3 days down

What a sweet day I’ve had!!
I headed out early (ish) from Las Cruces, only stopping to have a garage employee check my tire pressure, etc. I had Marfa on my mind!
For those of you who have never heard of Marfa, it is a tiny town in TX (pop. 2000) that is home to lots of artists, mostly retired. In the 70s, minimalist Donald Judd moved to Marfa and brought with him his signature aluminum and cement cubes which are still on display (ill see them tomorrow). He encouraged his friends to create similar, large-scale works of art as well. Today, the town is full of galleries, art in public places, and artsy vagabond types. Needless to say, I’ve been dying to see Marfa for a while, now.

I left the safety of the I-10 and headed south towards Marfa! It’s only about an hour off the highway, but it couldn’t have looked more different! It was beautiful and desolate out there- I was in my glory!

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The drive to Marfa was so interesting. Most of the trip was just flat ground all around, as far as the eye could see. They say captains on boats have been known to go crazy when they haven’t seen any land on the horizon in a while… I kind of felt the same way! But every fifteen minutes or so- out of the blue- there would be a few tiny houses and a gas station or general store-all abandoned! They were abandoned in a way that would make you think people has just been plucked from their lives- right in the middle! There were piles of tumbleweeds with a rake just lying next to them, and general stores with some canned good still lying on the shelves- dusty, but probably still edible. Houses had no doors or windows, but still had sheets on the beds- how bizarre!

The first public art piece you see when coming towards town is Prada Marfa. About ten years ago, artists Elmgreen and Dragset installed a permanent sculpture- a full Prada storefront in the middle of the desert- there is nothing for miles on either side! The store (which lights up at night and has a door but no door handle) permanently features the fall 2005 Prada collection.

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There are a few hotels in town, including the Hotel Paisano, a historic landmark in the state of Texas. I stopped there for a nibble on my way into town…

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The hotel has a cute little gift shop full of little knick knacks and overpriced, overproduced goods. I could have stayed there, but those of you who know me well know I’m a little crazier than that! I went for the hotel El Cosmico. It’s the most interesting of Marfa’s accommodations, by far! They have trailers and tepees for guests to stay in- my room is pictured below!

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The tent is so sweet and cozy- I’m so happy to be here! They have outdoor showers, and more showers that are still outdoor, but have more privacy under a lean-to. The private ones are surrounded by ivy. So gorgeous. The first thing I did when I arrived was take a shower and it was fantastic!! This is the outdoor mirror that hangs over the sink where you can wash up and brush your teeth! The tent camp is in the background…

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Overall, the town is super sweet so far, there is art everywhere, including people’s front porches (see below)!

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I am having dinner at a local favorite restaurant tonight. Tomorrow will be a lazy morning getting up and out- I will stop to see Judd’s concrete boxes on my way out of town. I’ll share the rest of my Marfa adventure with you tomorrow night when I stop!

Xoxo

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