El Paso Travel Information
Settled by the Tigua Pueblo Indians, El Paso is in the far west tip
of Texas, nestled in the Franklin Mountains between New Mexico and
Cuidad Juarez, the fourth largest city in Mexico. It's the largest
border city on the American side, and with a population of over
700,000, it's one of the largest cities in Texas. Because of El Paso’s
extreme western Texas location, many Southwestern cultures are
represented which makes El Paso difficult to define culturally. The
natural beauty of the area may be unsurpassed in the state. A
growing downtown arts district is home to El Paso Art Museum and the
Abraham Chavez Theatre. Seven museums are in El Paso, including the
sole National Border Patrol Museum in the U.S. Over 100 murals (Los
Murales) can be seen throughout the city, especially south of
downtown. Drive along the historic Mission Trail on the far-east
side of El Paso to visit the historic missions of San Antonio de los
Tiguas and Socorro, and the presidio of San Elizario. Along the Trail,
you'll find other attractions, such as the Tigua Cultural Center. The
Lincon Azaderos Dairy, famous for its Azaderos Mexican cheese, has a
small petting zoo, fishing lake and picnic grounds. Across the
border, Cuidad Juarez is a mecca of shopping and restaurants. Parking
lots are available on the American side, within walking distance of
Mexico and its whole other world of sight and sound. Miles of
hiking and mountain biking trails wind through the Franklin Mountains
State Park. Rock climbing and bird watching are available east of El
Paso at Hueco Tanks State Historical Park. Carlsbad Caverns Nation
Park, the White Sands National Monument, El Paso Botanical Gardens and
Keystone Archaeological Park all let you enjoy native plants and
scenery and sometimes with a touch of history. The Chamizal National
Memorial, though, is pure history, commemorating the end of a border
dispute between the United States and Mexico. El Paso sits on
the edge of the Chihuahua Desert, and is in the Mountain Time Zone
(rather than the Central Time Zone). It can be reached from I-25 from
the north and I-10 from the east and west.
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