San Bernardo Avenue

San Bernardo Avenue, which began as a commercial road in Laredo, became known as the San Antonio Highway by 1938, replacing the earlier route along Santa Maria Avenue. Due to the anticipated increase in tourism, San Bernardo Avenue property started to be developed even earlier for travel-related businesses, including motor courts and filling stations. The city marketed itself as a gateway to Mexico, and San Bernardo Avenue soon provided the most accessible route., Other tourism-related businesses also grew in correlation with the strip's increasing importance. Many entrepreneurs opened motels, restaurants and other businesses along the strip to serve visitors. These modern structures along the path often featured architectural detailing representing earlier western and Spanish themes, which sometimes differed considerably from other building designs within Laredo. The exaggerated designs catered to out of town visitors and their concepts of the region. Advertising along the highway also reflected these themes., The new businesses and emphasis on tourist attractions were vital for Laredo's early commercial growth and development, helping to expand the city's economy. Today, the San Bernardo commercial strip is still a vibrant part of the city as Laredo continues to be a popular tourist destination. Its architecture evokes an era of early auto tourism, an integral part of the area's history in the twentieth century.