Disappointed in Marfa (With One Lovely Exception)

January 1-7, 2019
Marfa - Van Horn, Texas

We really enjoyed the little southern Texas towns we visited at the end of 2018, so figured starting off doing the same thing in the new year was a good plan.

Marfa, Texas, is one of those quirky spots you read about in other blogs. One of those places that you have a certain picture of in your mind. Where you know there's not much there, but several unique eateries and those "might-be-alien" lights that a dozen people have seen in five years.

We head out New Year's morning from Terlingua under sunny, blue skies. At the border stop (the Texas border patrol officers are all so friendly, and even have a sense of humor!) we're warned that there is limited visibility and ice on the road ahead.

Our first "frozen fog" makes for a nerve-wracking drive.

The whole world is white and glittery.

Although the sun comes out a few miles past Alpine, the temps never get over 42 degrees.

Tumble In RV Park is a quiet stop with a self-check-in system and well maintained dirt and gravel grounds. Like all of Marfa, it's very dark here.

We don't hook up the water, but also forget to turn off the water pump which freezes overnight. And never thaws out the whole time we're here - it's really cold!

With the exception of a wonderful visit with friends Laurel and Eric (Raven and Chickadee) for a tasty lunch and a stroll along the cute little main street, our Marfa visit doesn't get much better.

The warmth of good friends on a very cold January day.

The beautiful historic Hotel Paisano

Cozy holiday setting.

It will be awhile before we get the chance again, so we're really glad we got to see these two here!

No water means bottles to drink and flush so I'm glad Marfa is known as a foodie-spot and we can just enjoy trying all the options. (We do manage to hook up to water long enough to get showers).

Nope, they're either only open on weekends, or closed for the first week in January, or closed after 2 pm.......so disappointing!!

We do have a nice drive into the Davis Mountains on Thursday. Although the broom store I wanted to see in Fort Davis is no longer there, and the national park is closed due to the shut down. No open eateries here either. Sigh......

Under the "don't judge a book by its cover" heading is Marfa Burrito where we stand in line for homemade breakfast burritos that perk us up a bit!

A small herd of antelope along the road all look like they need warmer coats.

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope on the grounds of the McDonald Observatory.

HETDEX makes a 3D map of the universe when it was approximately 3 billion years old!

Towering cathedrals in the Davis Mountains.

Outcroppings among the Junipers.

 

It looks warmer than 45 degrees!

A beautiful blend of gold and orange.

At the grocery store I observe this young man at work. It's bitter cold and windy, he's painting the stripes by hand. And he's singing. Singing! A testimony to the power of a good attitude.

We choose not to brave 30 degree nights to watch for the infamous Marfa Lights. Maybe if there's a next time. Friday we're happy to continue west to warmer environs. Marfa was definitely a disappointment after so many great Texas stops.

Another icon I've read about in Marfa is the Prada store - but even that isn't in Marfa. It's 35 miles away along the road in Valentine, Texas.

A popular photo-op along Hwy 90 - complete with bags and shoes (probably not Prada).

We stop for the weekend in Van Horn, Texas, to watch the NFL playoffs. The water pump is working again, and we're able to stay hooked up to water overnight. It's the little things........

Large ships lined up along an ancient riverbed.

The site of the last battle between the Texas Rangers and Apache Tribe, the 175,000 acre ranch is now owned by Amazon-owner Jeff Bezos. His plans include building a 10,000 year clock in the Diablo Mountains.

While watching the games we learn that our Tombstone friends are heading to Oregon to take care of family, so I change our plans for the next ten days.

Monday we leave Texas after five weeks.