In the remote West Texas desert, this creative town continues to draw attention.
For all I know, there may be UFOs lurking in the desert around us.
Squinting into oblivion, its easy to start feeling paranoid.
Stay on U.S. 90 to see area hot spots like the famed faux Prada store and Marfa Lights viewing area.Credit:ROBBIE CAPONETTO
The nearest commercial airports are both three-hour drives away in El Paso and Midland.
Still, the population remains under 2,000.
Where To Post Up
Weve come, fortuitously, on a slow week.
Horse and cattle ranches flank U.S. 90 near Marfa, which is surrounded by the Davis, Chisos, and Chinati Mountains.Credit:ROBBIE CAPONETTO
You might find musicians congregating with guitars and see an impromptu yoga class flowing on the outdoor stage.
Lifesize photos from the movie cover the walls.
A handwritten sign on a restaurant door reads, Closed on Sundays until we arent.
The town limits of Marfa span less than 2 square miles.Credit:ROBBIE CAPONETTO
Another on an art-gallery entrance states, Be back in a few hours, or tomorrow.
Theyve driven the beige behemoth-on-wheels days into the Texas desert to visit Judds work.
I am foreign here too.
A mural installation by John Cerney honors the 1956 movie Giant, which was filmed partially in Marfa.Credit:ROBBIE CAPONETTO
But it still takes reimagining to support it.
We encounter similar stories many timestransplants seeking a quieter life away from a bustling metropolis.
Each course is better than the next.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church was built in 1929.
Sotol is a liquor largely unique to the Chihuahuan Desert region of Mexico and Texas.
Like any good booze, it started as a medicine, says McShan.
People have been drinking it for hundreds of years.
Garza Marfa owners Jamey Garza and Constance Holt-Garza craft bespoke leather furniture and textiles.
They will then redistribute them on area land as a protective ground cover.
This is how sotol has been traditionally made for centuries.
I sneak a sip of this tester batch, and the smokiness envelops my throat instantly.
Find fresh pasta and house-made gelato at Bordo.
And for a split second, even I feel it.
At Margaret’s, the pickled coleslaw is a standout side dish.
Chef-owner Alexandra Gates' menu at Cochineal changes weekly to use available local ingredients.
Order cocktails such as a paloma with Texas grapefruit at Marfa Spirit Co.
El Cosmico has an array of refurbished trailers.
