It is fabulous to have a long, cool weekend in Marfa, Alpine, Ft Davis area. Lodging is quite pricy, but we stayed in a great house through Airbnb. We came for a musical (interpretive!) performance at the Marfa Ballroom, Pancho Villa from a safe distance. The music was really amazing. Marfa is becoming like the old Austin. All the stores are “boutiques,” and you have to hunt for them – signage is limited and little. A favorite was the Wrong shop – hours vary/stop by (no lie, that’s their listing). Since “THE WALL” hasn’t been built yet, there’s still delicious Mexican food. However, word of caution, if you order green sauce in this area, expect cream of chicken soup with some type of hot green chiles in it, because that’s what you’ll get. And if you opt for other eating experiences, whole, organic food choices are the norm. If you fall in love with this area, and want to relocate, be prepared for real estate sticker shock. The cost of living in drought ridden, cactus laden area reaches special levels here, but it’s a great place to visit.
Since we’re so close, a star party at McDonald Observatory is a must. In addition to a couple indoor presentations, the clouds cleared long enough to look through telescopes.
On the scenic route, we visited the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute, Nature Center and Botanical Gardens. It is well worth the stop. Take the short nature walk and visit the large greenhouse where all the cactus and succulents of the area are nurtured and displayed.
Pictures from scenic ride.
In the middle of nowhere is Prada Marfa, a permanently installed sculpture of a Prada store. It’s a pretty funny thing to see in the middle of the desert.
I regret that I did not get a good picture of this sign. However, I’ll explain. It was the “Bad Hombres” bar. Too perfect, given the current political climate.
