November 2014 // During our last weeks in Texas before moving to Florida, we decided to take a trip we had been longing to make for years. Del Rio was likely the closest we will ever live to Marfa, TX and Big Bend, so we decided to make the drive. It was one of those weekends that reminds me why Texans have so much pride in our state. It's freaking awesome.
We stayed at El Cosmico in Marfa, which was a no-brainer for us since we had longed to check it out for some time. The first night was spent in a trailer worthy of the world's coolest trailer park. It was a bitterly cold night, so we let Zuri share our full-size bed. It was a bit of a squeeze.
If you haven't been to the McDonald Observatory in West TX, put it on your bucket list. We attended a star party that blew my mind. So many amazing celestial bodies out there. There's something cool about being in such a remarkably dark part of the country. You simply can't find that kind of remote darkness near big city limits.
The second night was spent in a glorious teepee. Again, freezing cold night, but this time we had a fire pit in the middle of our abode. Why don't all homes have a fire pit in the middle of the living room? Can't we find a relatively safe way to make that work?
Aside from El Cosmico, we came to Marfa for the art. Donald Judd's 15 untitled works in concrete and 100 untitled works in mill aluminum stand out as two of my favorite things that we viewed. Photos of the mill aluminum aren't allowed, so you will have to trust me when I say that it was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. As far as food is concerned, I suggest Pizza Foundation, but there's a whole host of things that we weren't lucky enough to try. Apparently most places close on Sunday and Monday - two of the days that we were there. This link is a fairly complete list of options. I've heard great things about the Grilled Cheese Parlour and Comida Futura.
After exploring Marfa for a couple of days, we headed out to Big Bend (and almost accidentally crossed into Mexico in the process). There's something special about Texas sunsets. Sunsets are the thing I miss most from Del Rio - along with the shaved fruit ice and $3 movie theatre. The sunsets over the ocean in Florida are obviously gorgeous, but they don't hold the same wow-factor as Texas sunsets for me.
It was certainly a trip for the books. Texas desert, thank you for sharing your harsh sunlight, fat raindrops and charming towns with us one last time. We're gonna miss you.
