Andrew Delaplaine - El Paso: The Delaplaine 2016 Long Weekend Guide

EL PASO

The Delaplaine

2016

Long Weekend

Guide

Andrew Delaplaine

Contributors

Jerry Adams

James Cubby

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Take a trip south and visit the lovely city ofEl Paso, commonly referred to as Sun City, on the UnitedStates-Mexico border. Located on the Rio Grande across the borderfrom Jurez, in the state of Chihuahua, El Paso has been ranked asthe safest large city in the United States for the third year in arow (2010 2013).

Travelers on their way to Mexico should make ElPaso a stop as this city offers a unique melting pot of Americanand Mexican culture. Visitors can take an opportunity to visit thecultural venues and historical landmarks and should not miss ElPasos nightlife and music scenes.

That being said, there are still areas you maynot want to spend much time in. From the Lower Valley to the YsletaMission Valley, and parts of South Central El Paso are the "belowaverage" neighborhoods. Being there doesn't exactly mean you're indanger, though.

Areas to avoid at night include anywhere nearthe international bridges, but curfews on both sides of the borderhave cut down on the number of aggressive, intoxicated juveniles atnight.

Use extreme caution when crossing into Mexico,at any time of the day, and most locals will advise you not tocross. The Mexican drug war has made Juarez the unofficial "MurderCapital of the World," and while El Paso itself remains prettysafe, a day across the border is an adventure you might want toreconsider.

Culture is everywhere in El Paso beginning withthe El Paso Museum of Art, located next to San Jacinto Plaza indowntown El Paso, where youll find American works of art from the19th and 20th centuries along with Mexican colonial art andretablos from the 17th & 18th centuries. This museum alsoexhibits works of southwestern artists like Tom Lea.

The Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan DesertGardens, located on the grounds of University of Texas El Paso,features collections of El Paso Brown, Native American pottery andeducational exhibitions. The El Paso Museum of Archaeology, locatedon the eastern slope of North Franklin Mountain, features dioramasillustrating the culture and geology of the Southwest.

Other area museums of note include, El PasoMuseum of History, Fort Bliss Museums and Study Center, Insights ElPaso Science Museum, El Paso Museum of Archaeology, The MagoffinHomestead, the National Border Patrol Museum, Railroad andTransportation Museum of El Paso, War Eagles Air Museum, GeneRoddenberry Planetarium, El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study Centerand the Lynx Exhibits. Chamizal National Memorial, a 54-acrememorial park, acts as a cultural center with a collection of artgalleries, a theater and an amphitheater.

El Paso is a city of festivals with a variety ofevents scheduled all year long. The Neon Desert Music Festival, aone-day event in May, fills five stages in downtown El Paso withover 30 musical acts ranging from indie-rock to electronic dancemusic. The Texas Showdown Festival, an annual event celebratingtattoo and music in July, is the worlds largest festival of itskind and is held at the El Paso County Coliseum. The Sun City MusicFestival, a two-day event held at Ascarate Park, is the largestelectronic dance music festival in Texas. The Plaza Classic FilmFestival, held at the El Paso Plaza Theater in August, is theworlds largest festival dedicated to classical cinema. The El PasoDowntown Street Festival, held during the last weekend of June indowntown El Paso, is the oldest musical festival in the city andfeatures a roster of local, regional and national acts. Music Underthe Stars, held outdoors at the Chamizal National Memorial, is nota festival but a music series that offers a variety of concertsfeaturing a variety of music genres from classical to country.Viva! El Paso, a musical extravaganza performed in the McKellligonCanyon Amphitheatre on weekends during the summer, is a locallyproduced show that chronicles the 400-year history of El Paso.

Fans of classical music should check out the ElPaso Symphony, the oldest performing arts organization in El Paso,that offers a season of 12 classical concerts. El Paso is home toseveral theatres, one being the beautiful Abraham Chavez Theatrewith its distinctive architecture and three-story glass-windowedentry. Another beautiful theatre is the historic Plaza Theatrelocated in Pioneer Plaza where visitors can enjoy Broadwayproductions, musical concerts and performances. McKelligon CanyonAmphitheatre, a gorgeous space surrounded on three sides by canyonwalls set in a 90-acre park, offers a year-round schedule ofconcerts and special shows like Viva! El Paso.

El Paso is a favorite destination for those wholove outdoors adventures. With over 100 parks, El Paso offers agreat variety of bike paths and hiking areas. The city is also hometo Franklin Mountains State Park, the largest urban park with over24,000 acres. This park is open all year offering activities likehiking, mountain biking, picnicking, and scenic driving.

A popular attraction for visitors is the WylerAerial Tramway, located in the Franklin Mountains State Park,featuring gondolas that travel along two 2600 foot steel cables.The trip takes about four minutes, and takes riders up to RangerPeak. Hueco Tanks State Historic Site, 32 miles northeast of ElPaso, is popular for bird watching and rock climbing.

Dining possibilities are endless. El Pasorestaurants serve both authentic Mexican cuisine and Texasbarbecue.

The Margarita was invented here, or so thelegend goes, by a guy named Pancho Morales in 1942 when a customerordered a drink called the Magnolia. The only thing the customerknew was in it was Cointreau, so Pancho concocted this new drink hedubbed the Margarita (daisy in Spanish). Since Pancho was ateacher at the local bartenders school, he taught all his studentsand the drink took off from there.

Too bad you cant copyright or trademark arecipe, huh?

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