My first stop was to Prada. Not a real store, but an art installation. Probably one of the art installations Marfa is most well known for. It's actually about 45 miles west of Marfa in an even smaller town, Valentine. There is a chain link fence surrounding three sides; visitors are invited to bring their own locks to add to the art. I just love this unexpected huge piece of art literally in the middle of nowhere.
For lunch I went to the famed Food Shark. I think it was originally a food truck, but it's now in an old house and only open on the weekends. It's a fresh take on Mediterranean food. I had the Marafalafel with hummus. Falafel balls, hummus, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, tahini & yogurt all wrapped in a flour tortilla. It was delicious and so filling! It lasted me all day long. You can get it to go or dine there. Just know that all seating is outside and while most seats are in the shade, it can still get toasty.
After lunch, I headed back towards Fort Davis to visit Chateau Wright Winery & Vineyard for a wine tasting. They are still a young winery, maybe around 5 years old, but they have some fabulous selections and their tasting is a great deal - all 8 of their wines for $15. The upside to this visit was also the downside. The tasting room is outside so you can enjoy the view of the Davis Mountains and the vineyards. The patio is covered, but when it's a 100 degrees, that doesn't always make a difference. If you plan on going, maybe find a cooler time of year.
The main reason I wanted to visit Marfa is because of my love for the classic Giant, starring Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean. The movie is based on a novel by Edna Farber and tells the story of cattle & oil in Texas. It's also the last film James Dean was in before he died. The movie was filmed in the area and the Hotel Paisano was the headquarters for the movie crew. Like Hotel Limpia, it is an older hotel without modern conveniences, but that's not why you stay there. The architecture & decor is of another time and it is gorgeous. Candid photographs of the cast & crew line the walls; there's also a room where guests can watch the movie. Even if you don't stay there, you should at least visit the Hotel Paisano when you are in Marfa.
Driving from Valentine to Marfa, you can find these backdrops for some excellent photo ops. You can even call ahead and have someone meet you there and let you on the property to get up close. Maybe next time . . .
My final Marfa adventure was the famed Marfa Lights. The lights are a nightly occurrence, east of town where there is nothing. Yet these white, red and blue lights show up on an almost nightly basis. There's no known source of the lights; they just appear as the sky darkens. Some nights they are more active than others. On the night I visited, there was some cloud cover, so I don't know that I got the full effect, but the lights were definitely there and moving about the horizon. They've been around since the late 1800s and there are a lot of theories as to what the lights really are. I don't know that we'll ever get the full story and I don't know that I would want the full story. The mystery is part of the allure and just adds to the quirkiness that is Marfa.
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