Road Trip With Rach To El Paso!

Like when I covered Tulsa, El Paso is full of surprises! And it’s a town with a deep cultural pride and lots of heart. I’m excited to share the vibe of this border town that offers enriching cultural influences from Mexico, New Mexico and Texas. It makes for an interesting and tasty town to visit! And so close to Phoenix! 

Keep reading for my recommended itinerary for a trip to El Paso with details on where to hike, where to stay, what to eat, where to shop – especially for boots as the city is known as the boot capital! Plus where to craft beer taste, what vineyards to hit and a surprise tequila tasting spot that is quite memorable! We also enjoyed a spa day and a fantastic cooking class where we learned how to make several authentic Mexican food dishes. The whole trip was fabulous and is so easy to travel to from Phoenix! Both Southwest Airlines and American Airlines offer nonstop service and the flight is a quick 1 hour hop! Or take a road trip and make the easy 6-hour drive from Phoenix to El Paso. We discovered that this city of heart, known as Sun City has plenty to offer! Take a look at some of the reasons that we say to experience El Paso! 

As I showed in my Arizona Daily Mix morning show, our trip to El Paso was tasty, memorable, adventurous, relaxing, educational, artsy and oh so much fun!  

 

…and the lowdown with our recommendations on where to stay, eat, play and experience is here…

Why Experience El Paso 

*For my local readers – Easy To Get To From Arizona

*See 3 Places In One Trip – El Paso, New Mexico and Mexico as border is just 9 miles from El Paso to Juarez

*Authentic Mexican Food AND New Mexico Fare 

*Boot Capital 

*Outdoor Mountain Activities 

*Close to 4 National Parks – White Sands, Carlsbad Caverns, Guadalupe Peak and Big Bend 

 

Our Picks: Where To Stay In El Paso

*Stanton House El Paso – We loved this boutique eclectic property that has the coolest vibe! We enjoyed our nicely equipped rooms, revolving artistic exhibits, modern funky decor, the relaxing & very nice Blush Boutique & Spa that’s located in the hotel basement and the delish fare and creative cocktails at the Taft-Diaz Feast & Liberations Restaurant that’s on site. We started our day with a scrumptious breakfast from the eatery and enjoyed the best after hours bar menu food I’ve found in a boutique hotel. During our stay highly acclaimed New York photographer, Henny Garfunkel’s exhibit was on display. His work showcases gorgeous portraits of a wide array of beloved celebrities. Don’t miss the curated wine selection and look up at the ceiling above the restaurant to view the moving light sculpture. All perfect! 

*Plaza Hotel – An El Paso icon since 1930, this hotel has hosted numerous celebrities through the years and even served as Elizabeth Taylor’s penthouse during her marriage to Nicky Hilton. And how cool is this…that penthouse is now a gorgeous rooftop bar called La Perla that’s perfect for after-dinner spirits and special occasions. With sweeping views of El Paso, New Mexico and Mexico, it makes for an unforgettable special evening. We highly recommend! 

Our Favorite Outdoor El Paso Adventure: Aztec Caves Trail 

Do what we did and request that a Franklin Mountains State Park Ranger be your guide up to the scenic Aztec Caves Trail. We adored the experience, the sweeping views and the cardio was an added bonus! This state park charges a $5 park fee and offers hiking, camping, mountain biking, bird watching and even some bouldering. So fun! 

Our Food Picks! 

El Paso offers some very good eating! And so does neighboring New Mexico. From sunrise to sunset and beyond, we happily ate our way through Sun City! Our picks…

*Taconeta for the best casual outdoor seating and delish taco experience!

Don’t miss this popular spot that offers taco flavors galore, tasty margaritas and fun mocktail drinks, too. 

*La Posta and the following additional recommended spots in nearby Old Mesilla, New Mexico – A quick 40 minute drive gets you to the historic town of La Mesilla (called Old Mesilla by the locals). Here you will experience 19th century charm, the historic 1851 Basilica of San Albino church, eclectic boutiques, the famous Nambe exquisite mixed metal dishes and more store (my favorite) and much more. The Chocolate Lady has the best handcrafted chocolates, some made with New Mexico chiles!

Now back to my favorite New Mexico restaurant! La Posta not only serves authentic New Mexico Hatch Green Chile layered enchiladas, but this eatery is also an official National Historic Landmark. Many historic figures passed through the walls of this place that was once a popular stop off the Butterfield Stage Coach route. Some include Pancho Villa, Kit Carson and Billy the Kid who was also tried in the Old Mesilla Courthouse. At La Posta you will get time honored New Mexican family recipes and a colorful historic building to tour.

*Amar Peruvian Mexican Kitchen – Great atmosphere and even better food! Don’t miss the salmon and sweet corn cake dessert with a surprise ice cream presentation.

Casa Pantera – The place to dine for dinner with hip indoor and uber cool outdoor patio seating. I didn’t think I liked octopus until I tried it here and I want to know how they make asparagus, as it was the best I’ve had! Walk around this eatery to spy the chefs at work. Craving a giant Tomahawk steak? This is the place to order that entree.

Fun trendy scrumptious place! 

Salt & Honey Bakery & Cafe – Don’t miss this place for a delectable brunch. The Baklava Pancakes are worth every calorie and this charming cafe has an appealing menu full of varied and fabulous breakfast and lunch items.

Start your day at Salt & Honey.

*Savage Goods is a cozy cafe and is known for their breakfast burritos and donuts…both terrific! Healthy options are also offered like almond butter toast and the falafel wrap. Great place to hit for breakfast!

The Best Boots! 

El Paso is known as the Boot Capital of the nation, so make sure to visit these fabulous custom boot makers listed here. The visit is just as fun as trying on a unique pair for size. Celebs, Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders and many more notables get their kicks boot styles in Sun City. Check out Rocketbuster Handmade Custom Boots for space age vintage styles and any custom idea that can be dreamt up! Each boot is done on the premises with state of the art steps that include the design, cut, stitching and assembling. Visit the colorful shop to see the artists at work making the perfect pair of boots.

Be sure to also check out Caboots, a 4th generation brand custom boot maker that only makes hand-cut stitched with leather insoles boots. Looking for period piece boot styles? Caboots does that too, with reproductions of years past, pirates, superhero kicks and more.

Boots & Tequila

One of our favorite experiences in our El Paso was a hidden gem placed in the beautiful upscale famous Lucchese Bootmaker shop that’s also not to be missed. The hidden gem? How about a secret door behind a wall of boots that lead to a high quality tequila tasting room? Yes please! That’s called EP Tasting Room and it’s a very fun experience to share with your group of pals or fun family. The tequila is served from field to glass with hand harvested agave from Mexico’s finest regions. Creative cocktails are also offered in this exclusive speakeasy, which is phone and camera free for a truly immersive experience. Now back to the boots at Lucchese, which happens to be the official boots of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders. For the finest in high quality boots, clothing, accessories and more, be sure to visit this stunning shop that celebrates the 140 year old brand that’s been worn by Bing Crosby, LBJ and many other notable legends.

Beloved El Paso Experiences: Cooking, Art, Area Vineyards & Craft Beer Tasting!

 But wait! There’s more! El Paso showed us such a good time! Here are our other favorites that you must make part of your El Paso Experience…

*El Paso Museum of Art – This classy museum is free for all! Gotta love that! We also loved the permanent exhibits as well as the visiting attractions like the current Frida Kahlo photo collection of her high profile, successful yet tragic life. We got a sneak peek of the 241 photos that have gone unpublished but are on exhibit now through May 17th. We also met Mitsu Overstreet, an artist who is currently showing his fantastic work called the Desert Rinpa Exhibit, which is an ode to the desert Southwest and his Japanese ancestry. The iconic painting, The Rio Grande hangs proudly in the halls and is celebrated as one of President George W Bush’s favorite paintings that hung in the White House on loan from The El Paso Museum of Art. Also showing is Suzi Davidoff’s Wander exhibit highlighting nature with a bonus collection of her original drawings. There’s so much more to see at this place that also houses an art school. And free admission makes this a budget friendly educational outing for school aged children. We highly recommend this art museum! 

Here’s a wonderful idea…instead of dining out one evening, take a fun and tasty cooking class at Texas Culinary Institute.

We did and we enjoyed learning how to make authentic Mexican dishes that included blue corn tortillas from scratch and the irresistible Tres Leches Cake, one of my all time faves! Our instructor, Yvonne was terrific! 

Vineyards & Suds

Wine Tasting Picks

Wine tasting? Yes please! Craft beer brewing? That would be another hard yes! Here’s where to go in El Paso and nearby to experience both…

*Zin Valle – Family owned vineyards replanted on the original wine fields tended to by Spanish missionaries nearly 100 years ago, Zin Valle celebrates that fact with a top notch vineyard and tasting experience. Fun fact – those Spanish missionaries brought wine making to North America before California or any other state did! So trying your Vino at Zin Valle is tasting on sacred ground. Make sure to meet and pet the official vineyard cat, Truffles. She’s a sweetie!

La Vina Winery – New Mexico’s oldest vineyard, La Vina Winery has been around for 49 years. The wine is spectacular and the tour of the facility that Ken showed us includes the most interesting antique wine maker that was made of cow hides and operated with human feet stomping on the grapes to produce the wine concoction in a big wooden bucket that sits below. Ask to see it! So glad wine is no longer made that way! 

Craft Beer Tasting Picks

*Deadbeach Brewery – Wow! This brewery is impressive! With 2 stories of suds making machine magic, visitors can choose beer and a show and dine watching the brewmasters do their thing.

Be sure to try a flight of Deadbeach’s award winning brews and take their custom canned goodness with you for later.

Deadbeach provides the good stuff to over 350 taps across El Paso, but visiting the main brewery is a real treat!

*Old Sheepdog Brewery – This absolutely funky and fabulous brewhouse is as much about the eclectic wall art and murals as it is about the award-winning brewski! And CEO Gus will give you quite the tour and may even let you stir the suds like I got to do! Well, the canister was actually empty, but it was fun to pretend that I was a brewmaster for the day! Don’t miss Old Sheepdog!

Oh my goodness! El Paso is packed with fun, flavor, and a culture that’s warm and contagious! I can’t wait to go back! A huge thank you to Lucy and Veronica with Visit El Paso for rolling out the red carpet and showing everything their cool town has to offer! 

 

 

Managedmoms.com is very proud to partner with Visit El Paso to bring you this travel report. Travel on!