Category Archives: travel

Historic Kern Place, El Paso — Part 2


Hacienda Style

Hacienda Style

On Monday we began our tour of El Paso’s historic Kern Place residences.  Today we move up the economic ladder to the most exclusive area of Kern — Rim Road.  Homes here range from “modest” (in a ridiculously expensive sense):

From the Smaller . . .

From the Smaller . . .

To extravagant (in any sense):

. . . to the Larger

. . . to the Larger

The views from the upper portion of Rim Road make this area one of the most desirable not only in Kern Place, but in all of El Paso:

Rim Road View of Downtown El Paso

Rim Road View of Downtown El Paso

There’s a saying that, “A Man’s Home is His Castle,” and on Rim Road you don’t even have to travel to Europe to find a Norman Castle with extraordinary views:

The Norman Castle

The Norman Castle

One such view is of an architectural gem from famous El Paso architect Henry C. Trost.  That gem is, of course, El Paso High School completed by the firm of Trost & Trost in 1916.

El Paso HIgh School viewed from Rim Road

El Paso HIgh School viewed from Rim Road

I could probably fill a good-sized coffee table picture book with the wonders of Henry C. Trost.  Some of his more renowned projects include the O.T. Bassett Tower and the world’s first Hilton Hotel.  But we’ll save Mr. Trost for a future blog or two, I think.  Today we’re concentrating on the residences of Rim Road and the extraordinary views.  Click on any image below to bring up the slideshow:

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Historic Kern Place, El Paso — Part 1


Kern Place 02

Stone Castle

El Paso is home to some really historic buildings and neighborhoods.  One of these is Kern Place situated high above downtown El Paso, and one street — Rim Road — hosts some of the best views in the city.  As one might expect from the views, Rim Road has some of the most stunning mansions in the entire city.  Those will be the focus of my Wednesday blog.  For today, however, we’ll concentrate on some interesting homes situated away from the views of Rim.

From Charming Cottages . . .

From Charming Cottages . . .

The Kern Place district contains an eclectic variety of homes ranging from charming little cottages — many made of stone — to huge mansions in the Federal-style one would normally associate with the East Coast.

. . . to Full-Blown Mansions

. . . to Full-Blown Mansions

The cottages of stone construction are some of the most popular properties in this area, as each has a unique charm.

Kern Place 16

Example of Stone Construction

Being a long established neighborhood (development began in late 1914), some properties are hidden from view by very mature trees.

Hidden Stone Gem

Hidden Stone Gem

Other architectural styles in the area range from Southwestern to Victorian, with a little of everything else in between.  Click on any of the images below to see what I mean:

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Igneous Dikes of the Southwestern U.S.


Igneous Dike

Igneous Dike

One of the more interesting aspects of the Southwestern United States is the geology.  And one of the standout geological formations you can find in this area is something called an igneous or magmatic dike.  If you ever stumble across one of these features you’ll not soon forget the experience.

West Spanish Peak with Dikes

West Spanish Peak with Dikes

In my travels through this area I have come across two incredible examples — West Spanish Peak in Southeastern Colorado, and Shiprock in Northwestern New Mexico.  What makes these formations so visually impressive are the shear walls of igneous rock that radiate outward from them like some gigantic fortification.

Igneous Dike

West Spanish Peak and Igneous Dike

Of the two I think Shiprock is the more impressive.  Alas, I did not get very many shots of the more impressive dikes stretching across the high desert plain just east of the Carrizo Mountains.  I guess that’s my excuse for going back into the Four Corners Area.

Shiprock

Shiprock

Your first sight of Shiprock as you descend through the Carrizo’s will indeed leave you awestruck.  As you get even closer the immense size of this “Rock with Wings” becomes readily apparent, for it rises 1,583 feet (482 meters) above the surrounding desert plain.

Shiprock with Igneous Dike radiating left

Shiprock with Igneous Dike radiating right

Spanish Peak on the other hand is a much taller mountain (3,686 feet/1,123 meters above the nearby terrain) taking up a much greater area in the wilderness in the San Isabel National Forest west of Interstate 25 between Walsenburg and Trinidad, Colorado.

West Spanish Peak

West Spanish Peak

San Isabel National Forest

San Isabel National Forest

San Isabel National Forest

San Isabel National Forest

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