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I am thinking of taking a joyride to ELP in a couple of weeks. From San Antonio it is basically a 12 hr daytime ride both ways. This makes it quite attractive. I haven't been over the route in a few years. I think I can stay in the downtown Holiday Inn Express.
Does anyone know if there will be places to eat in downtown ELP after late afternoon arrival time? Suggestions? I have never been there before. What are some things to do/see on Friday, the day in between my travel days?
All ideas, thoughts, suggestions appreciated...
dilly Member # 1427
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There's a tiny indoor transportation and railroad museum at the corner of San Antonio and Durango, within walking distance of the train station.
It's simply a storefront space, mainly filled with photos and memorabilia (including a steam locomotive) from the long-defunct El Paso and Southwest Railroad.
It's nothing special, but it's popular with some of the more adventurous Sunset Limited passengers who go off to explore the neighborhood during the train's typical 1-2 hour layover. It's worth a twenty minute visit.
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If you're willing to explore for the day there are plenty of attractions beside downtown, but most are not within walking distance. The west side of the city, upper valley, and Franklin mountains are all some of the best sites. If you want to rent a car, scenic drive, Rim Road, and Transmountain road offer some of the best scenery. There's also a tramway located in the northeastern part of town that takes visitors up the mountain to one of the many TV stations high atop the Franklin mountains. But do not by any means head south of the border, the drug war still rages on.
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To very slightly hijack CoM's thread, is El Paso somewhere worth visiting whilst on the Sunset? Between New Orleans and LA I've only ever stopped at San Antonio before which I enjoyed a lot. If I were to make a stopover elsewhere on this route, how high on my agenda would El Paso be? It looks nice enough from the train. I'm not interested in going south of the border, especially given SunsetLtd's last comment.
Ocala Mike Member # 4657
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El Paso is a "strategic hamlet" (to use a phrase that goes back to the Vietnam War) in the war on drugs.
El Paso, population 600,000, is only a quarter-mile away from Mexico's Ciudad Juarez, which has seen open gun battles and 1,700 murders in the last year. But El Paso remains one of America's safest cities, which is probably a result of the huge law enforcement presence in town, including thousands of Border Patrol and customs agents.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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What a difference forty years makes; I can recall during Dec 1970 alighting the Sunset at El Paso, walking across the border (the Mexican agent was asleep) to the NdeM station in Juarez. Boarded a DMU to Chihuahua aboard which I was issued my Tourist Card. Stayed at an 'adequate' hotel on the Zocalo, and drank some Dos Equis with some English speaking "Locals'. Next AM, back to Juarez and this time X the Border aboard a National City Lines PCC streetcar. Flew home later that day.
Anyone up for such a trip today?
sojourner Member # 3134
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Geoff, I don't know El Paso, but you might like Tucscon, although you'll need to rent a car to see most of the best things in the area there. Except: I believe there is an airport shuttle between Tucscon Airport & Bisbee, where you wouldn't need a car, a really neat old mining town, very western, with a cool late 19C (I think) hotel. . . . In Tucson itself there is a hotel downtown called the Congress Hotel, very convenient to the train, though I've never stayed there, it seemed a lively place, and I don't think too expensive. I believe they don't have good a/c, though--but I'd avoid going in summer anyway hahaha. There's also an airport shuttle from Tucscon to Phoenix, where most local hotels have (or had) free shuttle pickups at the Phoenix airport.
Geoff Mayo Member # 153
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Ah, Phoenix with its futuristically-named Sky Harbor airport (I like it). Anyway, Tucson, Phoenix, and Bisbee - I'll keep that in mind. Maybe not El Paso yet then. Thanks.
sojourner Member # 3134
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Oh, El Paso might be cool too, Geoff--I have no idea!
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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quote:Originally posted by Ocala Mike: El Paso, population 600,000, is only a quarter-mile away from Mexico's Ciudad Juarez, which has seen open gun battles and 1,700 murders in the last year.
Oh well, I guiess all of this is now South of the Border?
Judy McFarland Member # 4435
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Thanks, GBN, for that musical stroll down memory lane!
RRRICH Member # 1418
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Ah, yes -- Marty Robbins! No doubt one of the all-time greats!!! Thanks for the video, GBN!
sojourner Member # 3134
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When I've been on the Sunset Ltd, I got out for the smoke stop in El Paso. Not that I smoke, but I like getting out at smoke stops to "set my feet on new ground" and stretch my legs. In El Paso I always cell-phone my husband, to hear the song. . . . Another good song at a smoke stop is Reno, I phone and he he always sings (or says) "I shot a man in Reno. . . . "
palmland Member # 4344
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Good one GBN. I had not heard Marty Robbins in some time, but on a western trip we stopped in the infamous Wall drug in SD and I picked up his Gunfighter Ballads CD. Somehow it seemed appropriate as we wandered around the Badlands.
I would like to explore more around El Paso - looks interesting - maybe too much so with all the action Ciudad Juarez. Heard another government warning today to be very cautious about going south of the border - the current day gunfighters are quite active.
Railroad Bob Member # 3508
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Derailed there once-- literally. Back in the late 80s. Couple of smoky P40s up front on a #2 split a switch at the east end of the depot, coming out onto the main. Jacknifed; we got to ride buses to San Antone. A long, bleary ride through the Texas night with assorted rummies and confidence men...I do remember some very good red 'n green burritos handmade by a local abuelita. That just about sums up my experiences in old El Paso, TX. Oh, I forgot about once sitting for an hour or so at CP Lizard, just west of town, for an immigration check..which I passed.
TwinStarRocket Member # 2142
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Speaking of gunfighter ballads, when rolling west on the SWC I am taking that oft repeated western advice of 'gettin out of Dodge by morning'.
Best delivery of that line, and most testosterone: Burt Lancaster (Wyatt Earp) to Kirk Douglas (Doc Holliday) in 'Gunfight at the OK Corral'. The film had an outstanding musical score by Dimitri Tiomkin, and Frankie Laine singing the title song always runs through my head as the SWC rolls along Front Street past the Long Branch Saloon and Boot Hill. "Boot Hill, Boot Hill. So cold. So still".
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Ah Burt - my favourite actor of all time. Those gleaming white teeth and that laugh! Continuing the sort of Mexican theme just seen him (yet again) in "The Professionals". The scenery was, of course, magnificent tho' I believe it might have been filmed mostly in Utah and not Texas/Mexico. There is a fair amount of train action although I do not what line it was.
sojourner Member # 3134
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Speaking of train action, I just tried watching Public Enemies. Got bored with it and did not see it through to the end, but there was a pretty nice train and several shots of Union Station; also the Congress Hotel in Tucson (across the street from the station)--at least, the hotel said it was the Congress, and it looked familiar to me; but I don't know that the interior shots were filmed there. I was disappointed there were no scenes of the beautiful old Tucson courthouse; however, it was around this point I dumped this film, so maybe I missed something.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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quote:Originally posted by Stephen W: Ah Burt - my favourite actor of all time.
Last night, Turner aired Burt's "break out' film; "The Killers". Be sure, should there be another opportunity to view it (TCM does not rerun material the way the other movie channels do), to be alert as you will need all your faculties to follow the plot. You can't approach this film noir 'half asleep" as you can one such as "Mama Mia' and still feel delightfully entertained.
Oh and there is rail; a not so good stage set of a Lounge Car as Burt and Ava travel NY-Pgh.
City of Miami Member # 2922
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I made my hotel reservation in El Paso - The Holiday Inn Express Central. I'm looking forward to their breakfast already and thinking they must have a TexMex version. Then I tried to buy my ticket online and Amtrak would not complete my reservation saying my zip code did not jibe with the credit card info. That's funny since I just bought the hotel room with the same cc moments before..... Anyway, the trip is on and I look forward to Blue Bonnets at least and I will obey SunsetLtd's injunction to stay north of the border.
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