Socorro Mission and Cemetery

We'd like to encourage more travelers to get off I-10 and explore the Mission Trail area, just east of El Paso.  One of our favorite missions is one in Socorro, described on the Mission Trail Association website:

"The Socorro Mission exudes a sense of strength and dignity with its six-foot-thick adobe walls and massive vigas. The Socorro Mission shares the distinction of being among the oldest continuous settlements in the Southwest, as well as being one of the oldest continuously operated missions in Texas.

The original Franciscan mission, “Nuestra Señora de la Concepción del Socorro” was completed in 1691. Admired for its traditional adobe craftsmanship, unique design details, and for its role in resonating cultural heritage, the current Socorro Mission (dedicated in 1843) is listed on the National Register of Historic Places."

If you go, take a look at the nearby cemetery, with original grave markers, including this one mirroring the architecture of the mission.

Visitor information:

Address:  328 S. Nevarez Rd., El Paso, TX 79927
Hours of Operation:  10am-4pm (M-F); 9am-6pm (Sat); 9am-1pm (Sun)
For More Information: (915) 859-7718

Sands Motel by Dan Baeza

We've worked with a very talented photographer, Van Horn native Dan Baeza, to share images of the region, including our "home" community of Van Horn.

Some notable scenes of the award-winning film, Three Burials of Mequiades Estrada, starring Tommy Lee Jones, January Jones, Melissa Leo and Barry Pepper were filmed at the Sands Restaurant in Van Horn.

#30DaysofBiking

Most of the communities in our Texas Mountain Trail region are along Adventure Cycling Association's cross-country Southern Tier Route...from Anthony and El Paso to Marathon.  Here are some images from the section between El Paso and Sierra Blanca, along the lower Mission Trail of El Paso and Hudspeth Counties.

Shady rest area near Tornillo

Church in Fabens, TX
Along the Southern Tier Route