Old Cafe Ruins on the back roads route to El Paso

Ruins of a cafe in McNary

Most travelers take I-10 to and from El Paso, but on the east side of the city, there's another way, through the Mission Trail to Fabens and Fort Hancock and tiny places like McNary and Esperanza along Hwys 20 and 192.  The route parallels I-10 and is the route Adventure Cycling Association recommends for their Southern Tier cross-country riders, maps 34-36.  More about the map, and purchasing information is here.

More photos of this route are here.

Agricultural Fields on the Southern Tier Route

Here's another peek at what cyclists see as they pedal on the Southern Tier route across the country. This is along the same stretch of the route as yesterday's post, near Esperanza, Texas with Mexican mountains in the background.

For more information about cycling in the region, including a list of cycle-friendly hotels, visit www.texasmountaintrail.com/bike

Down in the Valley

The backroads between El Paso and Sierra Blanca take you through agricultural fields very close to the international border. (The mountains you see are in Mexico!) Travelers can see chile, pecans, alfalfa, corn, cotton and other crops growing in irrigated fields. This was taken on Hwy 192 near Esperanza, on Adventure Cycling Association's Southern Tier Route.

For more information on cycling in the region, visit: www.texasmountaintrail.com/bike