El Paso, Texas

El Paso is located at the western tip of Texas, where Texas, New Mexico and Old Mexico meet. It is the largest international metroplex in the world and seamlessly blends cultures and traditions: from the historic Old West to the colors of Mexico and the heritage of Native Americans. El Paso is the birthplace of America's Southwest. The city's 400 year history is a vibrant blend of cultures and customs that creates the thriving and unique metropolitan area that exists today.

The high mountains, which cut through the middle of the city, offer a dramatic setting for El Paso. Visitors can ride the Wyler Aerial Tramway to Ranger Peak to get a panoramic view of the city, or drive along Transmountain Road which cuts right through the Franklin Mountains. Visitors enjoy mountain biking, hiking and rock climbing virtually any time of the year.

The area was also home to famous outlaws including Pancho Villa, John Wesley Hardin and Billy the Kid. And don't forget your boots; after all, this is the Boot Capital of the World, and boots are still made by hand here.

With El Paso's sister city, Juarez, Mexico, just across the border, a visit to El Paso is like getting two destinations in one. You can easily have breakfast in El Paso and lunch in Mexico. It's easy to catch a trolley from Downtown El Paso and tour Juarez's shopping hot spots. Enjoy an ice cold cerveza or a Margarita – which was invented in one of Juarez's bars – or dine in one of many of the city's elaborately upscale restaurants or dance clubs. And many of Mexico's rich traditions are still alive and can be experienced: bullfights, greyhound racing, mariachis and colorful dances.

Today, El Paso is a thriving community reveling in the blend of cultures. It is a major distribution and manufacturing center and the focal point of an annual $20 billion in trade between the United States and Mexico.