El Paso is located on the western end of Texas in the Chinunaun Desert. It borders the state of New Mexico, Mexico, the Franklin Mountains, and the southern tip of the Rockies.
El Paso borders with Mexico. The interesting thing is that you only need your driver’s license to get in and out of this part of Texas into Juarez, Mexico. You do not need a passport if your stay is less than 72 hours and you do not travel past the 18-mile limit. It costs $0.50 to cross the bridge into Juarez and come back. It takes $4 to get your car into Juarez and back. I would advise against bringing your car in, as you may not be riding it on your return trip! People without bags are not questioned, if you do have bags you are questioned it seems. English is generally spoken, though Spanish is helpful. Taxis are available. You can use U.S. money. The border area is popular for food, clubs, bars, gambling, and shopping.
One my favorite features in this region I saw was the El Paso Texas Scenic Drive, which was built in the 1920s. The drive reaches an elevation of 4,222 feet. It was built on the base of the Franklin Mountains and provides a panoramic view of El Paso, Ciudad Juarez, and the Chinunaun Desert. It would be a nice place to take a date or enjoy a sunset.
Another place we visited was the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). The University was founded in 1914 and is the only major research university with a large Hispanic American population. This is due to the proximity of the state to the Mexican border. My friend who I was visiting had a class there the day I was visiting. We went to the student union and had a beer. When the class started, I headed to the library and caught up with my email in the library. I was happy the class let out early. It was a pretty nice campus and with friendly people.