates, intake pipes, and boilers were originally built alongside the Rio Grande but a flood in 1933 changed the river's course by about a half-mile, leaving the pump house high and dry.

Engineers dug a channel from the river's new course back to the pump house in order for the water to reach the intake pipes.

Today, the lake-like channel makes an ideal habitat for spotting some of the Valley's subtropical birds
various colorful warblers, kinglets and gnatcatchers can be found chasing their insect meals. The Green Monk Parakeets can be found at the Hidalgo Pumphouse all year round

But if you only sit in the big Gazebo on the pump house park and just wait for a few minuets, the birds will fill the air with their sound.
Hummingbird gardens, where many of the Valley’s amazing bird species are regular visitors as well

We will meet at the picnic area in front of the pump house before leaving to Quinta Mazatlan

Quinta Mazatlan is a historical Adobe mansion and nature and birding center located in McAllen, rescued by the city of McAllen Texas and fully restored.
Spanish-revival estate amid sprawling tropical gardens featuring over 250 species of birds.

The urban sanctuary works to enrich people's lives by sharing knowledge about birds, plants ( most are marked with name tags) , and environmental stewardship in South Texas.

You can roam the mansion and walk through the whole park while we are there or just silently sit on the back porch of the "Discovery Center" and watch the birds come by to the little lake behind it.
Lake behind Discovery Center

After our visit to Quinta Mazatlan we will be heading to lunch so we do not arrive hungry at  5 x 5 Brewery

5 x 5 Brewing Co. is a new start up Brewery in Mission Texas just west of McAllen, but the guys are expert Beer brewer in their new location
5x5 Brewing Co. is a veteran owned and operated craft brewery located in the Rio Grande Valley of deep South Texas

I do not want to set a time how long we will be at the Brewery as Sean ( from 5 x 5 ) might be able to give us a tour on the brewing process and you might have more than one question.

Since you have a designated sober driver - feel free to indulg on the flavors of  fresh brewed beer before we are headding back to Port Isabel and South Padre Island.
And since this tour is called " Border, Birds and Beer tour"
here the final suggestion how to enjoy all of the above on your porch days after this tour.
"Border , Birds and Beer Tour in South Texas"