Historical Hotel in Heart of Downtown El Paso
When it opened in 1912, the Hotel Paso del Norte was one of the sturdiest, most ornate buildings in El Paso. An enormous, 25-feet-in-diameter Tiffany stained-glass dome sparkles over a grand lobby where the likes of Amelia Earhart, Gloria Swanson, and Eleanor Roosevelt once passed through. Now known as Camino Real Hotel El Paso, the century-old structure upholds a tradition of grandeur and hospitality in the heart of the city and minutes from the Mexican border.
Each spacious standard room and junior suite is decorated in subdued reds and dark woods. Windows look out on either the Franklin Mountains or downtown El Paso. After settling in, you can wander downstairs for a cocktail at The Dome Bar, named by GQ magazine one of the top 12 bars in the world, thanks to its classic cocktails, live-music nights, and dramatic setting underneath the Tiffany dome. La Huerta restaurant is also located in house. Here you can fill up on authentic Mexican and southwestern cuisine before heading out to explore the city.
El Paso, Texas: Thriving Southwestern Border Town with Desert Landscape
Situated at the very southwestern tip of Texas, El Paso lies along the Rio Grande River, which forms the border with Mexico. The influence of its neighbor to the south can be seen everywhere in the city from the architecture to the food. To trace even earlier influences, pay a visit to the El Paso Museum of Archeology, where exhibits chronicle the area's inhabitants going back thousands of years.
At 24,000 acres, El Paso's Franklin Mountains State Park has the distinction of being the largest U.S. park located entirely within a city. Hiking, biking, and all-terrain rollerblading are all popular pursuits here. In contrast to the park's mountainous landscape, the Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Gardens supply an up-close look at the desert. Surrounding a museum dedicated to celebrating border life and the cultural history of the region, a desert garden is home to cacti and more than 600 varieties of native plants.