City Spotlight: El Paso
If cities were colors, El Paso would be a vibrant red.
Red is the color of the clay along the hiking trails of the Franklin Mountains; the glorious color of the sauce that bathes the famous cheese enchiladas at L&J Cafe; the color of the striking jerseys worn by the city’s minor-league baseball team, the Chihuahuas; and the dramatic hue the sky turns when the desert sun dips beneath the city’s horizon each night.
Named after the Spanish phrase for “the pass,” this bilingual city is snugly situated along the Rio Grande on the border between two nations and three states.
El Paso boasts an average of 300 days of sunshine per year, making it a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts pursuing fishing, golfing, hiking, or water sports. Touches of Old West spirit and Native American heritage can be found everywhere, from the artifacts in the acclaimed El Paso Museum of History to the pictographs found in the Hueco Tanks State Historic Site.
Any visit to El Paso wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the El Paso Mission Trail. The trail dates back 400 years and stretches nine miles along a historic corridor connecting two of the oldest continuously operated missions in the United States (Ysleta Mission and Socorro Mission) and a historic presidio chapel (San Elizario Presidio Chapel).
El Paso is as far west as you can get in Texas, but this energetic city is well worth the trek to soak in its colorful culture, cuisine, and scenery.
