Planning your El Paso Vacation in Texas!

Visiting El Paso Texas

El Paso, uniquely located on the Mexican border in the westernmost part of Texas, may very well be the Star of the Southwest as far as Texans are concerned. Visitors find the mountains that bound El Paso breathtakingly beautiful. They enjoy this city steeped in a rich cultural heritage. Over centuries the cultures of Native Americans, the Spanish, Mexicans and the American Cowboy have blended together to create a vibrant culture that separates El Paso from any other city. El Paso is a booming and energetic city that has managed to maintain all the charm of a neighborly Western town. There is plenty to do here to spice up any vacation. Take a walking tour of the downtown historic district and see the architectural landmarks and sites that tell the tale of a history spanning 400 years. Go to a professional soccer game, visit a ranch and see the Belgian team horses along with other animals or tour one of the El Paso's museums by day. At night take in a world-class cultural or entertainment event. You can always sleep when you get home. The shopping is big here too, whether you want a vast selection of Mexican blankets, the "Hottest Salsa in the West" or big name upscale department stores you will find what you are looking for. When it comes to food Texans do it big, enjoy a meal at a steak house voted top 10 in the United States or heat it up with some of the best Mexican food you will find anywhere. El Paso restaurants have just what you are looking for.

El Paso Climate

El Paso has a warm, sunny, dry dessert climate with an average annual rainfall of a little more than eight and a half inches. The city enjoys more than 200 days of sunshine a year and their temperate climate caters to year round outdoor activities. El Paso's average summer high is 95 degrees, but the city has very low humidity so you don’t get that "hot and sticky" feeling. Fall temperatures average in the range of 55 to 70. Protected by mountains on three sides its average winter high temperature is 55-60 degrees. It does snow and temperatures do drop, but the winters are much milder than most other parts of the country. Spring temperature ranges are slightly cooler than those of fall. The moderate and comfortable temperatures here make any time a year a great time to visit El Paso.

El Paso Festivals

The cultural richness and location of El Paso makes it home to a number of extraordinary festivals. One of El Paso's biggest festivals, Fiesta de las Flores, is held annually on Labor Day weekend. This festival has a distinctive Mexican flavor and is known for its headline entertainment and its World Championship Huacha Tournament. For music lovers there is nothing like the El Paso Chopin Music Festival hosted by the El Paso Community College. This festival has been a tradition for many years and has featured pianists from Germany, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Canada and the U.S. There is a fabulous folk music and arts festival at Chamizal National Memorial. The ultimate in outdoor drama is presented at McKelligon Canyon Amphitheater with their Shakespeare on the Rocks series. Take in a little of the border zest with mariachi, flamenco and folklórico productions. The city serves up the Mardi Gras El Paso style in this three day celebration complete with Cajun style food on "Burro-bon" Street. The Chamizal Independent Film Festival is a combined event of El Paso and its sister city Juarez, Mexico and is held every year. If you are in El Paso on Memorial Day you can see the spectacular International Hot Air Balloon Festival. It is hard to describe the feeling of watching the balloons in all their brilliant colors as they ascend into the morning air. Check it out and you will find that El Paso offers up an unparalleled festival experience anytime of year.

El Paso Travel Tips

El Paso offers vacationers some of the most beautiful mountain views that can be found anywhere and a multitude of year round outdoor activities. El Paso experiences very little rainfall and lots of south Texas sun. Vacationers must be careful to protect themselves so they don't get too much sun. The sun can burn, even though you may not realize it until it is too late, even on cloudy days. So be sure to wear sunscreen with a high SPF and pack your sunglasses. A sunburn could end up putting a limit on your vacation. El Paso's cost-of-living index is extremely favorable, which can be a benefit to those stretching that vacation dollar. El Paso is a safe place to visit and is consistently judged to be one of the most crime-free cities in the United States. But it is still a good idea to use traveler's checks instead of cash. Do not to leave valuables in your car. Numerous banks are located throughout the area, many of these offer currency exchange and ATM access.