This trip started out with a conversation and a vow. Rebouche and I talked of wanting to travel together. We both love to travel and we love each other, so what better match for two chicks travel time. She posted a picture one day on Instagram of a well traveled jeep in unknown place of wonder and she mused of foreign lands. The picture made me think of Marfa, Texas and I commented on it. “Let’s go to Marfa!” And that’s how it all started. Another friend/follower commented, “I want to go” and just like that, the girls trip was underway. I have been interested in a pilgrimage to Marfa for a few years now. It has gotten great press in NYtimes, GQ and NPR. Marfa was cemented (pun intended) as an art community when minimalist, artist Donald Judd visited in the 1970’s. After loving it’s landscape, he acquired an old military base (via the DIA foundation) to begin his minimalist box installation over the grounds. Now run by the Chinati Foundation. He built it and they did come. Besides Judd, I had read there was awesome galleries, great shopping and yummy restaurants and as with most of my trips, it really started in force, once I saw the luxury RV park El Cosmico. This is a property under the developer umbrella that is Bunkhouse. Designed by Liz Lambert of my fav hotel The San Jose in Austin. It is on the outskirts of the town of Marfa, which has about 2500 population and is a 3 hour drive from any airport.

 

On the road to Marfa. We started on a beautiful west Texas afternoon. Girls road trip!!

The rugged landscape. Big sky country. On the look out for tumbleweeds. 75 degrees

The welcome sign. Howdy Marfa.

We made it to El Cosmico. Very excited. Oh, Marfa. It’s just nowhere. Like going to a hip moon with cool Brooklynites thrown in. The El Cosmico sign on vintage wagon.

The lobby/check in/store. A very cool place to begin.

The long horns dressed up.

Flag curtains. Texas star.

My RV is called the Kozy Coach.

These RVs has been stylishly made over with comfy beds and colorful duvets, blue tooth boom boxes, smart kitchen tables, vintage blankets and Jo’s gourmet coffee. (they own Jo’s in Austin, too) I have an indoor toilet, but my shower was outside. No problem on a warm day…however.

Teri had the Royal Mansion, the biggest of the three we rented, so we had coffee in the mansion in the mornings.

Rebecca made a mean cafe au lait.

Rebecca had Little Pinky. A couple of cuties here.

We had drinks at Pinkie. Rebecca made those too.

We hit the ground running on day one as I had been monitoring the weather for about a week or so. There was a cold front coming and I felt the need to get as much in as possible on the nice day.

The Get Go is the local Marfan Whole Foods. (love the name) We stopped in for breakfast fruit and treats, plus beverages and yes, chocolate.

We had a great night of dinner at Maiya’s the local fine hip Italian place. Then headed home for a look at the amazing sunset. Very excited to sleep in our little RV homes away from home.

Our starry night.

Overnight the said cold front indeed did come through. Whipping around our tents and testing our electric heaters and wool hats. But we carried on. We shopped and had a great lunch at Future Shark. Went into Ballroom Marfa, a nice gallery in town and also hit Cast and Crew and Garza Marfa, a couple of hand crafted home furnishing stores.

We found some great gift shops and the bookstore too. Tons of fun exploring and hanging out, lots of warm hearts in Marfa, even in the cold.

At Tienda M with tumbleweeds.

We had reserved a wood stoked hot tub for Friday and Sat nights at El Cosmico, but it was cancelled because of the cold and the wind. Bummer! Here is what it looked like. It could be yours (or mine?) from El Cosmico’s online store

Another great dinner at Cochineal in Marfa. We hunkered down for the winter as the temp had gone down below freezing and there were snow flurries. On Sat morning, my not so Kozy Coach had frozen pipes. Just thankful I wasn’t in the tents or teepees.

We had reservations at the Chinati Foundation and started out, but after a couple hours basically frozen solid, we bailed the all-day tour. We did see Judd’s 100 milled aluminum boxes. All different, plus 15 concrete boxes outside. A very gray day. Disappointing.

We went back to El Cosmico to thaw by the fire. While hanging out and checking my weather channel app, we talked and decided to head out of Marfa. There were icy conditions on the highway to Midland and it was only going to get worse overnight. So we packed up, had a yummy pizza lunch at Pizza Foundation and hit the road. Slowly.

 

The landscape when we left on Saturday. One day early. 20 degrees. Quite a contrast from pic 2.

Crazy cold, icy, miserable, but all spirits were good and laughs were still had under the white knuckles.

So the Marfa story pretty much ends here. Way too early. I really enjoyed the experience, the small town life and meeting people who call Marfa home, the friendship and the unknown. I didn’t get to visit many of the places on my list, like Pedros bar, Prada Marfa and the MacDonald Observatory Star Party. But as we said to each other on our way out, next time. There is always a next time. The girls weekend lives on.

 

My Marfa shopping list.

 

1. Neon Zinn Rope Necklace $375 at Freda. 2. Painted horse shoe $20 from Cast and Crew. I got a pink one for MJ. 3. Awesome pillows and daybed $2,300 at Garza Marfa. 4 Peppercotton Ninja Turtle Mesh Bracelet at Freda $198. 5. Silkscreened Morning Kite $64. 6.Hand dipped antler $74 from Cast and Crew. I love these. Yes, Hanukkah present for me. 7. Jigged Yellow pocket knife. $120. From the El Cosmico shop. Mose’s Hanukkah present. 8. Baja poncho $84 from El Cosmico. 9. Marfa Smoky soap bar $10. It smells like a yummy man who’s been standing by the fire. Josh gets this. Cause he’s yummy.

 

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