Marfa Road Trip

[NeilT]

I know a lot about Big Bend, and I've been to Alpine, but I've never been to Marfa.  Any suggestions?

[subnuclear]

About twenty years ago, I went on a semi-drunken road trip to see the Marfa Lights.

There's the McDonald Observatory near Ft. Davis where they give tours which is pretty nifty. If you go there, don't mention you are on a semi-drunken road trip to see the Marfa Lights.

No other insight really since I slept in my car and ate cheetos wrapped in cold tortillas for breakfast neither of which I recommend.
 

[Bench]

It's become an avant garde artists' colony.  The entire town.

[NeilT]

It's become an avant garde artists' colony.  The entire town.

So not a place to buy velvet paintings?

[Rebel Jew]

My good friend Tim runs the Marfa book company, which is right on the main drag (if you can call it that) next to the food shark. Drop in there, and he'll let you know what to do and where to eat and stuff like that.

[HudsonHawk]

It's become an avant garde artists' colony.  The entire town.

They prefer to call it "minimalism". The Chinati Foundation is the big museum there, but there's art shit all over the place. Film is also big there, and several big name movies have been shot there (Giant, There Will Be Blood, No Country For Old Men to name a few). They used to have several film festivals during the summer, but I'm not sure when and if they still have them. Other than that, it's just a dusty little town with some cool architecture.

[HudsonHawk]

My good friend Tim runs the Marfa book company, which is right on the main drag (if you can call it that) next to the food shark. Drop in there, and he'll let you know what to do and where to eat and stuff like that.

The dining is Marfa is pretty upscale. So much so that Biz may even eat there (but probably not Alkie).

[BizidyDizidy]

I like any scale, just has to be good.

[chuck]

The dining is Marfa is pretty upscale. So much so that Biz may even eat there (but probably not Alkie).

Do they do delivery to the UWS?

[Alkie]

Do they do delivery to the UWS?

This is unfair.  I'm happy to travel to anywhere in Manhattan to eat good food.   Below 135th Street.

[Bench]

Kinky Friedman's new play is opening in Marfa on September 3.

[geezerdonk]

Take a swim at Balmorhea. Pretty cool.

[Alkie]

Take a swim at Balmorhea. Pretty cool.

Feed a penny to the giant motherfucking catfish at the bottom.   Totally worth the $0.01.

[Lefty]

Monahans sandhills is a blast, probably too hot & out of the way for yall

[HudsonHawk]

Monahans sandhills is a blast, probably too hot & out of the way for yall

A blast of what?  You're standing around in 140 degree sand.

[headhunter]

I know a lot about Big Bend, and I've been to Alpine, but I've never been to Marfa.  Any suggestions?

Marfa is wonderful if you don't mind hanging out in a tiny town. Definitely is becoming (has become) a gentrified art town, but still has a lot of its original character.

Hotel Paisano is worth staying it if your spending the night. Historical, nice, fair prices. http://www.hotelpaisano.com/

lots of good eating--but every place keeps a limited schedule. its like the town is a large co-op that is offering dining as entertainment to the tourists. I especially liked the Pizza Foundation which is located in a former gas station/garage--again they keep odd hours. I believe the folks at Hotel Paisano have a schedule of what's open and when. I'm sure they would give it to you even if you weren't staying there. Probably have it at the bookstore too (but the bookstore doesn't keep "big city" hours either). 

Sadly, I do not recommend traveling on to presidio/ojinaga. The border is not a safe place to be right now. really beautiful country though, hope you like it.

[NeilT]

We made it to Marfa.  Stayed at the Paisano 3 nights, and the Thunderbird 1 night.  Both were greatbut very different.  Ate at upscale places 3 nights--Maiya, Cochineal, and the Miniature Chicken.  All were good.  Ate dinner the last night at Pizza Foundation which was also good.  Places ran out of things, a lot, which was amusing.  All the bars had boodles gin, and that's part of my measure of greatness.

Toured the minimalist stuff at the Chinati and Judd Foundations.  The Chinati takes a day, and I'm still thinking Donald Judd may have scammed me.

Drove to Chinati Hot Springs one day, which took a full day and the direct route required high clearance.  Very nice (though a toss up with Balmorhea where I'd been before).  Better scenery at the hot springs.

Said hello to Tim at the bookstore, though his suggestion was too late at night for old people.  We thought about it though.

[headhunter]

We made it to Marfa.  Stayed at the Paisano 3 nights, and the Thunderbird 1 night.  Both were greatbut very different. 

How is the Thunderbird? I've only stayed at the Paisano--it's a family favorite and I need some ammunition to get the gang to try something else.

[NeilT]

Great.  A redo of a mid-century motor court, done well.  We were in a small room at the Paisano, and the Thunderbird room was actually nicer.  Probably not nicer than a suite.

No bar, but they had breakfast stuff which Paisano did not.

added:  We made a special trip to the baseball park in Alpine, which I had seen about 30 years before.  I still think it's one of the prettiest baseball fields anywhere.  I'd love to watch a game there.