Image taken from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/citoyen_du_monde_inc/
Hello Adventurers!
It’s Ryan, here to share another story of my recent travels. Earlier this fall a friend of mine and I visited Marfa, Texas, a town in West Texas with a population of about 2,000. Our main goal during this trip was to visit the Prada, Marfa sculpture (which is not in Marfa; it’s about 40 miles west, just outside Valentine, Texas). Being city-folk ourselves, this trip was quite an adventure. The cell phone reception was spotty-to-nothing, and since we booked our trip during the Marfa Music Festival all the hotels were booked; we had to resort to camping. I will spare you the details and just say that all this made the whole trip very “challenging.” That aside, the city of Marfa is very quaint, extra-tiny, filled with the nicest people you’ll ever meet. It’s very much an art community, a trend that began when Donald Judd moved there in the 1970s to escape the New York art scene. The town is a mixed demographic of young and old, post-Austinites that want a breath from city-life, who strive to keep the town filled with locally-owned, bio-friendly businesses.
A sample of the architecture in Marfa. This is one of the main churches in town.
One of my favorite things about Marfa is the landscape. It’s nestled between Big Bend and the Davis Mountains, so as you drive in you meander through mini valleys, a topographic element not common in sparse Texas.
A snapshot atop the Davis Mountains.
I wish there was a way to capture the amazing blues of the sky. It was truly the bluest sky I’ve ever seen. I’m surprised the night sky wasn’t as starry, but the light from the campgrounds probably flooded us too much. Below is the closest representation of the sky I have. Don’t mind me. I was trying to pose on a rock but couldn’t stop falling. I’m so photogenic.
We stayed at El Cosmico, a fun little campground where you can pitch your own tent, rent a giant teepee, or stay in a vintage trailer! We had to opt for a tent the first couple nights, but they were able to accomodate us with their King Trailer our final night. It was so fantastic! Perfect timing too; a huge storm blew in that night, so we got to watch it roll in through the panoramic windows. So pretty!
Our trailer! It even had an enclosed, outdoor shower which felt so great!
Teepees! They are so neat on the inside!
It was such a fun trip. If you want to separate from everything (I mean EVERYTHING) this is a great place to go. Most of the venues shut down early and there’s probably about a weekend’s worth of things to do, but it’s a really neat glimpse into life outside the big city.
We experienced the harvest moon while we were there. Truly one of the most beautiful things we saw while there.
Prada, Marfa!
Learn more about the Prada, Marfa sculpture
here.
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