Keepin' it weird in Marfa
Mezcal, music, mystery lights. Marfa is smack dab in the middle of nowhere—but all its arty eccentricities make it well worth the mileage.
Fly into El Paso and head to the most exclusive Prada store in the world. It’s definitely not open, but still Instagram-worthy. Along the way you’ll see trailer homes, trucks and the occasional armadillo.
Welcome to Marfa! We stayed at the Hotel St. George and loved it. That half-price happy hour with taquitos just hit right errrrrry single day: http://marfasaintgeorge.com/
PRO TIP: When you get into town, pick up a copy of the Big Bend Sentinel (BBS). It comes out every Wednesday. The BBS will tell you what’s going on in terms of readings, screenings, gallery openings, plays, concerts, etc. https://bigbendsentinel.com/
The second half of our trip we stayed at the El Cosmico in a vintage trailer (you can also opt for a yurt or tipi). https://elcosmico.com/the-land/amenities/ The wood-fired hot tubs were a big draw.
COFFEE RUN: Obsessed with “Do Your Thing”: https://www.doyourthing.us/ It’s also close to the Get Go that sells local products, soaps, glasses and ironically, the cutest “to go” bags.
SHOPPING: Visit the Paisano Hotel and its cute gift shop/gallery for a stroll back in time. This is where the cast & crew of the movie “Giant” stayed, hence their Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor suites. The Wrong store feels really right: http://www.wrongmarfa.com/ If you’re in the market for boots go to Cobra Rock. https://cobrarock.com/ Freda is super fun: http://shop-freda.com/ Find furniture & textiles at Garza Marfa: https://garzamarfa.com/ For trinkets, stop by the Thunderbird or El Cosmico.
FOOD & BEVVIES: Loooove “Food Shark”: https://food-shark.business.site/ You can eat outside or on an old bus. Buns N’ Roses for breakfast: https://www.facebook.com/bunsnrosesmarfa/, Stellina for dinner: http://www.stellinamarfa.com/. The Capri (next to the Thunderbird Hotel) is great for drinks/apps. On the weekends, Adam Bork, the guy behind Food Shark, has a late-night food option called Grilled Cheese Parlor/Museum of Electronic Wonders. Must-visit bar: Lost Horse Saloon. Look for Ty, the handlebar mustachio’d owner. He was in a Levi’s commercial and he is LEGEND. Planet Marfa is weird and great.
HIKING: The Fort Davis mountains are just PURTY. Big Bend is nice.
Pencil in a star party: The McDonald Observatory is a quick drive from Marfa. https://mcdonaldobservatory.org/visitors/programs/star-parties. A tour of the Chinati Foundation and the Judd Foundation is nice http://www.chinati.org/ http://www.juddfoundation.org/ Ballroom Marfa is great: https://www.ballroommarfa.org/
You can also rent bicycles at the Thunderbird Hotel and tool around town scaring up all kind o’ weird Marfa sites and sounds.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH: In Marathon (on your way in or out of town), a night at The Gage Hotel is great: http://www.gagehotel.com/ White Buffalo Bar is epic: http://gagehotel.com/dining/white-buffalo-bar/ Also, stop by photographer James Evans’ gallery. http://www.jameshevans.com/.
Swimming at Balmorhea State Park is a MUST if it’s nice out: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/balmorhea
Drive to Terilingua just because…there’s a bar in a cave, an annual chili cook off, river rafting, and lots of eccentrics. Stay at La Posada: https://laposadamilagro.com/
If you have four-wheel drive you could drive to the Chinati Hot Springs http://www.chinatihotsprings.net/ via Pinto Canyon Road. Pack a lunch (they have a kitchen there you can use) and enjoy the hot springs or the cold springs there. You can also rent cabins.
If you’re a runner or want to go on a long, gorgeous walk, the two most popular routes are on 2810 and the ranch on Austin Street.
Marfa. Tough to get to. Tougher to explain. <—(Love you. Mean it.)
