El Paso TX "city meet" - April 17, 2027 (tentative date)

[A.J. Bertin]

Now that it's official that El Paso will be the location of my 2027 "city meet", I'd like to announce the tentative date I'm looking at - Saturday, April 17.

The format for my meet will be the same that I used for my previous gatherings... a choose-your-own-sightseeing event.  I will select the restaurants where we will convene for lunch and dinner, and folks can explore certain aspects of El Paso individually or in small groups between lunch and dinner.  Some folks may choose to focus on the highway infrastructure, some may choose to explore the city's downtown area, some may want to check out retail/breweries, some may focus on county clinching, and of course some may choose some combination of those and any other features of the city that they are interested in.

I've never been to El Paso before and am, of course, very excited to check it out for the first time!  As with all of my "city meets", I am inviting anyone who is interested to explore it with me.

At some point over the next 4-5 months, I will confirm that April 17 will be the date... but right now, I'm giving myself a very good chance that it will take place on this date.  Certain enough to announce the date now.  I look forward to planning my next meet and look forward to seeing some of you in El Paso next April!

[kphoger]

I've never been to El Paso before

In 2001, I flew into El Paso with my dad, then we immediately took a taxi from the airport to the Ciudad Juárez bus station.  On our return trip from the Copper Canyon a week later, the taxi from our hotel in Juárez dropped us off at the border, we walked across and up to the (closed) zoo entrance parking lot, found a pay-phone, and called for a taxi the rest of the way to the airport.  That's the extent of my time in El Paso.

[SSOWorld]

since I have to put the international bucket list aside indefinitely, I could possibly take this as an opportunity to finish the Interstates of Texas - as I only have I-20 west of I-30 and a sliver of I-110 left - thus I can fly into DFW from a regional airport if I wished.

[A.J. Bertin]

since I have to put the international bucket list aside indefinitely, I could possibly take this as an opportunity to finish the Interstates of Texas - as I only have I-20 west of I-30 and a sliver of I-110 left - thus I can fly into DFW from a regional airport if I wished.

Nice!  I'm actually planning on flying into Albuquerque and driving south to El Paso from there.  I considered the idea of flying into DFW and driving to El Paso from there, but Albuquerque was more appealing to me for various reasons.

[oscar]

One of my visits to El Paso focused on the Chamizal international border dispute, created by shifts of the Rio Grande within El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. One lasting consequence of the dispute was its resolution by cession of disputed lands by the U.S. to Mexico, and moving the Rio Grande to an ugly concrete-lined ditch to make sure the river would never move again.

During that visit, I went to monuments on both sides of the border about the dispute (my excuse to clinch I-110 in El Paso -- Travel Mapping now has 110's south end north of the last U-turn before crossing the border). Any attempt to replicate my tour should be mindful of the latest U.S. State Department travel advisories about violent crime within Ciudad Juárez and other areas of Chihuahua estado.

[Rothman]

One of my visits to El Paso focused on the Chamizal international border dispute, created by shifts of the Rio Grande within El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. One lasting consequence of the dispute was its resolution by cession of disputed lands by the U.S. to Mexico, and moving the Rio Grande to an ugly concrete-lined ditch to make sure the river would never move again.

During that visit, I went to monuments on both sides of the border about the dispute (my excuse to clinch I-110 in El Paso). Any attempt to replicate my tour should be mindful of the latest U.S. State Department travel advisories about violent crime within Ciudad Juárez and other areas of Chihuahua estado.

Yeah, I liked my after-hours visit to Chamizal National Monument. 

[cl94]

I'm very much interested, but TBD if I'll be able to swing it. I may be a last-minute decision on this depending on how things go in the coming months.

[SSOWorld]

since I have to put the international bucket list aside indefinitely, I could possibly take this as an opportunity to finish the Interstates of Texas - as I only have I-20 west of I-30 and a sliver of I-110 left - thus I can fly into DFW from a regional airport if I wished.

Nice!  I'm actually planning on flying into Albuquerque and driving south to El Paso from there.  I considered the idea of flying into DFW and driving to El Paso from there, but Albuquerque was more appealing to me for various reasons.

That would be part of the other option - fly into DEN, then drive I-25 down to complete that one.

[Rothman]

Hm.  Might fly into Lubbock for this one.

[Max Rockatansky]

There are some pretty memorable US Route segments around El Paso:

-  Try figuring out what is going on with US 62 and 85 around the border.
-  The 100 plus mile US 62/180 dead zone between El Paso and Carlsbad Caverns.
-  US 82 heading west from Cloudcroft is pretty memorable and has one of the few New Mexico highway tunnels.
-  US 70 over the Sierra Blancas is pretty and you might see a firing test at White Sands.

[kphoger]

Any attempt to replicate my tour should be mindful of the latest U.S. State Department travel advisories about violent crime within Ciudad Juárez and other areas of Chihuahua estado.

meh.

Home > International Travel > Travel Advisories > Mexico

Level 2 - Exercise increased caution

State of Chihuahua

Reconsider travel due to terrorism, crime, and kidnapping.

*  There is a risk of violence in the state from terrorist groups, cartels, gangs and criminal organizations.

*  Most homicides are targeted assassinations against members of online roadgeek communities.

*  Territory battles between these groups have led to violent crime in places like boundary monuments and route termini where U.S. roadgeeks go.  Shootings have hurt and killed bystanders.

[oscar]

Home > International Travel > Travel Advisories > Mexico

Level 2 - Exercise increased caution

State of Chihuahua

Reconsider travel due to terrorism, crime, and kidnapping.

*  There is a risk of violence in the state from terrorist groups, cartels, gangs and criminal organizations.

*  Most homicides are targeted assassinations against members of online roadgeek communities.

*  Territory battles between these groups have led to violent crime in places like boundary monuments and route termini where U.S. roadgeeks go.  Shootings have hurt and killed bystanders.

"Choose your own adventure" meets like A.J.'s city meets have no published itineraries for where the attendees will be and when, except the lunch gathering where the meet begins and the dinner gathering where it ends. Assuming those gatherings will be on the U.S. side of the border, it seems a city meet is an especially safe way to avoid any targeting.

I'm a "maybe" on this meet, since my travel next year will likely focus more on areas west of the Mississippi  than this year's eastern Canada-focused travels like the Quebec mega-trips this spring and summer..

[A.J. Bertin]

"Choose your own adventure" meets like A.J.'s city meets have no published itineraries for where the attendees will be and when, except the lunch gathering where the meet begins and the dinner gathering where it ends.

This is exactly right.

Assuming those gatherings will be on the U.S. side of the border, it seems a city meet is an especially safe way to avoid any targeting.

Whoever attends my El Paso meet is of course free to go wherever they wish... including crossing the border if they choose.  I personally will be staying on the U.S. side of the border.

I'm a "maybe" on this meet, since my travel next year will likely focus more on areas west of the Mississippi  than this year's eastern Canada-focused travels like the Quebec mega-trips this spring and summer.

It would be awesome if you're able join us, Oscar!

[Max Rockatansky]

You can probably find upsold Dr. Simi plushies on El Paso Street.  The first Farmacias Similares is about half mile walk past the pedestrian border crossing.

[okroads]

Planning to drive down from Norman. I have been to El Paso a handful of times but none since 2013 so looking forward to seeing more of the area and what has changed since my last visit.

[Great Lakes Roads]

If I do decide to go to El Paso for the city meet, I might as well clinch US 54!

[CanesFan27]

You can probably find upsold Dr. Simi plushies on El Paso Street.  The first Farmacias Similares is about half mile walk past the pedestrian border crossing.

Untitled by Adam Prince, on Flickr

[SSOWorld]

cue lawsuit by Buc-ee's for imitating statue of...

[Max Rockatansky]

cue lawsuit by Buc-ee's for imitating statue of...

That's a pharmacy tech in the Dr. Simi suit.  Usually, they rotate who dances in the suit throughout the workday.