ATM + I went to Far West Texas for our vacation this year. We had an amazing time and would like to get back as soon as soon possible.
We left NLR by automobile @ 6 a.m. (with a stop in Dallas for lunch at Cosmic Cafe) and rolled into Marfa about 9:30 p.m. That's 14.5 hours travel time! We checked in at our accommodations and then immediately headed over to Padres. They were playing The Clean on the hi-fi when we walked in and that really set a positive tone.
Our first two nights were spent at the awesome El Cosmico. We opted for the Safari Tents. Absolutely adored it:
Dusk:
Hangout lobby:
Terlets/showers:
We found the best view of Marfa from the top floor of the Presidio County Courthouse:
Free range chicken:
We wanted to stay at the El Paisano hotel for the second half of our trip, but it was booked, even months in advance. We stepped in to check out the gorgeous lobby, though:
About town:
Marfan feline:
The tacos from Food Shark made me question everything about what I thought I knew about tacos. So. unbelievably. good:
Miles of great wide open expanse, what we came for:
Chinati cat:
Rain in the distance:
WRONG store:
We went to gawk @ Prada Marfa in the dead of night, which is a little spooky. You can hear, but not see, fussy cows. Enveloped in darkness:
For our last two nights, we airbnb'd a house on Waco St. called Adobe Chi. We really enjoyed our stay here and recommend it. There's no television, but a lot of books:
Backside:
Across the street:
In the alley:
One day, we popped over to Alpine, TX, which is about 26 miles away. It's a very nice small town, but not as compelling or cool as Marfa. We didn't stay long, but learned that that is where you need to go for things like a big name auto parts store.
LOLs at Rangra Theater, Alpine, TX:
On our last evening, we drove over to Ft. Davis to visit the McDonald Observatory for a star party. We got to look through 7 big telescopes! It was fantastic and if you head to Marfa, make this one of your absolutes. Marfa is not a crowded place, there's always a manageable stream of people around (or not around) at all times, so the star party was a little overwhelming because where the hell did all of these people come from?! But! Do not let that deter your chances of seeing a galaxy or a cluster of stars that look like sparkling gems!
Pack light, do laundry:
We had a couple of auto issues while in Marfa. Driving back from Prada Marfa, we were pulled over by a sheriff's deputy, which is quite terrifying, mind you, if you are mistaken for Hispanic (hola!) all of the time because we were deep in Border Patrol territory. He was very nice, though, and informed us one of our headlights was out, so the next day we had to make it a priority to change the bulb. The tiny local car parts store didn't have what we needed, so we had to go to Alpine for the part. An inconvenience! When it was time to leave Marfa for home, we learned, after packing up everything, that the battery was dead. Thankfully, Jen, our hostess, a very generous and results-minded individual, tossed us the keys to her car and let us drive to Alpine, AGAIN, to get a new battery, which they actually had in stock. A word of advice: do not have car problems in Far West Texas on a Sunday.
By ATM:
M A R F A, T X
1. You should go. It's not ideal for children, frankly. It's a holiday for grown-ups. If you love art, delicious food, and wide open spaces in the high desert, start plannin'.
2. It's a small town with lots to do. We were there 4 days and nights and couldn't do everything we wanted, which means we must go back.
3. Bring ca$h. Lots of places take cards, lots of places don't take cards. Those are the ones you don't want to miss.
4. It's weird to camp and not be able to have a camp fire (they are dead serious about burn bans), but to make up for it you've got the sky & the heavens. I wish I could live there! Really. The things that hold me back from living in the west are the high altitudes (too close to the sun) and the apparent lack of surface water. I am a water bb, after all. Love you, Arkansas.
5. Stay at El Cosmico for the first part of your trip. It's really great! And they have the best coffee in town. Take a shower, too. It's definitely exhilarating.
6. It's a small town that definitely has tourists, but not in large masses, so you see the same people (locals included) again and again. It's nice, though, because you still get the 'middle of nowhere' feel, which is what I needed. Phone signals are rare, too.
7. Be sure to bring all of your necessities because you can't just buy them. No pharmacy!
8. Vegans and vegetarians will get taken care of which is just incredible.
9. Let your boots get dusty. There's no fighting it.
10. Be sure to buy as much green chile sauce from Farmstand Marfa as you can.
11. Marfa Public Radio, 93.5 on the dial, is excellent. Listened to it most of the time.
12. You might not see the Mystery Lights, but it's worth giving it a shot.
13. Send me a post card when you do go.
