Day 2 – El Paso

3/19/2006 – Day 2 – El Paso

Since we do not meet our group and Tour guide until this evening, we rented a car to do some touristy stuff.  We are driving along the El Paso Mission Trail to see the missions.  As we begin, this is the view we have.

Our first stop is the Socorro Mission.  After the Pueblo revolt of 1680, Father Francisco led the Piro Indians and Spanish refugees out of New Mexico to this region.  They established a settlement and named it Socorro.  The Franciscan Monks administered at the church for 172 years, later administered by Diocesan priests and Mexican Jesuits. 

The first Franciscan mission “Nuestra Señora de la Concepción del Socorro”, built in 1691, was destroyed in a flood in 1829 and the church that exists now was completed in 1840.  We have noticed that all of the missions we have visited in California and in other states, there is always a bell tower, as you can see here.

The interior is not as ornate as some others we have seen, but it is still nice. 

In the back of the mission is an outside chapel.  This one is named San Elizario Chapel.  Each of the niches has a statue or flowers.  The large statue in the center was behind bars for some reason.

The bell tower holds two bells and though it is difficult to read, the bottom bell reads “Centennial Bell”, but too difficult to read anything else. 

We left Mission Socorro and drove to the next mission on our list, San Elizario Presidio Chapel.  The first chapel, built in 1789 by the Spanish Crown, and named “San Elceario” after the patron saint of the Military.  Chapels at this site were mostly destroyed or useless because of weather.  This current chapel, built in 1877, is in the traditional Spanish mission style.

Again, like Mission Socorro, there is an outside shrine area. This one does not have a smooth finish, but a rough stone finish.

At the San Elizario Presidio Chapel there is also a courtyard adorned with red peppers and murals on the walls.

We next drive to Ysleta Mission.  Built in 1692 by the Tigua Indians, this is the oldest continuously active parish in the State of Texas.  Ysleta Mission represents over 300 years of Texas history.  

Inside the chapel we are alone and there is a solemn feeling.  It is very nice here and you can feel the quiet.  I have a calm feeling while I sit in one of the pews taking my picture.  

We have plenty of time before we need to return to the Hotel so we decide to follow the scenic drive along the base of the Franklin Mountains.  The road was built in 1920 to provide visitors a panoramic view of the area , around El Paso.  Here at this overlook, you can see El Paso in the foreground, with the tall buildings, and Ciudad Juarez Mexico in the background, with the straight roads leading up to the mountain. 

Driving along, we get another view along the scenic road.  There are trails that you can hike, but we do not have time. 

The area is dry, but very nice.  We’d like to stay and drive around some more but we have dinner and a meeting to get to.  We'll continue tomorrow when we begin our trip into Mexico.