Recreations & Leisure
Surrounded by the Chihuahuan Desert, you may think that there’d be little in El Paso to occupy your leisure time. Actually, there’s plenty to do in this border town, and it’s not all on the Mexican side of the border.
Shopping is a popular pastime in El Paso where you’ll find an incredible array of shops to suit every taste. From classy to funky, there’s nowhere in the world where the two cultures – Mexican and American – come together quite like this.
Missions have played an important role in El Paso. You’ll find that there are a variety of tours and sights built around the existing missions and their history. Visit the Mission Ysleta. Founded in 1682, it’s the oldest continually used church in the US. The Mission Socorro should be next on your itinerary. The building has three-foot thick adobe walls and is an excellent example of the Spanish Colonial period. The San Elizario Chapel was founded in 1877 as a fort. It’s still used today. You can tour the Missions Trail, visit the Missions Trail Visitors Center and take a look at the Concordia Cemetery, a true “old west” graveyard that even has a “boot hill” where unknowns were buried.
City Getaways
If you plan to cross the border into Mexico, you have several options. You can cross by car or on foot, or you can use El Paso’s convenient public transportation system. The Mexican city of Juarez has lots of shopping options and restaurants.
It’s only about 100 miles to Roswell, New Mexico, and that makes a great weekend getaway. While in Roswell, you’ll probably want to visit the International UFO Museum. Focusing on the alleged UFO landing at Roswell, the displays at this center are a collection of everything related to UFO study. This has been named a top tourist destination.
If the outdoors holds your attention, you may want to drive through the Rio Grande Valley. Considering the surrounding desert region, you’ll be amazed at the lush valley created by the river water.
Carlsbad Caverns is one of the areas most popular tourist destinations. There are more than 100 caves in the system, including the deepest known limestone cave – an impressive 1,500 feet. The park has been in operation for almost a century and lures thousands of visitors each year.
You can visit Ski Apache for great slopes generally open from November until March, or take in the other sights at Ruidoso, New Mexico.