Highs and Lows of El Paso Central
Highs and Lows of El Paso Central
HIGHS AND LOWS OF CENTRAL EL PASO
| This tour takes you from six feet under, or the base of, to high atop the mountains overlooking the city. It starts in downtown El Paso, where you’ll visit an old home, and takes you to other historical and fun sites as well as to the canyons and the crest of the beautiful Franklin Mountains. It will give you a chance to stroll around, stretch your legs and acquaint yourself more closely with our desert terrain and the mountains that pretty much divide the city in half. Magoffin Home State Historical Park From Interstate 10 at the downtown exit, go south on Kansas Street to San Antonio and turn left. After traveling one and a half blocks on San Antonio, go left at the “Y” in the road, and you’ll be on Magoffin Avenue. Proceed to 1120 Magoffin, and you’ll find the Magoffin Home State Historical Park. This fully restored historic home, built in 1875 for El Paso pioneer, civic, and political leader Joseph Magoffin, was occupied by the Magoffin family for 111 years before being turned over to the state of Texas. The home is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and there’s a nominal admission fee. Just ring the doorbell, and you’ll be given a guided tour by a staff member. Filled with original furnishings, the home provides a fabulous look into (upper-income) life in El Paso in the 1800s. |
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| Mayapan Café y Mercado From the Magoffin Home, continue east on Magoffin Avenue .8 mile, then turn left on Eucalyptus and go three blocks. Turn right at the stop sign onto Texas Avenue, and you’ll be in front of Mayapan Café y Mercado (2000 Texas Avenue). This restaurant and store train and employ displaced factory workers, many of whom speak little English. The restaurant is open for lunch and serves great Mexican food. The mercado sells items made by the Mayapan staff as well as goods imported from Mexico. Chamizal National Memorial From the Magoffin Home, continue east on Magoffin Avenue .8 mile, then turn right on Eucalyptus (or from Mayapan, go back to Eucalyptus and head south), go four blocks and turn left at the stoplight onto Paisano. At the second stoplight, turn right on San Marcial and then left into the Chamizal parking lot. The Chamizal National Memorial is operated by the National Park Service. The memorial was established in 1963 to commemorate the treaty resulting from the peaceful settlement of a century-long boundary dispute between the U.S. and Mexico. Walking paths meander around the grounds of the Chamizal, where there is ample room for picnicking and relaxing. From the paths, you’ll have an excellent view of the traffic crossing the border into and out of Juarez over the Bridge of the Americas. The outdoor amphitheater is home on summer Sunday evenings to the immensely popular concert series, Music Under the Stars. Other annual activities include the Chamizal Festival each fall and the Siglo de Oro Festival each spring. The buildings house the Los Paisanos Art Gallery, a theater, an exhibit detailing the history of the border region and the creation of the Chamizal Memorial, and a small bookstore. 800 S. San Marcial St., 915-532-7273, free admission (except some events held in the theater). El Paso Zoo If you return to Paisano and travel 1 mile east, you’ll reach the El Paso Zoo. This excellent zoo keeps growing with exhibits of animals from the region and all over the world. 4001 E. Paisano, > 915-521-1850. |
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Concordia Cemetery From the Zoo, backtrack 1.2 miles and turn right on Piedras, traveling north for 1 mile (when you cross I-10 you’ll actually be on Raynor Streeet), then turn right on Yandell and go .8 mile. Concordia Cemetery will be on the right side of the road. Park along Yandell and walk into the cemetery at the Travis Street gate. This is one of El Paso’s oldest cemeteries and contains lots of history. Two presidents of Mexico were buried here (both have been removed) along with many other famous and infamous characters from El Paso’s past. There’s a section enclosed by a short stone fence that contains the graves of Chinese railroad workers from the 1800s. The most famous resident of Concordia is John Wesley Hardin. This gunfighter’s (serial killer?) grave is located about 200 feet from the Travis Street entrance. From the entrance, look to the right for a small (5’x10’) stone and iron structure protecting Hardin’s grave. Just walking around and reading the gravestones gives you a feel for El Paso’s history. The L & J Café Located on Steven Street, along the west side of Concordia Cemetery, this Mexican restaurant and cantina is one of El Paso’s better known “hole-in-the-wall” dining stops. When asked where the best Mexican food is served, a good number of El Pasoans will respond, “The L & J.” Wyler Aerial Tramway Okay, enough of these detours–time to get back on the main tour. Backtrack .8 mile on Yandell, then turn right (north) on Piedras and travel 1.9 miles to McKinley. Turn left on McKinley and begin the steep drive up to the Wyler Aerial Tramway. From the parking lot of the tramway, you’ll get a fabulous view of east El Paso and the Hueco Mountains in the distance. Buy a ticket and take the short tram ride to the top of the mountains and add Juarez, west Texas and a big chunk of New Mexico to the view. It’s a spectacular look at three states and two countries. Call 915-566-6622 for times and information. |
| McKelligon Canyon Leaving the tramway parking lot, backtrack .8 mile and turn left on Alabama. Travel .9 mile north on Alabama and turn left at McKelligon Canyon Road and drive straight ahead into a secluded desert canyon in the middle of the city. The park is part city property and part Franklin Mountains State Park and offers great hiking and picnicking. At the park headquarters, you can get a trail map and information. The amphitheater in the park is home to numerous theatrical and musical events throughout the year. El Paso Museum of Archaeology & U.S. Border Patrol Museum From McKelligon Canyon, backtrack to Alabama and turn left. Travel .6 mile and go right at the “Y” in the road, and you’ll be on Fred Wilson Blvd. Continue 1.1 miles and turn left on Gateway North and immediately take the on ramp to U.S. 54 east. Go 4.6 miles on the highway and exit at Loop 375 (Transmountain Road) and turn left. Travel .5 mile to the U.S. Border Patrol Museum (915-759-6060) and the El Paso Museum of Archaeology (915-755-4332). These museums, in adjacent buildings, tell the history of the U.S. Border Patrol and the early inhabitants of the desert Southwest, respectively. The nature trail at the Museum of Archaeology is especially wonderful in the spring when the poppies are in full bloom. This is the end of our central/northeast tour. From here you can travel back down U.S. 54 to the central part of El Paso or go up and over the Franklin Mountains on Transmountain Road to end up on the northwest side of town. |
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