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El Paso, TX is a charming, culturally vibrant city offering world-class country and western music, delicious Mexican cuisine, the architectural delights of ancient Spanish missionaries, and thrilling rodeo shows. There are also many terrific outdoor activities to be enjoyed in the region's dramatic and beautiful desert and mountain landscapes. Here are four things to have fun doing outdoors in and close to El Paso. more 4 Outdoor Activities You Can Drive to Near El Paso, TX See Incredible Wildlife at El Paso Zoo How long has it been since you visited a really good zoo? El Paso's clean, expansive, and well-maintained 35-acre zoo has 220 species of animal to observe. When you visit, you'll have many picture opportunities with jaguars, tigers, bears, orangutans, elephants, roadrunners, sea lions, monkeys, and more fascinating wildlife. The zoo is well organized and easy to navigate, with four main sections showcasing animals from Africa, America, Asia, and the Chihuahuan Desert. You can find the zoo at 4001 East Paisano Drive. Explore El Paso Desert Botanical Gardens The stunning desert landscapes in this part of Texas are host to a surprisingly colorful and thriving variety of flora. The most beautiful and interesting species of the region's desert plants are on display at the El Paso Desert Botanical Gardens. You can wander around the picturesque, carefully cultivated gardens taking pictures of acacia trees, creosote bushes, yuccas, prickly pear, honey mesquite, and other fascinating plants and trees. Find the botanical gardens in Keystone Heritage Park at 4200 Doniphan Drive. Hike the Thousand Steps Trailhead If you're in the mood to challenge yourself, pull on your hiking boots, put on plenty of sun cream, and head to the Thousand Steps Trailhead at 4999 North Stanton Street at the southern end of Franklin Mountain State Park. This tough climbing trail is seriously good fun for anyone who loves hikes and stunning mountain views. As you progress, the trail becomes steadily more and more difficult, but it also becomes quieter and more peaceful, and the magnificent views from the top are worth the effort. On the way up, you're even rewarded with the old crash site of a B-36 bomber. Once you've made it back down to the bottom of the trail, you can cool off in the wonderful air conditioning of your new 2024 Buick Encore GX. Go Horseback Riding at Miller Horse Farm Horseback riding has long been a beloved pastime and heritage of El Paso. One of the best places in the area to enjoy a day of horseback riding is Miller Horse Farm and Riding Academy. You can ride around a large and picturesque farm of vineyards and then enjoy the fine produce of one of the region's best wineries. Of course, remember to drink responsibly with moderation and never drink and drive. The wine will only be for adults, but youngsters can still have the time of their lives learning to ride horses and enjoying the other delicious food and beverages the farm has to offer. You'll find this charming horseback riding and vineyard farm at 200 Fig Tree Lane in Anthony at the northwestern tip of El Paso. Once you've completed your next outdoor adventure, visit Casa Buick GMC. We've been serving the drivers of El Paso with fantastic cars, deals, and customer service for fifty years, since 1973.

Texas features a wide array of diverse landscapes, animals, and plant life to explore. If you're interested in the natural world, don't miss a trip to one of our three favorite state parks within a short drive of El Paso, TX. more 1. Franklin Mountains State Park Located right in El Paso, this state park spans nearly 25,000 acres of breathtaking desert landscape. Franklin Mountains State Park features rugged terrain with more than 100 miles of mountain biking and hiking trails. Rock climbing is allowed at Sneed's Cory and McKelligan Canyon in designated areas only. You can stay for the weekend at one of the park's five RV sites or 14 tent sites. The park is located on Tom Mays Park Access Rd just off Woodrow Bean Transmountain Dr. Franklin Mountains State Park is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (6:30 a.m. opening on summer weekends). Admission is $5 for guests ages 12 and over and free for younger children. 2. Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site This state historic site is less than a 30-minute drive from El Paso. Hueco Tanks is a fragile natural area that includes pictographs and petroglyphy from more than 1,500 years ago. You can take a self-guided or guided tour of these images or explore the park's hiking trails, where you might glimpse one of the more than 200 bird species that live here. Hueco Tanks also has 10 shaded picnic shelters. Although Hueco Tanks is a popular park for day trips, you can also reserve one of its 20 campsites for a longer stay. During the summer, it's open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Friday through Sunday. 3. Balmorhea State Park You can reach this state park with a drive of less than three hours from El Paso to Toyahvale, and it's worth it since you'll get to swim in the largest spring-fed pool in the entire world. Bring your scuba gear to experience the local marine life up close. The restored desert wetlands habitat at Balmorhea State Park provides a home for many endangered wildlife, bird, and fish species. The park also features a playground, sports fields, and picnic sites, as well as 34 campsites and a lodge. Balmorhea State Park is located at 9207 Texas Hwy 17. It's open from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. or sunset (whichever comes first). Admission costs $7 for adults and kids ages 12 and older, but younger kids get in for free. The GMC Canyon is the perfect pickup truck for adventures all over Texas. Take your test drive today at Casa Buick GMC. Photo Courtesy of Pixabay

When drivers in El Paso, TX get home from getting the job done in their tough and rugged GMC Sierra 1500, they need a satisfying meal to dig into. Luckily, we have some of the best pizza in the state served right here in our area. Check out these local pizzerias to get a taste of something exceptional. more 5 of the Best Pizza Joints in Driving Distance of El Paso, TX 1. Pop's Pizza At Pop's Pizza, they don't need any fancy gimmicks or tricks because they let the excellent flavor of their pizza speak for itself. Munch on some breadsticks in house garlic butter to get your meal underway, then load up a pizza with tasty toppings like pepperoni, sausage, jalapenos, or banana peppers to get the main course you've been craving. Visit 12300 Pellicano Drive for a taste of what's cooking here. 2. House of Pizza Downtown Ever since serving their first slice back in 2011, House of Pizza Downtown has been one of the best places to go in our area for a great pizza pie. Their Hottie pizza is perfect for anyone who likes a bit of spice in their meals, with sriracha, green chile, chipotle sauce, and chili powder bringing plenty of heat in every bite. Head on down to 208 North Stanton Street for an excellent meal. 3. Road Runner Pizza After getting your first taste of what they serve here, you'll want to run down to Road Runner Pizza again and again to get another meal. Our favorite of the specialty pizzas they serve up is the Gunslinger, which comes topped off with beef, pepperoni, onions, jalapeno peppers, olives, and an extra helping of cheese to create a fantastic flavor. The great pies served here are waiting for you at 5300 Doniphan Drive. 4. Ardovino's Pizza Originally starting out as a gourmet Italian food mart before transitioning into the restaurant business, Ardovino's Pizza knows everything there is to know about making incredible meals happen. All of the house favorites here are worth a try, but the zesty flavor of the Four Seasons pizza made it the best in our book. The staff here is ready to serve you at 206 Cincinnati Avenue. 5. Luigi's Homestyle Pizza The special deals available at Luigi's Homestyle Pizza will let you enjoy a pizza feast without spending top dollar to get it. Our favorite deal lets you get two large two-topping pizzas and a ten-piece order of hot wings all for a low price. Stop in at their location at 321 East Mills Avenue to get some of the tastiest pizza you can find anywhere. Ready to try out all the fabulous pizza served at these local spots? We can get you a vehicle perfect for exploring the local area. Come to Casa Buick GMC to see our great selection of vehicles!

Spring is a great time of year to be down here in El Paso. Winter has bid goodbye, the days are long, the sun is out, and we haven't yet gotten to the infamous South Texas summer heat. So get out and do what most El Pasoans do, and enjoy the spring as it lasts! Here are our recommendations for incredible spring activities you can enjoy with your family here in El Paso, TX. more 4 Spring Activities You Can Drive to Near El Paso, TX 1. Enjoy Beautiful Southwest Nature in Franklin Mountains State Park If you've got an outdoorsy family, now is the time to hit El Paso's natural playground, or Franklin Mountains State Park. With mountains that quite literally tower over El Paso, the park might be just a quick drive up Tom May's Park Access Road, but you'll quickly find yourself in another world of rugged mountains and picturesque remote Southwestern nature. The park is incredibly popular in the spring for mountain biking, hiking, and rock climbing, and also features excellent camping options for those who want to spend a few nights up in nature. 2. Soak Up the Smell of Spring at the El Paso Municipal Rose Garden There's no better place to come soak up the smells of spring flowers in full bloom than the El Paso Municipal Rose Garden at 1702 North Copia Street. Featuring an assortment of over 2000 roses from all over the world, this is a place you really have to go to during the spring, or else you'll miss out on all the fun! Though small, you can easily spend an afternoon here with your family taking in the flowers, greenery, and little streams that dot this beautiful little park. 3. Take the Family to the El Paso Zoo The El Paso Zoo is a longtime family favorite destination for El Pasoans, and we think springtime is the best season to visit. So don't miss it this year and drive over to the zoo at 4001 East Paisano Drive. The whole family will be awed by the exotic animals from all over the world, including elephants, giraffes, tigers, and mountain lions. Make sure to check out their experiences schedule before going, so you don't miss out on something exciting, like the sea lion feeding or elephant training! 4. Have Some Fun at Bob-O's Family Fun Center If everyone's had enough walking and looking, take the family for some hands-on fun at Bob-O's, a small kid-friendly amusement park located at 3851 Constitution Drive. Play a game of mini golf with your family, or beat the hot spring weather by soaking each other on the bumper boats ride! And if you're a sports fan, don't forget that spring is also baseball season in Texas, so take some swings in the batting cage and see how well you can play. Springtime here in South Texas is the time you want to spend enjoying Texas's beautiful outdoor scenery and attractions with your family, and for that, you'll need a nice family car suitable for all weather and road conditions. So before the season ends, stop by Casa Buick GMC and pick up a nice family car to enjoy the outdoors, like the GMC Canyon.