Bordered by mountains and the Rio Grande and 500 mi/800 km northwest of San Antonio, El Paso is strongly influenced by Mexico and the Old West. A cultural mix of Hispanics, Anglos and Native Americans gives it an atmosphere unlike that of any other city in the state.
Pueblan tribes inhabited the area before 1581, when Spanish explorers arrived to establish a series of missions along the Rio Grande. You can still visit several of the old missions in the area.
If you want to get a better understanding of the complexities of the international border between the U.S. and Mexico, El Paso is a good place to start. For many decades, cultures and interests have both merged and clashed there. On the one hand, the city is where you'll find the Chamizal National Memorial, which commemorates the settlement of a border dispute. On the other, it's home to the U.S. Border Patrol Museum, which documents the history of the law officers who have the job of preventing illegal immigration and smuggling.
If you're in the area in April, join the people of El Paso in celebrating Thanksgiving. They're not on a different calendar—they're commemorating a different event: the Thanksgiving Spanish explorers are said to have held in 1598, decades before the famous Pilgrim-Native American dinner in Massachusetts.
Sightseeing
In addition to the Chamizal National Memorial (http://www.nps.gov/cham) and the U.S. Border Patrol Museum (http://www.borderpatrolmuseum.com), there are several museums showcasing the history of the region.
The Centennial Museum on the University of Texas at El Paso campus moves from the age of dinosaurs up through that of the Old West (http://museum.utep.edu). The El Paso Museum of History concentrates on the frontier era, as does the replica of old Fort Bliss (established in 1849), which is on the grounds of today's army base of the same name (http://www.elpasotexas.gov/history). The El Paso Art Museum has a nice collection of old masters and American paintings. http://www.elpasoartmuseum.org.
The Mission Trail is a marked driving route that runs to the Ysleta and Socorro Missions and the San Elizario Presidio. All of these have been rebuilt since they were originally constructed in the early colonial days, but they still date to the 1800s and early 1900s.
Recreation
If you're looking to spend time outdoors, then visit Hueco Tanks State Park (26 mi/42 km east of El Paso on Highway 62). The rock formations in the park are riddled with hollow areas that collect rainwater. The water made the rocks a gathering place for Native Americans as early as 10,000 years ago. Over the centuries, they created drawings and carvings on the rock faces, and this artwork can be viewed from the park's hiking trails. More recently, Hueco Tanks has been a gathering place for rock climbers, who find this one of the premier bouldering and climbing spots in the country.
Day Trips
To
Ciudad Juarez. Crossing one of the international bridges that lead to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, is an education. You'll see colorful political slogans painted on the concrete banks of the Rio Grande (known as the Rio Bravo del Norte to Mexicans). When you step into Juarez, you'll find a half-dozen blocks loaded with barkers, beggars and aggressive promoters of various sorts—taxi drivers to shopkeepers to tiny children selling Chiclets chewing gum.
Push beyond the hectic border-hopper zone for a less-distorted view of Ciudad Juarez. It's a large city that has some wonderful markets, cathedrals, museums and restaurants. Watch your step if you cross the border, though: Pickpockets frequent the crowded streets.
To the Tigua Reservation. Drive a few miles east of central El Paso to this Pueblo village where you can see some fascinating crafts demonstrations. Be sure to have some of the great Mexican food in the restaurant operated by the Tiguas. And take the scenic drive in the Franklin Mountains, the southern terminus of the Rocky Mountains. From the top, you can see the entire valley—it's especially pretty at night, with the lights of El Paso in the distance.
