In 1848 the town known as El Paso officially became a part of the state of Texas. Today, it remains a typical southwestern city with all of the stifling heat associated with the climate in that region. It also is suspect to yearly monsoons which have created substantial amounts of damage in the past.

While Texas is widely associated with the country music industry, Nascar racing, and other southern cowboy themed events, there is also a very rich cultural community thriving throughout the state. That includes El Paso, where visitors and locals alike enjoy a wide variety of art museums. Two of the more popular museums include the International Art Museum and a thorough holocaust museum with some very old pieces of art on display.

For outdoor adventure, the Franklin Mountains State Park runs directly through the center of the city and overlooks the Rio Grande. There are also some smaller parks throughout the city which offer ample opportunity for walking, nature sightseeing, and pond fishing.

El Paso is located right on the Mexican border with a larger Mexican town directly connected. It is considered a larger metropolitan area with this city, named Chihuahua. Even with the current tensions over the United States-Mexican border, this region offers a lot of beautiful scenery and safe outdoor environments to amuse every age group.