"There is nothing to do in El Paso, Texas," is the common complaint I hear from local residents and visitors alike. El Paso (my home town) is a city of about 700,000 residents, located on the US-Mexico border at the westernmost tip of Texas, with an additional border with New Mexico.
My husband Wayne and I have friends and relatives in much more glamorous locations, London, Los Angeles, Quebec, and I love to visit them. But looking back over our photos from 2014, I found many good memories of places and activities to enjoy in El Paso also. Here are a few I would like to share as an unofficial ambassador for my home town.
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| Valentine's Bakery |
A diet splurge with a visit to Valentine's Bakery is a lot more fun than going through the drive-through at a donut shop. Wonderful aromas of Mexican-style baked goods, tortillas, and tamales and a bustling staff all create an atmosphere of flavor anticipation. My favorite pastry is a concha, shaped like a shell with a sugery coating. Delicious with a breakfast cup of coffee!
And before we leave the topic of food, the complimentary basket of warm tostadas and numerous salsas served at most local Mexican food cafes is a treat we local residents take for granted. The only challenge here is not ruining one's appetite for the main meal.
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| Tacos Chinampa Cafe |
If we are craving a gourmet cup of coffee, a new cafe, the Hillside Coffee and Donut Co., offers all of the latest coffee-brewing techniques and flavors. I must admit that we agreed that "we didn't feel like we were in El Paso," but maybe El Paso is on its way to being a bit more hip. I do know that I need to study up so that I can be a little more imaginative in my coffee order for our next visit!
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| Hillside Bakery and Cafe |
Inspired by the World Cup coverage on TV, we attended a professional soccer game between two teams from Mexico held in the Sun Bowl Stadium at the University of Texas at El Paso. Taking our cues from the many experienced soccer fans, we yelled in Spanish at appropriate times.
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| Soccer game |
Another sports-related experience was a visit to Hueco Tanks, about thirty minutes east of El Paso. Our son has become interested in bouldering and wanted information about the site. We learned that Hueco Tanks is a world-famous location for rock climbing, with reservations necessary many months in advance. All we were able to experience for this visit was the scenery, but it was spectacular.
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| Huevo Tanks |
As 2014 drew to a close, we got into the holiday spirit with two events, located at opposite ends of our city. The first was the annual Christmas Fair held at Ardovino's Restaurant in Sunland Park, New Mexico.
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| Santa at Ardovino's |
The other event was a Christmas celebration in the small historic town of San Elizario, located a few miles east of El Paso. We ate homemade tamales, listened to live music, and watched a reenactment of a posada.
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| San Elizario Mission decorated for Christmas |
Maybe finding good entertainment in El Paso takes a bit of searching, a true interest in other cultures, and an openness to new experiences, but some memorable experiences are out there waiting for us. 2014 was a great year to be living in this West Texas city.
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