The Voice and Roots of Our America Today

The root: Where the Sun City and Ciudad Juárez breathe as one — a border kitchen and music scene neither country could make alone.

Eat: L&J Cafe — "The Old Place on the Corner," classic enchiladas since 1927; H&H Car Wash & Coffee Shop — legendary green-chile dishes; Chico's Tacos — rolled tacos in tomato-chile sauce, an institution.

Skip — don't: The glossy "Tex-Mex with a view" spots downtown pitched at conventioneers — El Paso's real food is humble, cheap, and nowhere near a scenic overlook.

Specialty: Border cooking — rolled tacos, stacked enchiladas, and green chile stews that carry as much Juárez as Texas.

Shops & crafts: Downtown boot and western-wear shops with hand-tooled leather; Mexican import stores for papel picado, pottery, and religious art; farmers market chile vendors.

See: Walk the historic Mission Trail's 300-year-old churches; hike the Franklin Mountains' desert trails; take in the border story at the El Paso Museum of Art.

Main Street: El Paso Street runs the old commercial heart — pawn shops, bridal stores, and boot emporiums shoulder to shoulder under fading bilingual signage.

After dark: Conjunto and norteño spilling out of downtown bars, or a sunset drive up Scenic Drive for the lights of two cities at once.