USA, Texas: El Paso
Published: 8.7.2021
El Paso, the largest U.S. city on the border with Mexico, is located on the western outskirts of Texas on the left bank of the Rio Grande River, which forms the border with its southern neighbor. Places of interest to visit in El Paso include the El Paso Museum of Art with its valuable collection mapping the pre-Columbian era or Fort Bliss, one of the world's largest air defense centers and home to fascinating military museums. If you want to go outside the city, then Franklin Mountains State Park is waiting for you.
And let's start right away with the latter. The park, which covers an area of more than 100 km2, is easily reached from the northern part of the city. People come here to do everything from trekking to mountain biking to rock climbing. Other popular activities include geocaching or attending events led by local rangers.
Unfortunately, the local Wyler Aerial Tramway was closed to the public indefinitely two years ago. It was built in the 1950s by the KTSM radio station to be used to help build the transmitter, and was renovated at the beginning of the millennium. However, in 2018, after a technical inspection, it was found that the cable car had far exceeded its service life and could no longer serve public purposes.
But let's look into the city. Right in its heart, we recommend you to go to the Plaza Theater, which is a witness to the city's vibrant musical past. The theater was built in 1930 and in 2006 it was restored to its original glory. Today, it is one of the best places in Texas for artistic performances.
The theater was built in the Spanish colonial style. The floors are made of mosaics and the eye will also enjoy other details such as metal railings studded with various ornaments or antique furniture. Currently, there are various shows taking place here, including Broadway-style performances.
If you still have a taste for art, then don't forget the art museum mentioned above. It preserves over 7,000 pieces of art of American, European or Mexican origin, in the time horizon from the 12th century to the present. The section devoted to American art includes many specimens of the American Southwest. The most valuable parts of the collection include the works of Frederick Remington and Charles M. Russell.
Because El Paso is located on the border with Mexico and is therefore a border town, the motif of the border plays an important role in the culture and history of the city. Therefore, it is no wonder that you will find a museum here, which is specifically focused on this topic. The National Border Patrol Museum is just outside the city and you will see a variety of vehicles used for patrols, from boats, motorbikes and jeeps to sophisticated helicopters and other means.
GPS: 31°45'32.8"N 106°29'24.4"W
Text: Maxim Kucer
Photos: Wikipedia.org: B575, Donitza Marie, Susan Barnum, Dicklyon, Ancheta Wis, Wmpearl
Related Articles
Published: 5.8.2021
Today's article on the United States will focus on visiting South Padre Island. There is a lot to deal with, whether you are looking for a more passive or active rest. Less than three thousand inhabitants live on the island. South Padre Island, or SPI, as locals call it, is the second longest island in the United States. Its total length is 180 km.
Published: 20.5.2019
After a few days on Isla Mujeres, we go on and plan to visit some Mayan landmarks. We are the first to head to Tulúm. We walk through Cancun and try to hitch a ride. Sometimes it goes, sometimes not, so we take colectivo (delivery - local mass transportation).
Published: 29.7.2021
Marfa is a city known in the United States for an inexplicable and mysterious light phenomenon known as Marfa Lights, Marfa Mystery Lights or Marfa Ghost Lights. The locals began to observe this phenomenon long before the UFO sighting phenomenon spread with the Roswell incident in the second half of the 1940s, specifically in 1883. You may think that there must be something in the water when people observe such phenomena. True or not, water is important to Marfa. At the beginning of the 1980s, Marfa became a stop where steam locomotives replenished water supplies.
Published: 31.7.2020
San Antonio is home to some of the most famous historic sites in the state of Texas, which makes the city a very attractive location. However, there is more than enough opportunity to experience here beyond history, especially around the city.
Published: 21.8.2020
After visiting Corpus Christi, we will drive to Beaumont in the northeast today. Beaumont's history is closely linked to oil production. The incident from 1901, when there was a huge explosion of an oil well, is still in memory. Today's Beaumont is surrounded by oil wells, but the city is strongly focused on protecting its natural resources, such as the Big Thicket National Preserve and the Cattail Marsh Wetland.
Published: 7.8.2020
In today's work on traveling around the United States, we look at Texas, specifically at its capital, Austin, with a population of approximately one million. Austin is one of the fastest growing and most dynamic cities in North America. No wonder. The climate, relatively low cost of living, high security by American standards and a strong economy attract many people here. They are based here and have offices from some of the world's most important companies such as 3M, Apple, Google, Amazon, IBM.
Published: 28.8.2020
Today we will continue to explore Beaumont, Texas. The second part starts unusually, in a kind of alligator zoo Gator Country Adventure Park, where more than 600 alligators live. One of the inhabitants is also Velký Al, which is about 90. The local community also includes Velký Tex, which has grown to a size of 4.5 meters in captivity and weighs almost half a ton.
Published: 30.8.2019
In the previous article, we looked at museums in the popular Sundance Square and we will continue to do so today.
Published: 16.8.2019
The city lies just 50 kilometers west of the famous Dallas (in the Czech Republic mainly because of the famous soap opera hit of the 1990s), which may, perhaps somewhat unjustly, overshadows it.
Published: 23.8.2019
In the center of this relatively little known Texas city you should not miss the Water Gardens from the 70s of last century. These are some beautiful fountains, which is simply a pleasure to see. On hot summer days, you can refresh yourself in them.
Published: 2.8.2019
Today we continue in our tour of American cities. From Orlando, Florida, which we visited last time, we headed far west, all the way to Houston, Texas, which is said to be the best culinary scene in the US. But that's not the only thing you can look forward to.
Published: 9.8.2019
The fascinating visit to the Johnson Space Center is hard to be matched. Let's take another look at the city.
Published: 15.6.2021
El Cañón del Sumidero, as we know it today, began to be created about 70 million years ago by tectonic movements known as Horts-Graben. Rocks were formed about 136 million years ago and were based on calcium sediments and minerals. Today, the canyon is a national park thanks to its great ecological wealth. Extensive fauna includes eg jaguars, crocodiles, pelicans, herons, monkeys and predators.
Published: 3.6.2019
We're not going to sleep after the party we involuntarily attended. We have no idea where to get with the hitch or colect. But we manage to stop foreigners with whom we visit other Mayan ruins.
Published: 17.6.2019
To visit four archaeological sites with Mayan ruins was enough to set out to explore some of the cities. We make a stop in San Cristóbal de las Casas, about which some visitors express themselves as one of the most romantic cities in the world and a magical city. The wealth of this city lies in its ethnic diversity and colonial tradition with architectural treasures in various buildings from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries.
Published: 27.5.2019
After Tulúm we plan to visit other Mayan monuments, but before that we want to see Lake Bacalar because we have it on the way. We're trying to track again. Sometimes we do, sometimes we wait longer and sometimes we just take colectivo because it starts to rain.
Published: 13.5.2019
The island is only 8 km long and less than 1 km wide. He's been a fishing village for hundreds of years, and while tourism thrives on it, it still retains its charming and calm atmosphere. The island was originally dedicated to the Mayan moon goddess, fertility, medicine and happiness, the goddess Ixchel.
Published: 10.6.2019
After the Mayan ruins of Tulúm, Becán and Balamku, we are going to visit the last one in Mexico, the ones in Palenque. The first one, however, comes to Escarcéga. It is really just a city to sleep, because there is not much to see, just a few hotels and a long queue at the ATM.
Information and warnings on travelling abroad is to be found HERE.
