El Paso, Texas: Cattleman’s Steakhouse; restaurant review

Cattleman’s Steakhouse  

In Fabens, at Indian Cliffs Ranch, 35 minutes east of town.

dining hall at Cattleman's Steakhouse in Fabens, Texas

You know you’re in Texas here.  I attended an event at Cattleman's Steakhouse that began with a tractor-pulled covered wagon ride.  As the sun set, it took us out into the desert through the property’s Indian Cliffs  Ranch where we viewed the remnants of filming sites for a variety of movies, including “Resurrection,” “The Border,” and “Courage Under Fire.”  Then, while our meal was being fragrantly prepared, we indulged in margaritas and wandered out to the children’s zoo for encounters with goats and longhorn cattle.  Even rattlesnakes in a snake pit.  Kids are catered to with the Fort Apache playground and Indian Maze.  Though I don’t usually eat a lot of red meat, when I’m in Texas I know better than to say no to a steak, and Cattleman’s does make one of the best I’ve ever encountered (the other one was also in Texas at the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo).   My memorably delicious steak was accompanied by tasty several sides--potato salad and beans--but, surprisingly to me, no baked potato or lettuce salad.

covered-wagon ride at Cattleman's Steakhouse in Fabens, Texas

movie set at Cattleman's Steakhouse in Fabens, Texas

feeding goats at Cattleman's Steakhouse in Fabens, Texas

delicious steak dinner at Cattleman's Steakhouse in Fabens, Texas

More things to do in El Paso.

Things to do across the border in Juarez.

Things to do in nearby Las Cruces, New Mexico.

More ideas for exploring the U.S.

images ©2020 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

El Paso, Texas: 3 Free things to do in El Paso; things to do

3 Free things to do in El Paso

The westernmost city in Texas, El Paso straddles the Rio Grande on the U.S.-Mexico border.  It is the largest of three cities that form an international metropolitan area--El Paso; Las Cruces, New Mexico; and Juarez, Mexico.  Nearby Fort Bliss is the nation’s second-largest military installation.  With an average 302 sunny days each year, El Paso is one of the sunniest locations in the United States and embraces "Sun City" as a moniker.  It is also why there are so many outdoor activities available.

1.  El Paso Museum of Art  

1 Arts Festival Plaza, (915) 532-1707.  Tu-Sat 9am-5pm, Thur 9-9pm, Sun 12-5pm.  

The diverse collection at the El Paso Museum of Art includes contemporary works from southwest U.S. and Mexican artists, as well as American and European classic masterworks (think Botticelli and Van Dyck), Spanish retablos, and Mexican colonial art.  It is best known for the 57-piece Samuel H. Kress collection of 12th- through18th-century European art.  More than 6,000 pieces are in the permanent collection, and the museum hosts many temporary exhibitions such as the WWII show I saw featuring works by local native Tom Lea.

entrance to El Paso Museum of Art in El Paso, Texas

jaguar mural on exterior of El Paso Museum of Art in El Paso, Texas

gigantic open art gallery in El Paso Museum of Art in El Paso, Texas

Virgin of Guadalupe statue at El Paso Museum of Art in El Paso, Texas

Native American painting by Fritz Scholder, a personal favorite,
at the El Paso Museum of Art in Texas

2.  streetcars  

The restored vintage streetcars that run here were once part of a fleet used in San Diego in the 1960s.  Now they run two loops through El Paso, stopping at many popular sites.  Do download the free “El Paso Street Car App.”

vintage streetcar in El Paso, Texas

3.  murals  

Many colorful murals are encountered as you walk through the downtown area.  The “El Segundo Barrio Murals” brochure is a helpful assistance to finding many of them.

streetcar mural by the convention center in El Paso, Texas

BOOM! mural by the convention center in El Paso, Texas

More things to do in El Paso.

Things to do across the border in Juarez.

Things to do in nearby Las Cruces, New Mexico.

More ideas for exploring the U.S.

images ©2020 Carole Terwilliger Meyers