Mission Trail
On a cool morning we drove the Mission Trail to visit all three missions on The Mission Trail. These are three of the oldest historic missions in the United States: Ysleta Mission, Socorro Mission and San Elizario Missions. All three were open for us to walk around in and explore.
During the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, Governor Don Antonio De Otermin and Father Francisco De Ayeta led Piro Indians and Spanish refugees out of New Mexico into the El Paso Region establishing a settlement they named Socorro after the home they had left. The town’s first permanent adobe church was built in 1691. The present day church was rebuilt after a destructive flood in 1829. The inside was spectacular. Hand painted beams contain decorations of the original Native American builders. It was quiet when we visited and the old wooden floors creaked with our footsteps as we walked around.
We spent most of our time in old historic San Elizario. We watched a short video on the history of the area, and then walked around the museum and looked at the different displays. San Elizario was established in 1789 as a fort for Mexican troops stationed in the valley. The present Chapel of San Elizario was constructed in 1877 to replace the original chapel that had been destroyed by a flood. Down the road, the Old County jail boasts being the only jail that Billy the Kid broke INTO! According to Sheriff Pat Garett, Billy the Kids convinced Sheriff Charles Kerber that he was a Texas Ranger with a prisoner when he knocked on the door of the jail. When the sheriff opened the door, Billy overtook the sheriff and broke out his good friend Melquiades Segura. The town holds an annual festival complete with reenactments!
The oldest of the El Paso mission churches is the Ysleta Mission completed in 1692. Tigua Indians have worshipped at the parish since its beginnings and still do today. The simple white adobe exterior hides intricate details inside. A 1726 statue of Christ interred is displayed inside. This statue is taken in procession by the Tigua people at the end of Good Friday Liturgy of the Passion of Our Lord. The procession takes el Santo Entierro from the main church through the streets around the mission complex. The statue is then replaced in the mission church. This commemorates the death of Christ and his being laid in the tomb.
Downtown El Paso
After our morning touring the missions, we headed downtown to check out the Natural History Museum and walk around. The museum is free! We walked over to San Jacinto Plaza to check out Plaza de los Lagartos or Plaza of the Alligators. In the middle of the plaza is a giant fiberglass sculpture of a pile of alligators. Why? Supposedly back in 1889 a city councilman wanted to have live alligators swimming in the plaza. Whatever. The alligators are gone now and this sculpture remains.
By now we were thristy so we stopped in Deadbeach Brewery for some beers. It’s a funky little space with a great outdoor space and plenty of cool art on the walls. We enjoyed “Shorty and a 40”, an almond porter, and the Abuela Imperial Stout.
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