El Paso (Texas) travel guide

Across the border from Ciudad Juárez, El Paso is similarly industrial (but slightly less nasty). There are a number of museums here, including the Americana Museum (5 Civic Plaza, T915-52 0394, Tue-Fri 1000-1700) in the Civic Centre (which also houses a performing arts centre, convention centre and tourist office), the Museum of Art (1211 Montana, T915-544 0062, http://www.elpasoartmuseum.org, Tue-Sat 0900-1700, Thu 0900-2100, Sun 1200-1700) and the Fort Bliss Air Defence Museum at the nearby air base. The border-jumper trolley (T915-544-0062, US$12.50, departs from the Convention Centre on Santa Fe street) conducts tours of El Paso and Ciudad Juárez. For information, contact the tourist office (Civic Centre Plaza, T915-534-0601; also at the airport) .

To the east of the city, the Ysleta Mission is the oldest in Texas (1680), built by Franciscan monks and local Tigua tribesmen, who have a ‘reservation’ (more like a suburb) nearby; the Socorro Mission (1681) and San Elizario Presidio (1789, rebuilt 1877-1887) are in the same direction.