El Paso is where my beautiful daughter-in-law, Max, who is a soldier at Fort Bliss, lives. It struck me that we are a US military family – my husband, son, myself, and John’s wife. Other than my grandfather, who was a deputy police officer, all the other members of my family were in the medical field, were carpenters, or were homemakers.
Before leaving for New Zealand, we made a decision to visit her. However, my son is currently on the field, meaning he’s engaged in military exercises, so we can’t see him at the moment. While in El Paso, we took the opportunity to explore the town. Although many tourist and historic sites were closed at the time, we still managed to see some interesting things.
The Sugar House -“Casa de Azúcar”
This house looks like it’s covered and decorated with confections, just like a cake. The story goes that Rufino Loya, a retired employee of Lewis company, promised his wife he would build a beautiful house. So, in 1973, he started the project. It took him 25 years to complete, spending hundreds of hours designing the shapes with cement.
The house is adorned with lots of flowers, resembling a wedding cake. The decoration also includes many religious pieces inspired by the Catholic Church in Rufino’s native Mexico.
This house is truly unique and beautifully decorated. I can see a lot of dedication to his wife and faith devotion.
The most seductive thing about art is the personality of the artist himself.
– Paul Cézanne
Concordia Cemetery
I always enjoy visiting cemeteries. Some may find it morbid, but I believe you can learn a lot about history by reading tombstone inscriptions. Sometimes, you come across unexpected things. Recently, I visited Concordia Cemetery.
First pet buried
Concordia Cemetery has a unique appearance compared to other cemeteries I have visited. Perhaps because it is located in a desert environment, but it gives off a Wild West vibe. Hugh and Juana Stephenson established the cemetery in 1840 on their Concordia Ranch. Interestingly, historical accounts state that Juana Stephenson was the first person to be buried there after she died from being gored by her pet deer in 1857.
Lots of personalities
The epitaph on the cemetery presentation reads, “It is the final resting place of scoundrels, gamblers, heroes, scallywags, lawmen, Buffalo Soldiers, circus performers and, of course, outlaws – lots of outlaws.” I would say it sounds fascinating!
Chinese Cemetery
After exploring the tombs, we came across a gate with an inscription that read “Chinese Cemetery.” I found it peculiar that the Chinese tombs were segregated from the rest of the community.
These tombs belonged to Chinese railroad workers who decided to settle in the area, and this cemetery is the only one of its kind in Texas. Additionally, we observed designated areas for the burials of Buffalo Soldiers, Mormons, Jewish individuals, and Freemasons.
The Cemetery
He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery. – Harold Wilson
Franklin Mountain State Park
The Murals of El Paso
El Paso is adorned with vibrant, beautiful murals reflecting Mexican traditions and community pride.
Graffiti Wall at Cole St, E 3rd Ave, El Paso, TX 79901
Lincoln Park
Some murals, downtown El Paso
Downtown, there is a mix of old and new architecture. I noticed this fantastic building after having my breakfast, and I had to take a picture to show the beauty of this building.
We did not realize how close we were to the Mexican border. It was for us the closer we got to Mexico… Ahh…
We had a great time visiting Max, and we hope to see her and John in New Zealand next time.
We decided to stop at Terlingua, a famous Texas ghost town, on our way back home. Even though it was in the right direction, it meant taking an alternative route, adding four more hours to our journey.
Thankfully, my husband is always ready for an adventure, and we took Interstate 10, then US Highway 90. Between Valentine and Marfa, we came across an unexpected art installation featuring giant figures of James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, a movie set, and Rock Hudson in a convertible.
I stopped to take pictures and was pleasantly surprised to hear music from speakers disguised as rocks. After a long trip, it was a lovely and unexpected sight and sound to experience.
The Ghost Town Terlingua, Texas
I had high expectations for the ghost town but was slightly disappointed. It looks disorganized, with rooms for rent at night in the middle of the ruins, which is not appealing to me. Further research revealed that the buildings did not look like the original houses; they might have been constructed just for tourists. However, the cemetery seems to be authentic.
However, many people seem to like it as it’s always full of tourists. The cemetery has a wild-west look, setting it apart from Concordia cemetery. It’s still an active cemetery with ongoing burials.
As with every town, there is a cemetery. I enjoy visiting cemeteries because they are full of history, at least most of them are!
The stories go that Terlingua cemetery dates from the early 1800s. Terlingua was a prosperous town due to mercury mining. In this cemetery, the rest of the residents and mine workers succumbed to dangerous working conditions, gunfire, and the influenza of 1918. The local community still uses this cemetery, as mentioned earlier.
I can’t even begin to fathom the harsh conditions of life in Terlingua during the 1900s; it seems incredibly primitive and brutal.
After delving deeper into the history of the Chisos mine, I discovered that the workers were immigrants seeking a stable life for their families. During the first two decades of the 20th century, Mexico was facing political instability and civil war.
Terlingua was a city that provided reliable access to water, a well-stocked commissary, three daily mail services, an ice-making plant, and logging facilities. It’s understandable why people were willing to work in a mine, even a mercury mine, as they were unaware of how toxic this compound element was.
You will get more details if you visit Chasing Quicksilver History in Beautiful Big Bend – Texas Highways.
Fort de San Saba
On our way to El Paso, we passed Fort de San Saba, also known as Presidio San Saba, located one mile west of Menard. The Colonial Spanish Army established the settlement in 1757 and maintained it until they abandoned it in 1772. For more details, go to Not ‘just a pile of rocks’: Funds sought to restore Presidio de San Saba (gosanangelo.com)
The trip back was long, as you can expect. We encounter a lot of deer roaming and eating grass on the road. We started to count them, and we calculated around 200 deer from Iraan to Menard (on the 190) and then to Liberty Hill on the 29.
I’ve never seen so many deer together. The funny part is they were not kamikaze type like the ones in Wisconsin.
It was a long drive, but we enjoyed visiting Max and discovering Texas a little more!
“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.
So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.
