Family Attractions test

Ascarate Park

http://www.co.el-paso.tx.us/parksandrec/ascaratepark/

Carlsbad Caverns http://www.nps.gov/cave/ Established to preserve Carlsbad Cavern and numerous other caves within a Permian-age fossil reef, the park contains more than 100 known caves, including the nation's deepest limestone cave at 1,567 feet (478m) and third longest.  Carlsbad Cavern, with one of the world's largest underground chambers and countless formations, is highly accessible, with a variety of tours offered year-round and is located just 2 hours east of El Paso.

Chamizal National Memorial
http://www.epcounty.com/chamizalfestival

The Chamizal Convention was a milestone in diplomatic relations between Mexico and the United States in 1963. Chamizal National Memorial, El Paso's National Park, was established to commemorate this treaty, which resulted in the peaceful settlement of a century-long boundary dispute between the neighboring countries. Far more than mere acreage, Chamizal is an idea, a dynamic process, dedicated to furthering the spirit of understanding and goodwill between two nations that share one border. Utilizing the visual, literary and performing arts as a medium of interchange, Chamizal serves as an open door to help people better understand not only other cultures, but their own cultural roots as well.

El Paso Museum of Art http://www.elpasoartmuseum.org/ The El Paso Museum of Art is the fine arts museum of the City of El Paso and a major cultural and educational resource for the surrounding region.  The Museum houses a permanent collection of more than 5,000 works of art, including the Samuel H. Kress Collection of European art from the 13th-18th centuries, American art from the 19th-21st centuries, Mexican colonial art and retablos from the 18th-19th centuries, works on paper, and contemporary art from the Southwestern United States and Mexico.  In addition to displaying works from its holdings, the Museum presents a diverse schedule of temporary exhibitions, films, lectures, concerts, and other educational programs for the public.

El Paso Zoo
http://www.elpasozoo.org/

The El Paso Zoo is an eighteen-acre home to more than 600 animals of over 250 species in a variety of natural habitat exhibits including a Reptile House, South American Pavilion, Americas Aviary, Paraje, Birds of Prey, American Biome, Forest Atrium, Asian Grasslands, Asian Endangered Walk, and an Elephant Complex.  The El Paso Zoo is dedicated to the enhancement of the community of El Paso and Juarez through our bilingual programs and visitor experiences, which foster enthusiasm, understanding, respect, and appreciation for wildlife and healthy ecosystems.

Emerald Springs Golf Club
http://www.emeraldspringsgolfclub.com/

Emerald Springs Golf Club is located in Horizon City, Texas, 10 minutes east of El Paso.  This high desert course has wide fairways and large greens.  The signature hole is #13, a 463-yard, par 4, requiring a shot past water on the right.  Another difficult hole is #2, a 453-yard, par 4, with water running down the right side of the dogleg right fairway and a green that slopes toward the water.  There are two ponds that come into play on five holes altogether.  All of the fairways are tree lined and narrow.  Emerald Springs Golf Club has a practice facility that is maintained with same degree of professionalism that is given the golf course.  The practice range is all grass with the designated hitting area being changed frequently to ensure golfers have plenty of good grass to enjoy.

Gila National Forest
http://www2.srs.fs.fed.us/r3/gila/

Located three hours northwest of El Paso, the Gila National Forest has spectacular scenery ranging from high cool mountains with aspen and Douglas fir to warm semi-arid lowlands with juniper, oak and cactus.  It is one of the more remote and least developed national forests in the southwest.  Covering 3.3 million acres of publicly owned forest and range land, the forest is the sixth largest national forest in the continental United States.  The Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is surrounded by the Gila National Forest and lies at the edge of the Gila Wilderness, the nation's first designated wilderness area.  Various trailheads for horsemen and women, hikers and backpackers are located in the vicinity of the Gila Cliff Dwellings.  This monument includes the Gila Visitors Center and a contact station at the entry to the dwellings themselves.  The park offers a glimpse of the homes and lives of the Mogollon Indians who lived there from the late 1270s through the early 1300s.  The surroundings probably look today very much like they did when the cliff dwellings were inhabited.

Painted Dunes Golf Course
http://www.painteddunes.com/

Carved out of the Chihuahan Desert, the East, West and North courses at Painted Dunes sit at the foothills of the Franklin Mountains offering scenic beauty of native foliage and desert wildlife.  Painted Dunes Desert Golf Course offers tournament services, food and beverage amenities, fully stocked pro shop, PGA certified golf instruction and customer service that is unparalleled by any other golf facility.  Painted Dunes has received accolades from Golf Digest, Texas Golfer, United States Golf Association (USGA) and the Dallas Morning News as being one of the premier golf facilities to play golf in Texas and the Southwest.

Sportspark
http://www.epcounty.com/parksandrec

Sportspark is swiftly moving to become the region’s premier athletic complex, with its lighted T-ball, softball and baseball fields. The park can easily accommodate a 200-team tournament, with games played during the day and at night. Concessions are available. More important yet, plans are to expand the park to include tournament-approved soccer fields in the not too distant future.

White Sands National Monument
http://www.nps.gov/whsa

Located 90 minutes north of El Paso, at the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert, lies a mountain-ringed valley called the Tularosa Basin. Rising from the heart of this basin is one of the world's great natural wonders - the glistening white sands of New Mexico.  Here, great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert and have created the world's largest gypsum dune field. The brilliant white dunes are ever changing: growing, cresting, then slumping, but always advancing. Slowly but relentlessly the sand, driven by strong southwest winds, covers everything in its path.