First let's take a look at Juárez. It's connected with El Paso, divided only by the Rio Grande River, and joined by a bridge. You can see the bridge between the tall buildings.
Here's our crew exploring sand dunes in Mexico.
The dunes we visited are just south of Járez. After the sun went down, we had dinner in a tent. It was like heaven. For tour info. contact jarez.gob.mx
A trolley, historic buildings, and museums dominate Downtown El Paso.
The fountain in the center of San Jacinto Plaza used to be home to real alligators. These creative alligators carry on their memory.
The 1930s Plaza Hotel - set to open in 2020.
A portrait of Luis A. Jiménez Jr., the artist who made the alligator sculpture in San Jacinto Plaza. He had several sculptures on display in the museum.
An interactive exhibit.
From the permanent collections: Juan Sánchez Salmerón, 17th Century (above); Valley of the gods / Valle de los dioses, Fremont Ellis, 1926 (below). El Paso Museum of Art.
History Museum exterior (above) and foyer with electronic timeline powered by digie.org. El Paso Museum of History.
The Theatre was built in 1930, then restored in 2006. The restoration took place thanks to the efforts of Gary L. Williams, the El Paso Community Foundation, and the City of El Paso.
This may be the only Wurlitzer of it's kind still in use. Learn more about the Plaza Theatre at elpasolive.com or Wikipedia.
The University of Texas El Paso, near Downtown, is famous for its Bhutanese architecture. The Lhakhang, seen above, is a gift from the King of Bhutan. It bears a plaque that reads:
A symbol of friendship from The Kingdom of Bhutan
to The People of the United States of America
and entrsted to The University of Texas at El Paso
- His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
June 25, 2008, Washington, D.C.
Above: Detail of the wall paintings that depict ancient Bhutanese stories. Below: a view of the UTEP campus, seen from the Lhakhang. The Lhakhang is open to the public. Check UTEP for hours and information.
Photo by Scott Adams
My purpose for going to El Paso, of course, was the Bill Muster Photo Awards! The show premiered at Cattleman's Steakhouse at Indian Cliffs Ranch, forty miles south of El Paso. Here's a photo of the audience. To watch the show, click here - Youtube.
To learn more about El Paso, go to:
Downtown El Paso - downtownelpaso.com
Visit El Paso - destinationelpaso.com
El Paso is near Big Bend National Park, and Big Bend Loop: Marfa, Alpine, Fort Davis, and Marathon. These towns serve Big Bend National Park visitors, offering lodging, restaurants, shopping, and local distractions. Click here for a page of photos from Big Bend Loop (at this site).
