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El Paso is a border city in the western part of Texas. It’s not the most beautiful or friendliest city I’ve ever been to, but it’s a historic place with a lot to see and do.
Getting There
The city is served by El Paso International Airport. It’s only a few miles northeast of downtown. It has flights to all major cities in Texas as well as Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, and Atlanta, among others.
We drove in from Las Cruces, New Mexico, and didn’t see the airport at all. It’s fairly easy to get around the city in a car. We never had a problem finding our way around or getting a parking spot anywhere in El Paso.
Motel 6 West
We stayed two nights at the Motel 6 West, which is a short drive from both downtown and the New Mexico border. It was a horrible stay, to say the least. The clientele weren’t exactly of the best character and we didn’t feel safe there. I’m pretty sure we witnessed some illegal business transactions in the parking lot and judging by the screams coming from other rooms, possibly domestic violence. Besides those issues, it wasn’t very clean and the bed was uncomfortable. Some of the complimentary appliances didn’t work, either.
Coffee Box
For meals, we mostly had fast food or cooked in the rooms, but we did visit the Coffee Box on San Jacinto Square. It’s a great coffee shop situated in stacked freight containers. They have a big selection of creative coffees and teas, service is friendly, and the drinks are excellent. It’s a wonderful place to sit and relax while sipping on a delicious drink.
Crossing the Border
If you’d like to hop across the border to visit Mexico, you can literally walk across the Paso del Norte International Bridge (Puente Paso del Norte) to Ciudad Juárez. Also known as the Santa Fe Street Bridge, it was originally built in the 1800s. The current bridge dates back to 1967 and is one of the busiest border crossings in the United States.
There’s a pedestrian section on the bridge that crosses the border. Once on the other side, it’s a straight shot walking just a few blocks into the city center. We didn’t have to show our passports on the Mexican side.
Coming back to the United States, you can walk back across the bridge and go through passport control. It only took a few minutes for processing. Lines are super long if you’re driving, so it’s much easier to walk.
