Page 487 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

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unique diversity of plant and tours through
animal habitats. Coyotes, road- some of the site’s
runners, and javelinas roam among restored structures.
spring wildflowers and cacti. The area’s high
altitude and isolation
u Fort Davis from large cities
has also made it
* 600. n 4 Memorial Square, (432) a fine location
426-3015. ∑ ftdavis.com for astronomical
research. Located
Situated in the scenic Davis atop the 6,791-ft Catholic Ysleta Mission in El Paso
Mountains at a height of 4,900 ft (2,070-m) Mount
(1,494 m), Fort Davis is a popular Locke, 17 miles (27 km) and liveliest international
destination for visitors seeking northwest of town, the community along the US/
relief from a typical Texas summer. McDonald Observatory gives Mexico border. In 1598, Spanish
A key site during the Indian visitors the opportunity to see explorer Juan de Onate crossed
Wars of the 19th century, it was stars and planets. The Hobby- the river from Mexico and
originally established in 1854 as Eberle spectroscope here has a named the place “El Paso del
a US Army fort along the main 430-inch (1,092-cm) mirror, the Rio del Norte.” It took another
road between El Paso and San world’s largest. 80 years before the city was
Antonio (see pp478–9). Today, it established with a trio of
has been preserved as the Fort P Fort Davis National Catholic missions at Ysleta,
Davis National Historic Site. In Historic Site Socorro, and San Elizario. Still
summer, costumed inter preters Hwy 17. Tel (432) 426-3224. in operation, the missions are
help visitors on self-guided Open 8am–5pm daily. Closed major among the oldest commu nities
public hols. & 7 ∑ nps.gov/foda in Texas. The story of Rio Grande
E McDonald Observatory (and so the international
Hwy 118. Tel (432) 426-3640. border), until a concrete channel
Open 10am–5:30pm daily (call for was built in 1963, is detailed
evening schedule). Closed Jan 1, in a museum at the Chamizal
Thanksgiving, Dec 25. National Memorial. It is a
∑ mcdonaldobservatory.org 55-acre (22-ha) park on the
US side. Outside, a 1.8 mile
i El Paso (2.9 km) walking trail circles
the park.
* 722,000. ~ £ @ n 1 Civic
Center Plaza, (915) 534-0600. } Chamizal National Memorial
∑ visitelpaso.com 800 S San Marcial St. Tel (915) 532-
7273. Exhibits: Open 10am–5pm
Located on the northern bank daily. Grounds: Open 7am–10pm
Guide dressed as an 1880s cavalry soldier of the Rio Grande, El Paso has daily. Closed Jan 1, Thanksgiving,
in Fort Davis long been part of the largest Dec 25. 7 ∑ nps.gov/cham
Visiting Mexico
A short, easy walk over the Gateway to the Americas
International Bridge (or Laredo International Bridge #1) from
San Augustin Plaza, Laredo, leads visitors across the border
into the typical Mexican border town of Nuevo Laredo. This trip
gives visitors a deeper appreciation of the interdependence of
these two countries. There is so much shared culture that, in
the border areas at least, the differences between the US and
Mexico are less striking than the similarities. Thanks mainly to
the “Mexicanization” of the American side, where the population
is more than 80 percent Latino, the food, music, and language is
much the same. Nuevo Laredo, Juarez, and other Mexican cities
are far larger and busier than their American counter-parts, with “Gateway to the Americas International Bridge”
a huge array of shops, restaurants, and bars offering a taste of across the river to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico
Mexico. Elsewhere, along the 1,240-mile (1,996-km) border
with Texas, dozens of small towns and villages are less frenetic,
letting visitors leisurely sample the cuisine while soaking up some south-of-the-border ambience.
For US citizens, a trip across the border requires a passport. For non-citizens, however, it is vital to confirm
their legal status and ensure that they can return to the US. For all travelers, it is far easier and usually quicker to
cross the border on foot.

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