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Top 7 Things You Must Do in Marfa, Texas
Marfa, Texas is a weird f@&$ing town. Phew, had to get that off my chest. Besides the fact that the whole town is closed Monday and Tuesday of each week, it's ultimately just one giant, quirky, off-beat place....and really, I say that with genuine admiration. It's not every day that a town can dance to the beat of its own drum and get away with it. Like having only one stoplight in the whole town. Or some of their most popular restaurants only open on Saturday and Sunday. Or maybe the whole Marfa lights mystery highway stop that you can't help but notice when you're coming in from Alpine.
So, Marfa is odd as sh$&. But there's also a ton of charm. I did some research before our arrival, and found that some of the guides and/or lists of things to do weren't that great. Or, they were really basic and obvious. That only meant we had to dig a bit deeper. Which of course, we did.Take a look at what to do in Marfa, Texas that isn't necessarily art related.
1. Stay in a yurt at el cosmico.
Have you ever stayed in a yurt? Do you even know what it looks like? It's this.
And at El Cosmico, there are two of them that you can stay in. Not to mention teepees, Safari tents, and old renovated airstreams and trailers. This place is like boho-chic paradise. Driving in, you're welcomed by quirky art and decor.
There are lights hanging everywhere, and a building surrounded by a cafe/outdoor stage and theater. The building is where you get checked in, along with where the wifi is, the community fireplace is, the old record player where you can sit and jam, not to mention their gift shop filled with unusual bohemian, hippie items like leather booties, hand-crafted quilts, and modern campfire essentials.
The prices were outrageous in all honesty, but there were some really neat things I would've bought if I weren't on a cross-country budget.
Anywho, we checked in around 3:15pm. The girl at the front desk was so extremely helpful the entire stay. Super nice, very knowledgable, always willing to help. (We even watched from a hammock as she tried to wrangle an escaped dog from a teepee and almost got bit). Our yurt wasn't ready yet, so she told us to pick out a bottle of wine or champagne on her in celebration of Vanessa's birthday. This we thought was an extremely sweet gesture.
The yurt itself was glorious. As authentic and odd as we had hoped. But it was also romantic and completely charming. Not to mention spacious. The bed was very comfortable, with a heated mattress pad that I reveled in all night (the temp dropped to the high 30s).
We also rented a wood-fire hot tub for the evening, which is the coolest looking thing ever. It's like sitting in a giant guacamole bowl filled with hot water. I definitely suggest renting one, simply for the experience BUT be warned. There is no electricity heating this thing, it's really wood and fire. We made the mistake of going to dinner before the hot tub. Even though the gentleman from El Cosmico made sure it was stoked and ready by 4pm, we had it from 6pm-10pm. Dinner reservations were at 6:30pm, so we thought we'd come back by 8pm and have a soak.
By the time we came back, the fire in our tub was out. Nobody at El Cosmico had stoked our fire, and the embers were now minimal. The water was tepid at best. Because it was about 40 degrees out by then, we didn't want tepid bath water to sit in. The girl from the front came to help us add more logs on the fire. Which we did and got the fire going again, but it takes a very long time to heat. She suggested jumping in another one that was still very warm (because those people went to dinner AFTER). So we had a decision. Either stay in tepid water for two hours and freeze, OR go sit in someone else's tub which was about 20 degrees warmer.
We choose the other tub. Not extremely thrilled with how that turned out since we did pay for the experience of our own tub. With that said, I do recommend renting one, especially on a colder night. Just make sure the fire is forever stoked so you won't run into our same problem.
El Cosmico is a place to stay for anyone looking for a bit of a change. It's not your average hotel stay. There is a hammock garden where you can swing from the trees. A community kitchen. Outdoor showers and bathrooms. And free coffee in the morning. It's worth it if you want an experience.
Note: El Cosmico did reimburse us for the hot tub debacle. Extremely classy move and we thank them kindly.
2. Buy a bar of marfa brand soap.
If you aren't looking for it, you probably won't find it. But here at this shop/soap making facility you'll find some authentic, organic, hand-made soaps that smell and feel amazing.
There were about 8-10 different types of soap to choose from like Rosemary Peppermint, or Yucca Root. Each soap bar is packaged in an adorable little sack with a list boasting every ingredient inside. It's a mom-and-pop shop run by a team of younger folks who were very willing to help and chat. We bought two bars and can't wait to try them out.
3. Eat at Maiya's Restaurant
This Italian-fusion cuisine is the talk of the town. It's only open Wednesday-Sunday, so if you're looking for a fix on a Tuesday, you're out of luck. The ambiance inside the small restaurant is very romantic, with a red ceiling, and dim lights. Candles adorn every table, and small signs like "Fresh Bread" are hand-painted on the front window.
Now, let's be straight with each other. The prices were a bit high. Higher than we thought it should be for SOME items. We weren't drinking (well I wasn't: note Vanessa doesn't ever) so I can only imagine if you throw a bottle of wine into the mix.
We got the butternut squash coconut curry soup which was vegan and $8. The bowl was huge and contents thick, so sharing it was nice. It was very flavorful and the red pepper into was a nice touch.
We then split the beets, goat cheese, watercress salad and the roasted cauliflower salad both at $10 and $11 respectively. These salads were absolutely phenomenal and worth every bite. The roasted cauliflower was so delectable and had a homemade ricotta on the bottom. The whipped goat cheese in the other salad was so light and airy. It just melted in your mouth. We also reveled over the fresh bread which was fabulous.
But..... Then came the entree. At $26 we split a spinach lasagna. Cream, cheeses, spinach pasta and homemade ricotta. We were ready. Until it arrived. A small plate (smaller than the salads) that looked more like a spinach and artichoke dip serving than an actual meal. We were floored. It was in fact delicious, but it was so meager in size (there was ONE piece of spinach pasta) that we kind of gave up hope.
The staff was great, extremely accommodating and helpful. If it weren't for the entree situation, we would've had a perfect meal.
4. Buy some crYstals at moonlight gemstones jewelry.
Another one of those places that if you aren't looking, you probably won't see it. This little shop is one of the most amazing spots in Marfa and nobody even talks about it. Walking through the gate, you're surrounded by huge chunks of gems and crystals, all in the yard in their natural form. Large, weighty pieces of rose quartz that fill a tub. A cat, named Boss Cat, lazily languishing about the stones stepping on them carefully. Inside, there are shelves and shelves of stones and crystals, some in their original form, some polished down to smooth. The owner was extremely helpful and said he focuses more on the science behind the crystals and minerals then the metaphysical traits, which we respected. He also showed us some of the jewelry he makes in-house.
The prices are either an even number or weighed by the gram, in which he uses an old balance scale to gauge.
Awesome shop. Beautiful stuff. Worth a gander if you're looking for a unique birthday gift for someone.
5. The Get-Go Grocery
You wouldn't expect to have a healthy, organic food store in this small town, but there she was. It's small, don't get me wrong. But they have tons of options for the healthy eater in us all. What was worth it most for us, was the Marfa-made
Goat cheese that was scrumptious. Get the dill and chive!
6. Tumble in RV Park
This RV park had a lot of character compared to most others that we've seen. Unique things like a community kitchen and laundry facility in an old metal shed...or a 1962 Mobile Scout that is renovated into the office. At only $24 a night, you get a full hook-up, not to mention great wifi, a clear view of the desert, and very hot showers. You can cook a meal and play Scrabble at the same time!
JeTt's Grill in the hotel paisano
This quaint little restaurant in the heart of the hotel was the perfect place to get out of the cold and eat something warm. It seemed like everybody from town was there at the bar, which made it feel very cozy.
First things first, have a Manhattan. It was one of the best I've had. Not too sweet, not too heavy. With a black cherry at the bottom.
Secondly, you MUST try the Tomato Basil soup. It was outstanding. Rich and creamy, with a ton of flavor.
Third, the pistachio crusted portobello burger. WOW. I've never had a portobello burger taste so good. I would return just to crunch into one of those bad boys again.
We also had a butternut squash vegetable plate which was okay. Nothing too special. It was doused in some sort of tomato sauce which I found a bit awkward. The orange zest was too much, and I probably wouldn't order it again.
But, definitely go just for 1-3. That'll be enough.
Bonus: Prada, Marfa
There is a Prada store art installation in the middle of nowhere. Literally nowhere. No stores, restaurants, hotels--nothing surrounding this weird little exhibit. Which makes it oddly fascinating and worth a photo at least.
Our trip to Marfa is coming to a close. We wanted to do different things in this town than most people tell you. We skipped most of the art scene, which a lot of people urge, because it didn't seem to be at the core of the town for us. We wanted the quirky, the weird, the romantic, the off-beat. And boy, did we find it.
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