点评:Who says there's nothing to see in El Paso? People who have never set foot into a non-tourist-trappy destination, that's who.
Even without stunning and unique places like Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands which are an easy day trip, El Paso boasts this gem called Hueco Tanks right in the heart of the city.
We likely wouldn't have gotten much out of it without our tour guide Eddie, a local volunteer. His knowledge of the site - no, his knowledge of EVERYTHING under the sun including El Paso, Texas, history, geology, archaeology, linguistics, you name it - was mind-blowing. His enthusiasm for story-telling as well as his physical stamina were unparalleled. He took our group that included ages from 11 to 80, through a challenging path of exploration by means of tunnels, chutes, crevices, chasms, and bridges, keeping a good eye on our safety, while constantly engaging us with cool facts and explanations.
We enjoyed a picnic lunch at the table right outside the Escontrias ranch house. The staff is nonbureaucratic and friendly and accommodating.
Highly recommend this place along with the volunteer guided tour. To clarify: you should request the VOLUNTEER tour, not the commercial ones. I have no idea how those are but we are sure they can't be any better, despite costing way more. The volunteer tour was only $7 per person - plus whatever you decide to tip.
翻译:谁说埃尔帕索没什么可看的?那些从未踏足过非旅游陷阱目的地的人就是这样的人。
即使没有像卡尔斯巴德洞穴和白沙国家公园这样令人惊叹和独特的地方(这些地方只需一天即可轻松抵达),埃尔帕索也拥有位于市中心的这颗名为 Hueco Tanks 的宝石。
如果没有我们的导游 Eddie(当地志愿者),我们可能就不会从中得到太多收获。他对这个地方的了解——不,他对太阳底下一切事物的了解,包括埃尔帕索、德克萨斯州、历史、地质、考古学、语言学等等——令人惊叹。他对讲故事的热情以及他的体力都是无与伦比的。他带领我们这个年龄从 11 岁到 80 岁的团队,通过隧道、滑道、裂缝、裂谷和桥梁,走过一条充满挑战的探险之路,密切关注我们的安全,同时不断向我们讲述有趣的事实和解释。
我们在 Escontrias 牧场房子外面的桌子上享用了野餐午餐。工作人员不官僚,友好而乐于助人。
强烈推荐这个地方以及志愿者导游。澄清一下:你应该要求志愿者之旅,而不是商业之旅。我不知道那些怎么样,但我们确信它们不可能更好,尽管花费更多。志愿者之旅每人只需 7 美元 - 加上你决定给的小费。