Bookstore
Available as paperback
and as e-book.
El Paso Attractions
Oenophiles will want to take a side trip to Zin Valle Vineyards, 7315 Hwy. 28, Canutillo (tel. 915/877-4544; www.zinvalle.com), where the tasting room is open from noon to 5pm Friday to Monday and by appointment at other times. In town in the Kern Place neighborhood, Star Canyon Winery, 2601 N. Stanton St. (tel. 915/544-7000; www.starcanyonwinery.com), has a tasting room that's open Tuesday to Thursday from 1 to 7pm and Friday and Saturday from 1 to 8pm.
El Paso's Alligator Art -- In El Paso's downtown San Jacinto Plaza, the Plaza de los Lagartos, a fiberglass fountain composed of snarling alligators, basks in the sun. The lively 1993 piece by pop artist (and El Paso native) Luis Jimenez harks back to the gators that called the plaza home for nearly a century. In the 1880s, El Paso's mayor first deposited the reptiles in the plaza's fountain as something of a joke; surprisingly, they thrived amid the hustle and bustle of the growing city until they were deemed a potential hazard and removed in the 1960s. (It's located in San Jacinto Plaza, bordered on the east and west by Mesa and Oregon sts., and north and south by Main and Mills sts.)
7 Results
- Park/Garden
Ascarate Lake City Park
Centered on a 44-acre artificial lake, this municipal park consists of 400 acres of undeveloped terrain crisscrossed by trails. While swimming in the lake is prohibited, recreational opportunities include fishing (the lake is stocked with channel catfish and rainbow trout) and… - Park/Garden
Chamizal National Memorial
When the Mexican-American War ended in 1848, the two countries agreed on a border: the center of the deepest channel of the Rio Grande. However, as historian Leon C. Metz once wrote, "Rivers are never absolutely permanent. They evaporate, flood, change channels, shrink, expand, and… - Cemetery
Concordia Cemetery
El Paso's "Boot Hill," Concordia is the final resting place of numerous infamous outlaws who met their maker in the city's wilder days. The gravestones here, which mostly date to the second half of the 19th century, remain haunting reminders of El Paso's storied past. Near the… - Historic Site
El Paso Mission Trail
First established in the 17th and 18th centuries, three historic Spanish missions provide a link to El Paso's colonial past. All three are among the oldest continually active missions in the country, and warrant a visit for their architectural and historic merit. But if you have time… - Zoo/Aquarium
El Paso Zoo
Home to some 1,700 animals from 220 different species in natural habitat exhibits, the El Paso Zoo is one of the state's best. The focus is on American, Asian and African wildlife, with a monkey island, reptile house, Asian Grasslands exhibit, and Americas Aviary. Among the crowd… - Historic Site
Magoffin Home State Historic Site
Built in 1875 for Joseph Magoffin, a pioneer leader who helped guide the city through its chaotic Wild West days, this is El Paso's only historic house museum open to the public. A recommended hour-long tour for the history buff, the house is a prime example of Territorial… - Theme Park
Western Playland Amusement Park
In 2006, the longtime local amusement park relocated to Sunland Park, New Mexico (about 8 miles northwest of El Paso), taking with it the El Bandito roller coaster and opening several new thrill rides. Concession stands and picnic areas fill the needs of the hungry and thirsty.
El Paso Shopping
El Paso's main shopping district is downtown -- targeting both Mexican and American shoppers -- and there are several enclosed malls scattered around the city. The area is known for Western wear, Southwestern art, and Mexican imports.
The three-story Galeria San Ysidro, 801 Texas Ave. (tel. 915/544-4444), is more than just an antiques store, housing an impressive selection of art, furniture, and decor from all over the world. Cowtown Boots, 11451 Gateway W. (tel. 915/593-2929; www.cowtownboots.com), claims to be the world's largest Western wear store, with 40,000 square feet of boots (alligator to ostrich), jeans, clothing, and accessories. If you want some custom boots that are leather works of art, make an appointment at Rocketbuster Boots, 115 S. Anthony St. (tel. 915/541-1300; www.rocketbuster.com), but you'll need at least $750 for a pair. For tongue-searing delicacies, I love the El Paso Chile Company, 909 Texas Ave. (tel. 888/4-SALSAS [472-5727] or 915/544-3434; www.elpasochile.com), for its sauces (with such fiery names as "Hellfire & Damnation") and all things spicy.
Shopping centers include Sunland Park Mall, 750 Sunland Park Dr. (tel. 915/833-5595), and Cielo Vista Mall, 8401 Gateway W. (tel. 915/779-7070). Located where Pancho Villa and General Pershing once negotiated, Placita Santa Fe, 5034 Doniphan Rd., features 20 quaint shops, specializing in art, designer clothing, antiques, and jewelry.
El Paso Nightlife
El Paso's entertainment scene is spread throughout the city, and remarkably diverse. The El Paso Performing Arts Center, the beautifully restored Plaza Theatre, the McKelligon Canyon Amphitheatre, the outdoor and indoor stages at Chamizal National Memorial, and the facilities at the University of Texas at El Paso all host regular performances. Fans of rock, country, Tejano, and jazz will likely find what they're looking for at the city's bars and clubs. The UTEP college scene is centered on Mesa and Cincinnati streets.
The free, monthly El Paso Scene and its online counterpart, www.epscene.com, are the best places to start for exploring arts-and-entertainment opportunities. The Friday El Paso Times (www.elpasotimes.com) also features performance listings, as does The Prospector, UTEP's student newspaper. Tickets for many events are available through Ticketmaster (tel. 915/544-8444; www.ticketmaster.com).
The Performing Arts
El Paso Opera, 310 N. Mesa St., Ste. 601 (tel. 915/581-5534; www.epopera.org), produces spring and fall shows annually, with a Thursday and Saturday performance of each held at the Plaza Theatre downtown. Spanish and English subtitles are projected for every performance. Tickets run $15 to $90 for a single event. El Paso Pro-Musica, 6557 N. Mesa St. (tel. 915/833-9400; www.elpasopromusica.org), presents several concerts a year, including the El Paso Chamber Music Festival every January. Concerts are held at numerous locations with ticket prices of $5 to $25. El Paso Symphony Orchestra, 1 Civic Center Plaza (tel. 915/532-3776; www.epso.org), puts on about a dozen different concerts annually. Tickets for single performances run between $10 and $40, with discounts for children and seniors. At Franklin Mountains State Park, the outdoor McKelligon Canyon Amphitheatre, 2 McKelligon Canyon Rd. (tel. 915/565-6900), annually hosts Viva! El Paso (tel. 915/588-7054; www.viva-ep.org) from mid-June to early August. Tickets are $10 and $24; barbecue-style dinners are available.
The El Paso Playhouse, 2501 Montana Ave. (tel. 915/532-1317; www.elpasoplayhouse.org), stages a new production almost every month. There's also a children's company, Kids-N-Co., which produces timeless fairy tales and other light fare. Tickets are usually less than $10. The University of Texas at El Paso Dinner Theatre, Union Ballroom on the UTEP campus (tel. 915/747-6060 or 747-5234; www.utep.edu/udt), is a tradition, producing student musicals since 1983. Today, the theater presents plays Wednesday through Sunday at 7pm during the school year. Dinner might include prime rib, baked potato, and a cookie sundae. Recent productions have included The Full Monty, The Rocky Horror Show, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Tickets run $35 to $40, except for Sunday matinees (2:30pm), which are about $20 but don't include dinner.
The Club & Live Music Scene
Blu, 209 S. El Paso St. (tel. 915/351-8258), is a downtown dancing hot spot featuring both DJs and local and national musical acts. Stampede, 5500 Doniphan Rd. (tel. 915/833-6397), is an El Paso country-and-western institution that features recorded and live music. Club 101, 3233 N. Mesa St. (tel. 915/544-2101; www.club101.com), is a live music venue featuring touring rock and pop acts.
The Bar Scene
Downtown, the Tap, 408 E. San Antonio St. (tel. 915/532-1848), is a classic watering hole, serving plenty of cold beer and spicy Mexican dishes. Offering cayenne-spiced Cajun dishes and daily beer specials, Crawdaddy's, 212 Cincinnati St. (tel. 915/533-9332), is a cozy-but-rowdy haunt favored by the UTEP crowd. It's located amid a strip of bars and restaurants on Cincinnati Street, one of the city's livelier blocks at midnight. One of the most regal places in the Southwest to sip a cocktail, Dome Bar, 101 S. El Paso St. in the Camino Real Hotel (tel. 915/534-3000), is light-years beyond a typical hotel bar. Rosa's Cantina, 3454 Doniphan Dr. (tel. 915/833-0402), was made famous by country legend Marty Robbins in his 1959 hit "El Paso" -- or perhaps merely inspired by it after the fact.
