{"id":1764,"date":"2015-09-17T19:11:44","date_gmt":"2015-09-17T19:11:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/contentlayoutguidelines.ydgdev1.com\/links-post\/"},"modified":"2019-07-25T10:43:00","modified_gmt":"2019-07-25T16:43:00","slug":"links-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debbihester.com\/links-post\/","title":{"rendered":"36 Hours in El Paso, Tex."},"content":{"rendered":"\nSITUATED at the intersection of Texas, Mexico and New Mexico, El Paso is a city with a distinct flavor. It juxtaposes authentic Mexican culture with a growing hipster scene, and though it\u2019s one of the largest cities in Texas, it still often ends up as a mere pit stop on I-10. Once the storied heart of the Old West (and playground of Billy the Kid), El Paso has recently gained much of the big-city feel of its neighbor across the border, Ciudad Ju\u00e1rez. It has come into its own with new theaters, restaurants and nightclubs, many of them transplants from its sister city, the epicenter of the Mexican drug war.\nFriday<\/strong>\n4 p.m.<\/strong>
\n1. WINE COUNTRY<\/strong>\nThough El Paso\u2019s summers, with days that often reach into the 100s, may seem an unforgiving setting for grape-growing, it turns out that zinfandels take quite nicely to the sun. Stop by Zin Valle Vineyards (7315 Canutillo La Union Road; 915-877-4544; zinvalle.com<\/a>) or the neighboring La Vi\u00f1a Winery (4201 South Highway 28; 575-882-7632; lavinawinery.com<\/a>) for generous wine tastings (free at Zin Valle or $5 at La Vi\u00f1a). Both sit along the historic Don Juan de O\u00f1ate Trail, a section of El Camino Real, which marks the route that O\u00f1ate, the explorer and conquistador, forged in 1598 to settle north of the Rio Grande. A drive down this road reveals majestic pecan groves and vast fields of cotton, chile peppers and corn.\n7 p.m.<\/strong>
\n2. EAT LOCAL<\/strong>\nWith Ju\u00e1rez right across the highway, it\u2019s a no-brainer that El Paso has always been a prime spot for Mexican food. And though enchiladas and tortas still prevail, the past few years have begun to see a locavore, foodie culture spread through the city. And why not? With plenty of undeveloped land still surrounding El Paso, there\u2019s room to cultivate nearly everything. Tom\u2019s Folk Cafe (204 Boston Avenue; 915-500-5573) epitomizes the new El Paso dining scene, and the tiny restaurant would feel at home in Brooklyn with its local meat, veggies and breads, wine-bottle candlesticks and nouveau Southern food. After an order of hush puppies stuffed with pulled pork ($14), try an oversized burger with Brie, bacon and blueberry jam ($10.50) or pan-seared snapper with crawfish ragout ($20).\n9 p.m.<\/strong>
\n3. INDIE SCENE<\/strong>\nNew music venues are part of El Paso\u2019s night-life scene, and with the Coachella music festival to the west and Austin City Limits festival to the east, El Paso could be on its way to becoming a hot spot on indie bands\u2019 tours. The Lowbrow Palace (111 Robinson Avenue; thelowbrowpalace.com<\/a>) caters to the college crowd and regularly features local bands as well as touring acts. Tricky Falls (209 South El Paso Street; 915-351-9938; trickyfalls.com<\/a>) is a brand-new music space in a gorgeous historic building; right above it is Bowie Feathers (209 South El Paso Street; 915-351-9909), a bar and hipster haven with black leather booths and funky wall art that also hosts musicians.\n

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