Mission Possible
El Paso's Mission Trail
El Paso's Mission Trail
The historic Mission Trail area on El Paso’s far-east side is
worthy of a half-day trip for a look at three very old churches,
originally built during the 1600-1700s. Some are still used regularly for services, and reconstruction on them, given their age,
seems to be eternal. Located in front of each church is a marker,
giving the long history of that particular mission. The missions
are still owned by the Catholic Church and are usually open during daytime hours, but this is always subject to change.
Also, along Mission Trial you’ll find the Los Portales Museum
in San Elizario, the Tigua Cultural Center and Licon Dairy, all of
which will make this excursion more fun and interesting. Plan it
in the afternoon, if possible, so that your sightseeing tour will end in time for dinner at Cattleman’s Steakhouse at Indian Cliff’s
Ranch. It’s more than just a great place to eat—it’s a destination
in and of itself.
Ysleta Mission
To get to the Mission Trail, take Exit 34, Avenue of the Americas (Loop 375), from I-10. Drive 6 miles south and take the Socorro Road (FM 258) exit. Drive .4 mile along the access road and turn right on Socorro Road. Stay on Socorro for 1.1 miles and watch for a Mission Trail sign on your right. About 100 yards from that sign, you’ll turn right on Zaragosa Road, where you’ll make another almost immediate right into the Ysleta Mission parking lot, the first church on your tour. This old adobe mission was actually established in 1682, but the present structure was rebuilt in 1851.
Tigua Cultural Center
After you visit to the Ysleta Mission, backtrack from the park ing lot to Socorro Road and turn left on Socorro. (As you travel along Socorro, you’ll see more Mission Trial signs, some brown some blue, depending on who was in public office at the time and how many tax dollars were budgeted.). Travel .6 mile to the Tigua Cultural Center. It’s on your right, and it houses a small museum of Tigua artifacts.
Socorro Mission
From the Cultural Center, get back on Socorro Road in the same direction you were going and continue another 1.8 miles to the stop light on Winn Road. Go left on Winn. Drive 1 block and the Socorro Mission will be on the right. The Socorro Mission, like the Ysleta, was established in 1682. It is currently under going renovation, but you can still go inside to look around.
Licon Dairy
Once again, backtrack to Socorro Road and go left. Drive 4 miles, turn right on Glorietta for .4 mile and make a left into Licon Dairy. No milk here, but you can buy freshly made asadero cheese, a thin six-inch or so disk of soft, mild, whitish, string-type Mexican cheese, with or without jalapeños, and see almost as many exotic animals as you would in a zoo. You can pet the baby goats and talk to the parrots, but don’t pet the big-beaked birds; they bite, or so the posted signs say!
San Elizario
From the dairy, go back to Socorro Road the way you came and turn right. Proceed 1.3 miles to San Elizario and follow signs to the Presidio or San Elizario Chapel. It was built in 1789, and though just a century or so younger than the other missions, it is still used by the townsfolk for regular worship services. It’s the only church in which we saw confessionals. Across the street, to the south of the chapel, is Los Portales Museum and Tourist Information Center. Here you’ll find lots of early El Paso historical information, including extensive details on the Salt Wars. You can also pick up a self-guided walking tour brochure of the little town area. If you want to end your tour now, backtrack on Socorro Road to Americas Avenue and go north to I-10.
Cattleman's Steakhouse at Indian Cliff's Ranch
Trace your drive back from San Elizario Chapel to Socorro Road. When you get to Socorro, turn right (you’ll see the mission back to your right) and drive for 8.4 miles to Highway 20 and turn right. You’ll be entering the town of Fabens. Go to the first stoplight (.4 mile) and turn left on Fabens Road. (If you turn right,you’ll find yourself in Mexico pretty quickly!) Drive 2.5 miles back to I-10, or continue on the same road another 4.7 miles to Cattleman’s Steakhouse, where you can enjoy one of the best steaks you’ve ever eaten, visit a movie set, zoo, snake pit, walk through an Indian maze or old fort, and get a close up view of desert wildlife. On the stretch of I-10 back to El Paso (about the first 10 miles), don’t speed! We counted eight state troopers–yes, eight, almost one for every mile–and most had a car or truck pulled over. You can guess what they were doing. Legend has it around here that the Sheriff’s Department can plan its whole year’s budget just from the speeding tickets it issues along this span of I-10.
 |
| The Ysleta Mission, founded in the late 1600s, was the first mission in the grand state of Texas. © Bruce Finchum |
Ysleta Mission
To get to the Mission Trail, take Exit 34, Avenue of the Americas (Loop 375), from I-10. Drive 6 miles south and take the Socorro Road (FM 258) exit. Drive .4 mile along the access road and turn right on Socorro Road. Stay on Socorro for 1.1 miles and watch for a Mission Trail sign on your right. About 100 yards from that sign, you’ll turn right on Zaragosa Road, where you’ll make another almost immediate right into the Ysleta Mission parking lot, the first church on your tour. This old adobe mission was actually established in 1682, but the present structure was rebuilt in 1851.
Tigua Cultural Center
After you visit to the Ysleta Mission, backtrack from the park ing lot to Socorro Road and turn left on Socorro. (As you travel along Socorro, you’ll see more Mission Trial signs, some brown some blue, depending on who was in public office at the time and how many tax dollars were budgeted.). Travel .6 mile to the Tigua Cultural Center. It’s on your right, and it houses a small museum of Tigua artifacts.
 |
| The severe geometry of the Socorro Mission as viewed from behind. © Albert Lopez, Jr., Southwest Images |
Socorro Mission
From the Cultural Center, get back on Socorro Road in the same direction you were going and continue another 1.8 miles to the stop light on Winn Road. Go left on Winn. Drive 1 block and the Socorro Mission will be on the right. The Socorro Mission, like the Ysleta, was established in 1682. It is currently under going renovation, but you can still go inside to look around.
Licon Dairy
Once again, backtrack to Socorro Road and go left. Drive 4 miles, turn right on Glorietta for .4 mile and make a left into Licon Dairy. No milk here, but you can buy freshly made asadero cheese, a thin six-inch or so disk of soft, mild, whitish, string-type Mexican cheese, with or without jalapeños, and see almost as many exotic animals as you would in a zoo. You can pet the baby goats and talk to the parrots, but don’t pet the big-beaked birds; they bite, or so the posted signs say!
 |
| Photographer Joel Salcido takes artistic license with a magenta lens filter in this highly dramatic image of a colorful and monumental San Elizario Chapel. © Joel Salcido |
San Elizario
From the dairy, go back to Socorro Road the way you came and turn right. Proceed 1.3 miles to San Elizario and follow signs to the Presidio or San Elizario Chapel. It was built in 1789, and though just a century or so younger than the other missions, it is still used by the townsfolk for regular worship services. It’s the only church in which we saw confessionals. Across the street, to the south of the chapel, is Los Portales Museum and Tourist Information Center. Here you’ll find lots of early El Paso historical information, including extensive details on the Salt Wars. You can also pick up a self-guided walking tour brochure of the little town area. If you want to end your tour now, backtrack on Socorro Road to Americas Avenue and go north to I-10.
Cattleman's Steakhouse at Indian Cliff's Ranch
Trace your drive back from San Elizario Chapel to Socorro Road. When you get to Socorro, turn right (you’ll see the mission back to your right) and drive for 8.4 miles to Highway 20 and turn right. You’ll be entering the town of Fabens. Go to the first stoplight (.4 mile) and turn left on Fabens Road. (If you turn right,you’ll find yourself in Mexico pretty quickly!) Drive 2.5 miles back to I-10, or continue on the same road another 4.7 miles to Cattleman’s Steakhouse, where you can enjoy one of the best steaks you’ve ever eaten, visit a movie set, zoo, snake pit, walk through an Indian maze or old fort, and get a close up view of desert wildlife. On the stretch of I-10 back to El Paso (about the first 10 miles), don’t speed! We counted eight state troopers–yes, eight, almost one for every mile–and most had a car or truck pulled over. You can guess what they were doing. Legend has it around here that the Sheriff’s Department can plan its whole year’s budget just from the speeding tickets it issues along this span of I-10.