Big Bend Country

Big Bend Country is the Texas of the movies: vast canyons, border excitement, and miles of open space. Miles of rugged plains. Oil derricks on the horizon. Tumblin' tumbleweeds rolling across a quiet highway.

But there's another side to West Texas as well, one that includes museums, cultural events, an international atmosphere, and world-class facilities. Thanks in part to the money the oil business has brought this part of the state, many of these West Texas towns offer vacationers hotels and attractions sure to please even the pickiest city slicker.

As the largest city on the U.S.-Mexico border, El Paso is a destination filled with south-of-the-border charm and attractions that recall the rich cultural and natural history of the area. And no trip to El Paso would be complete without a journey to its sister city of Juarez. This historic community offers shopping opportunities just a few minutes away from El Paso.

The neighboring West Texas cities of Midland and Odessa maintain a friendly competition for vacationers, each offering its own assets. The regional airport is located in Midland, best known as the boyhood home of President George W. Bush. Midland also is home to a number of cultural venues, all smack dab in the middle of some of Texas's richest oil country.

But far West Texas isn't just about big-city fun--it's also about the miles of open space for which much of Texas is known. This area is home to two national parks favored by nature lovers. Guadalupe Mountains National Park is home to the only mountains in Texas. Big Bend National Park spans over 800,000 acres--truly a Texas-size getaway.

The Big Bend area is known for its untamed beauty but you'll find several small communities there as well including Marfa, Ft. Davis, and Alpine plus Del Rio in the eastern reaches.

Photo courtesy TX Dept of Economic Development, Tourism Division