Even though it’s about 35 minutes outside of the city, most El Pasoans would drive for hours if it meant getting their hands on a chunk of meat from Cattleman’s Steakhouse aka “The Manliest Steakhouse In America.” Sitting on a 32,000 acre ranch, this place is the definition of cowboy. It’s one of the only steakhouse in the country where you’ve got to worry about wild coyotes stealing your meal.
El Paso foodie staple, Chico’s Tacos, will give you the best rolled tacos known to man. With several television appearances, including a spot on the Food Network show “The Best Thing I Ever Ate,” Chico’s has been filling El Pasoan stomachs for over 60 years. A single order gives you three, a double gives you six, but professionals tend to order two singles to make sure they get the maximum amount of cheese and the tomato sauce.
3. In El Paso The Pickaxe Does Not Mean “Hang Loose, Brah”
University of Texas – El Paso, commonly known as UTEP, calls the city its home. Known for the unique fortress-esque look of its campus, expect to see pickaxe art everywhere and the pickaxe symbol thrown up all around town. It’s probably a good idea to practice yelling “FIGHT MINERS FIGHTS!” a few times before you head to a game.
El Paso is home to the largest urban park in the nation, Franklin Mountains State Park. That’s right, a frickin’ mountain! And this park has had visitors for over 12,000 years with pictograms and mortar pits to prove it. Sitting in the Chihuahuan Desert, the range stretches for 23 miles and is thriving with natural wildlife like mountain lions, black bears, golden eagles, and mull deer. The landscape also hosts an array of activities like rock climbing, mountain biking, and hiking with the highest peak, North Franklin Peak, stretching over 7,000 feet into the sky.
If you’re not really feeling the hike, you can take a far more relaxing route—that is if you can handle heights. The Wyler Aerial Tramway lasts only four minutes, putting visitors on the top of Ranger Peak, 5,632 feet above sea level.
The perfect poolside treat, legend has it that Francisco “Pancho” Morales made the Margarita at Tommy’s Place Bar in the 1940s in the El Paso-Juarez region. Next time you suck down your favorite salt rimmed drink, keep the Sun City in mind.
El Paso is home to Fiesta del Flores, or Festival of the Flowers. It’s the oldest Hispanic festival in the Southwest attracting 30,000 people annually. Hosted on Labor Day weekend, it boasts over 80 booths, with cuisine as authentic as it can get. With food, performances, and the election of the “fiesta queen” it can’t be missed.
Everything is bigger in Texas, and El Pasoans claim that they’re home to the world’s largest man-made star. At 459 feet tall and 278 feet, it’s no laughing matter. Made up of 459 light bulbs, it has no problem illuminating the night sky from the side of the Franklin Mountains. Some say that when the star is illuminated every night, it’s a thank you to the soldiers in the area.
El Paso has been named the safest big city of over half a million people in America for four years running by the “Congressional Quarterly.” Even more impressive, it’s been ranked in the top three since 1997.
Not only is the city safe, but there are sidewalks connecting everything and residents take full advantage of this. It’s rated one of the most walkable cities in America on a regular basis, providing a means for its residents to stay active.
Before El Paso was known as the “Sun City,” it was the “Six Shooter Capital.” The name was well deserved, as El Paso was once known for its lawlessness throughout the late 1800s. Saloons, gambling halls, and brothels lined the streets. It wasn’t until 1905 that rules were made to stop enabling residents to partake in these risky vices.
Flashing lights and beach balls fill the streets of downtown El Paso during The Neon Desert Music Festival, as thousands of crazed fans flock to see some of the biggest names in music. Starting in 2011, the festival has already started growing at a rapid rate. This year brought in headliners like Zedd, Wiz Khalifa, MGMT, and Calle 13.
13. El Paso Really Shines During The Sun Bowl
Every El Pasoan knows when it’s bowl game season, not because they’re got a team playing at the big dance, but because thousands of fans from around the country invade to attend the Sun Bowl game.
The members of Franklin’s Flying Circus do it on a regular basis. El Paso hosts the Amigo Air Show annually, known as one of the best air shows in the world. Aside from the Flying Circus, other performers will include the USAF Thunderbirds, the Army Golden Knights, and Dan Buchanan. Typically it’s at Biggs Airfield, but this year it’s being moved to Doña Ana Airport instead.
Every year, dozens of hot air balloons flood the El Paso sky for three days during KLAQ’s Balloonfest. Not only does the fest consist of floating across the sky, there’s also some pretty awesome live music. This year also marked the first time the event sponsored overnight camping, so you can count on plenty of tents and grills to keep you company if you’re scared of heights.
Not only are tattoos a very common sight in El Paso, but the Texas Showdown Festival is known to be the world’s largest tattoo and music fest. Over 300 of the best artists from around the world travel to El Paso for three days of tattooing and concerts. Like every festival in Texas, expect some of the best shows around.
El Paso only gets around 9 inches of rain a year, but when it rains it pours. Despite this happening year after year, El Pasoans still find it shocking every time. Streets flood, traffic comes to a grinding halt, people panic.
Just because there’s not a lot of rain, doesn’t mean there aren’t some awesome watering holes. Hueco Tanks State Park is another one of the must-sees for nature loving El Pasoans, and an even better one for Boulderers. Providing life for early generations of travelers, the huecos are large rock basins that trap rain water despite being in such an arid region. The unique landscape makes it one of the best place to go bouldering in the world, with low enough rocks that harnesses are often not used.
El Paso is right by the Potrillo volcanic field, which stretches up towards Colorado. While there hasn’t been any activity in recent years, Kilbourne Hole is only 30 miles away from the city. Uniquely, it is a rare example of volcanic action with no mountain rim. Over a mile wide and 300 feet deep, the hole is a popular spot for explorers today.
In El Paso, the sun shines 302 days per year. As you might guess, every El Pasoan has got a beautiful tan pretty much year round. Unfortunately, so much sun also means that it gets pretty toasty with 109 days above 90 degrees on average and 20 days in the 100s.
It’s impossible to talk about El Paso without talking about the Rio Grande River. One of the lengthiest rivers in North America, the Rio Grande is the natural border between the United States and Mexico. When it’s warm, which is basically all the time, people flock to the river in droves to angler fish, hike along the banks, and go whitewater rafting. One of the most popular events in El Paso even happens there, the KLAQ Great River Raft Race, which consists of El Pasoans building their own unique raft and coasting three miles downstream in a giant group.
One of the most famous landmarks in the city, the Plaza Theatre, which opened in 1930, is one of the oldest, still operating venues in the country. After renovation in early 2000s, the hall is still alive and kicking, bringing in big names like Peter Frampton and the Blue Man Group later this year. A little known fact about the theatre is that it once doubled as one of the town’s doomsday shelters, which used to be located underneath the stage.
It is Texas after all. With the rich history El Paso has of being smack dab in the middle of the Wild, Wild West, cowboy boots and a cowboy hats never go out of style. El Paso is home to one of the oldest, most prestigious rodeos in the world, the Southwestern International PRCA Rodeo. Running for 85 years, it was originally started to promote the growth of area livestock, overtime becoming the staple event it is within the community today.
Several years ago, the Sun City Music Festival was held for the first time attracting thousands of EDM fans. Only a few years later, the festival has already grown into what some claim to be the largest EDM fest in Texas. Lasting two days, the event attracts concert-goers from all around the world with literally the biggest names in the genre, like Tiesto, David Guetta, and Martin Garrix. If you’re ready to jump around dancing to crazy drops for 48 hours straight, this is the place to be.
El Paso is home to an entire slew of upscale, suit and tie shows that residents can attend. There’s Broadway in El Paso at the Plaza Theater with shows like “Wicked,” “Jersey Boys,” “Rock of Ages,” and “Mama Mia!” There’s the El Paso Ballet that hosts seasonal shows throughout the year. There’s also the local UTEP Dinner Theater, performing classics like the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “Jesus Christ Superstar.”
26. El Pasoans Cheer For The Chihuahuas
Home to Southwest University Park, the new local baseball team is the El Paso Chihuahuas, at Triple-A level. Playing on a field that causes some to reminisce about the ’60s, regular promotions give fans an incentive to show up. Head there for Thrifty Thursday with $2 beers. El Paso is one of the most unique parts of the country, a perfect blend of the United States and Mexican cultures. Full of live entertainment and an awesome landscape. No wonder El Pasoans love their city so much. What do you love about living in El Paso? Leave a comment and let us know!
