How To Have A Great Time In
El Paso Texas

El Paso Texas is a city of borders... On its western side it borders with Mexico, and on its northern side it borders with New Mexico.

El Paso is also a city from the old West and has made numerous appearances in Western movies.

Because of its colorful background, I think El Paso Texas is a very interesting city to visit.

If you decide to visit El Paso, here are a few El Paso attractions, as well as information about hotels, restaurants, events, weather, and a map to help you plan a great trip.

I'll start with things to do in El Paso Texas...

Things To Do In El Paso Texas

Franklin Mountains State Park

Franklin Mountains State Park is a massive mountain park in El Paso. I think it is great for an outdoors experience.

There are several picnic sites and two hiking trails along the Trans-Mountain Road, and the Parks service is expanding the trail network. You can also do rock climbing in McKelligon Canyon.

If you like primitive camping, there are some camping sites in the Tom Mays area (off the Trans-Mountain road), but keep in mind that it is really primitive, i.e. no water or electricity. There are some RV sites as well.

Franklin Mountains can be a lot of fun for families with older kids, but it might not be best for the little ones.

Wyler Aerial Tramway

If you go to Franklin Mountains State Park, you may as well also go on the Wyler Aerial Tramway, which is in the park. It is an aerial cable car that goes up the mountain to Ranger Peak.

The view of El Paso Texas and the surrounding area is simply amazing from up there, and there are telescopes at the top to make the experience even better.

I think it is a good idea to plan your visit to get to the top about 30 minutes before sunset. That way you get to see the El Paso area in daylight, but you also see a beautiful sunset, as well as El Paso at night.

El Paso Zoo

While Franklin Mountains might not be quite suited for small children, I think the El Paso Zoo definitely is!

It has a variety of animals from Africa, Asia, and the Americas, including the cute little meerkats, lions, elephants, tigers, spider monkeys, various types of birds and reptiles... all in all, enough to make it a fun experience for everyone.

I think a visit to the El Paso Zoo is worthwhile, especially also if you have small kids. If you go in the summer, it's probably a good idea to go early in the morning before the heat sets in.

Bob-O's Family Fun Center

Bob-O's Family Fun Center is a great place to take the kids. My kids love video and arcade games, so Bob-O's is high on their list.

In addition to the arcade games, Bob-O's has a great laser tag facility, batting cages, go-karts, bumper boats, and 3 rides for the little kids. Bob-O's also has a great miniature golf course that is great fun for adults and kids alike.

I think Bob-O's is a fun place to hang out with the kids. My kids will definitely agree with that!

Wet 'n' Wild Waterworld

Wet 'n' Wild Waterworld is a water park with enough water rides to keep the whole family cool. (It is located about 30 miles north of El Paso in Anthony, TX.)

My kids are older now and like thrill rides, making the Alien Vortex perfect for them. They also like Price's Treehouse, which is a slide with many twists and turns. I like Raging Rapids, a bumper ride down a stream.

If your kids are small, Toddler's Cove will be great for them. There is also The Old Woman & The Shoe, which is a slide for infants and toddlers.

On a hot summer day, Wet 'n' Wild is definitely the answer, and El Paso Texas has plenty of hot summer days!

U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery Museum

The U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery Museum is an indoor & outdoor museum that shows various air defense systems used by the US Army.

The museum has air defense weaponry that stretch as far back as World War I up to systems as modern as being used to launch nuclear warheads.

The Air Defense museum will be popular with boys, in particular. Admission to the museum is free, which is a bonus.

I hope you have a great time in El Paso Texas!

El Paso Restaurants

El Paso has some interesting restaurants to consider!

Take a look at these restaurants in El Paso to find something that will keep everyone in the family happy.

El Paso Hotels

We don't have any relatives in El Paso with whom we can stay when we visit El Paso. So we stay in hotels. If this is you too, here are a few good El Paso hotels to consider for your stay.

El Paso Map

GPS devices make it easy to get around these days, but I still like to have a picture in my mind of where things are in a new city or area I visit.

To help you with that, here's an El Paso map that shows the locations of attractions, restaurants, and hotels.

El Paso Events

Other than the regular El Paso attractions mentioned earlier, there may well also be a few special events in El Paso during the time of your visit. I'm talking about fairs and festivals, and so on. Take a look at El Paso events.

You can also buy tickets to many sports events and concerts in El Paso right here!

El Paso Weather

It is always helpful to know what the weather is going to do when you are on vacation, particularly when planning an "outdoors" day.

Here is some information on El Paso weather to help you plan your activities.

Your El Paso Vacation Story?

Have you been to El Paso before and have a fun attraction that you like to visit? Please tell us about it! Also read about others' favorite activities and experiences.

See Visitors' El Paso Vacation Stories!