Travel · October 24, 2018

Big Bend, Marfa & Alpine: A West Texas Adventure

It’s been a couple of weeks since I crammed as many outfits as I possibly could into a carry-on bag, loaded up the car and set off on yet another road trip. This time, my never-ending desire for adventure lead us westward to a tiny Texas town called Marfa. Marfa, Texas is a hidden gem — although, arguably not so hidden these days — located approximately 8 hours west of Austin. It is home to just 1,746 people, as reported by the 2016 census. And although I’ve been dreaming about visiting this cozy little spot for months, it is undeniably one of those esoteric places that must be seen, or better yet, experienced, in order to be fully understood. A quick Google search will show you a cornucopia of local haunts, modern art destinations and eccentric quirks (the Marfa lights, for example), but just as it applies to most gratifying experiences in life, no image, postcard or written account will ever transcend the real thing.

In order to make the most of the ridiculously long and somewhat boring drive, we added a couple of extra stops to our itinerary; I’ll be recapping those as well. If you’re reading this post and are wondering whether or not it’s worth the trip from Austin, I’ll offer you my opinion: YES. ABSOLUTELY. TIMES A MILLION. Here’s why:

Day 1: Monohans Sandhills State Park & Alpine, Texas

Bright eyed and bushy tailed, we set off for Alpine, Texas around 10 AM. Our original plans had us slated to leave at 8 AM, but things happen (and by things, what I really mean is that I pressed the snooze button 101 times). Despite the melancholy weather as we approached West Texas, we opted to incorporate a few long-awaited detours into our route. The first was Monohans Sandhills State Park.

I had scouted Monohans, Texas out on Instagram a couple of months prior to the trip, but upon arrival, my initial impressions were rather disappointing. The sandy, beige-colored dunes I had envisioned myself waltzing up and down were stumpy and full of weeds. As it turns out, you must drive ALL the way into the park and past the camping/picnic signs to get a full glimpse of the dunes. They don’t tell you that on Instagram (hmph). Once we made it to the real sand dunes, I jumped out of the car and booked it towards what can only be described as one of Texas’ most stunning landscapes. Then, thunderous booms ensued, followed by rain. So, we snapped a few obligatory pictures and left. It is a really spectacular place, but be sure to check the weather before you go!

Since I’m a huge advocate of supporting local businesses, I want to give a quick shout out to Jazz Cafè in Monohans, Texas. I have consumed many a fettuccine Alfredo dishes in my lifetime, yet none have even come remotely close to the one I devoured here. I encourage you to stop in for a meal if you have the time. You won’t regret it.

Our next stop was Alpine, Texas. I had relatively low expectations of this small town, thus I was pleasantly surprised to discover they had an adorable downtown area with quite a few local businesses and restaurants. Color me impressed! It was late when we arrived, so we only had a few hours to explore the next morning. After scarfing down two scrambled eggs doused in ketchup (don’t @ me) and a side of bacon at Judy’s Bread and Breakfast, we hit the town in search of the perfect souvenir to bring home. The winner? A $10 wooden ornament in the shape of Texas, with the word ‘Alpine’ printed across the center. It was purchased around 11 AM that morning. I haven’t seen it since.

Of course, I had to make sure we stopped to see the iconic Holland Hotel before we proceeded to our next destination, and although it wasn’t as big as I had imagined it would be, it certainly wasn’t lacking in curb appeal.

Day 2: Marfa, Texas

I knew that if Beyonce had taken time out of her busy schedule to visit an obscure West Texas town only accessible by automobile, Marfa must be magical. Let’s just say I wasn’t wrong. It’s awfully difficult to find the right words to fully convey the vibe of Marfa, but I’ll start with eclectic. Upon arrival, our first stop was the stunning Hotel Paisano.

Fun fact: They named one of the rooms after James Dean because it was the very one he stayed in while filming the 1956 film Giant. I’m a huge history nerd, so little tidbits like this are always of interest to me. The grounds and pool area were absolutely beautiful, and per usual, I ended up spending way too much money in the gift shop. Oops.

The downtown area itself only spans about 4-5 blocks, so we visited Hotel Saint George for mid-afternoon sustenance, followed by a trip to Marfa Book Company, conveniently located in the same building. The bookstore was modern and perfectly curated; in all honesty, I was afraid to touch anything. But I admired it all from afar.

At this point, it was approaching 5 PM and I knew we’d be racing against the clock to make it to Prada Marfa before sunset if we lingered around town any longer. So, we hopped back in the car and made the 30-minute trek out to Valentine, Texas (despite it’s name, Prada Marfa is not actually located in Marfa). Much to my surprise, there were about 6 cars already there. Yes, we actually had to wait in a queue to take pictures outside of a tiny art installation located in the middle of nowhere. Crazy? Probably. Worth it? Most definitely.

We headed back to our Airbnb for some much needed rest and relaxation. I made calls to a few local restaurants on a quest for gluten-free options, and we decided on the Pizza Foundation as soon as I found out they could accommodate dietary restrictions. Win! There was an hour-long wait, so we placed our orders and then set off to explore the rest of the town. El Cosmico was on my radar, so we stopped by to scope it out while we still had a bit of sunlight left. It was interesting, to say the least. In the end, I was glad we didn’t shell out $300 a night to stay here, as the camp itself felt a bit too “primitive” for my liking. But hey, to each their own!

Anyway, back to the pizza. Judging by the wait, I had a feeling the food would be supreme. Clearly, this local stomping ground was a hot commodity. I didn’t take any pictures because I was far too hungry and forgot, but my four-cheese pizza with gluten-free crust was AMAZING. 10/10 would recommend.

Day 3: Terlingua, Texas & Big Bend National Park

Just when I thought this trip couldn’t get any better, we arrived at our final destination: Terlingua, Texas. If you’ve never heard of it before, it’s probably because this place is quite literally a ghost town. The town itself consists of a handful of restaurants, sparse lodging, a gift shop, one gas station and a general store that locals and travelers alike could purchase groceries and other sundries at. Cell phone service was non-existent, with the exception of the single bar I was able to maintain long enough to send out texts from our Airbnb. We were truly off the grid and I loved every second of it.

Driving through the town past a flock of motels and tee-pees made me a little nervous about our lodging, but our Airbnb ended up being breathtaking. Despite a brief run-in with approximately 30 flies (flies are HORRIBLE in West Texas), I thoroughly enjoyed this humble abode. It consisted of a bedroom, a small living area with a Keurig machine (!!!) and a large bathroom with a shower attached directly to the ceiling. That last one took some getting used to. The home also boasted a small, confined patio off to the side that allowed us unparalleled stargazing. Swoon.

The views, particularly the ones from right outside of our home, were an absolute delight. For those looking for respite from the day-to-day stresses of life, Terlingua is truly idyllic. From the moment you arrive in town, a steady feeling of serenity takes over. There are no smartphones in sight. People smiling and laughing; strangers making conversation with one another. It was almost as if I was living back in the 1950’s for a brief moment in time, except I wasn’t.

With just a few hours to spare before nightfall, we hastily dropped our belongings off and headed to Big Bend National Park. After stumbling upon a dirt road and nearly getting lost almost immediately after entering the park (Pro tip: don’t attempt to take Old Maverick Road unless you have 4-wheel drive), we set off down the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. The stretch takes about an hour and a half to drive one-way, but the views were surreal. We stopped as many times as we safely could to snap photos.

We eventually made it to the end of the drive, and with it, came the glorious sight of Santa Elena Canyon. A brief hike from the parking lot to the river led us right up the canyon, where I was able to view it in all of its glory. I waded in the mud and reached out to feel the muddy water of the Rio Grande with my hand. It was an all-around incredible experience and well worth the drive.

If you have some free time, you might want to stop by and explore the Castolon Historic District. There are some old mining relics, a village store and clean bathrooms, which is always a plus. We missed out on it this time around, but I was happy we were able to see most of the sights I had originally planned out for this trip.

Once back in Terlingua, we moseyed around town for a bit and stumbled upon an adorable trading post right next door to the Starlight Theater. The theater, which doubles as a restaurant, was a bit crowded since we arrived right around dinner time, so I did a walk-through of the Terlingua Trading Post. I bought a couple of knickknacks to take home with me and asked the sweet woman working behind the counter where we should eat dinner. She provided us with a slew of recommendations, and we ended up at a local eatery called La Kiva Restaurant. I ordered gluten-free pizza, once again (welcome to the life of someone with a billion food allergies), and it was wonderful. Albeit the service was bit slow, they appeared to be short-staffed that night. I also greatly appreciated the dinosaur decor throughout.

We enjoyed one last desert sunset before hitting the hay at a relatively early time, since we were in for a long drive come morning. All in all, the trip was a dashing success. I loved every second of it! My favorite thing about the park was just how much there was to see and do, even for those who aren’t avid hikers or necessarily outdoorsy, such as myself. If I were to do it all over again, I’d allow us a few more nights in Terlingua so that we could have explored Big Bend National Park in it’s entirety. But then again, I was running out of clothes by that point, so perhaps it was for the best.