Marfa, Texas
The welcome sign, located a few miles before you reach town.
Marfa, Texas. Ever heard of it? Probably not.
I had never even heard of the name Marfa until a few months ago when my friend suggested we go there to see the Prada Marfa. Once I googled “Prada Marfa” and hit images, I recognized it immediately. I knew I had seen and heard of this art installation in the past, but I never knew what it was called or where it was located. From that moment on I was super stoked to check it out because it was something so different than the usual places I like to explore. We started in Austin where I had been a few days prior and it was about a 6 hour drive. Worth it? Umm yes. I know, 6 hours sounds like a long time but I honestly love road trips so that was fine with me. After mapping out the route we stopped at Target to grab some snacks and water. This is such a necessity because for while on that drive there is nothing…for miles.
I thought the drive was still very scenic and beautiful even though it was through the desert and there wasn’t much to see in terms of civilization. It ended up being dark once we got into the town and we went straight to our Airbnb after grabbing food on the way. There was a town that was nearby but a little out of our way and we stopped for dinner because everything was going to be closed in Marfa once we got there. Things were closing early and had odd hours but I’m guessing this was due to the pandemic. Our Airbnb was this adorable little camper that was decorated inside and super cute. I thought it was prefect and cozy especially for only two nights. I forgot how cold the desert can be at night and it was really windy, so it sounded eerie almost. After unpacking we went to bed because we had to get an early start to the morning.
The next day was spent driving around town and then seeing the Prada Marfa. Breakfast and coffee were first on the list (for me that’s always a must). Marfa is such a unique little art town that has some really cool buildings and areas to photograph. It honestly felt like it was something out of a movie set! I ended up getting some cool shots and then found a coffee shop with a perfect “Instagram spot” as they say. Needless to say I had to get a photo, I mean why not right? I also grabbed my usual iced mocha, that’s always a go to coffee order for me if I don’t feel like trying something new. Frama Coffee, was only open for takeout and is connected to a laundromat called Tumbleweed Laundry. I was hoping to sit inside and sip on my coffee but with certain Covid restrictions it only made sense they were limited to takeout orders.
Greetings from Marfa, Texas.
Driving around Marfa we saw a vintage theater that had been turned into an artists studio, a old factory mill, an abandoned Holiday Inn, and then found a very picturesque cafe that had local art, coffee, craft cocktails, and a quaint little seating area out back. There weren’t a lot of people around, or outside at least. The guy working at the cafe we stopped at said the town thrives off of the local tourism. I did wonder out of the people we did see, who were the ones visiting like us or simply locals going about their everyday lives. Everything that we saw was honestly so cool and I almost felt like I went back in time into an old western film but with a bit of a modern twist.
After grabbing food from a food truck and checking out most of what was open in Marfa, we made our way to the Prada Marfa. It took about 30 minutes or so to get there. This was honestly the highlight of the whole trip. I thought it was awesome that someone decided to put this art installation in the middle of the Texas desert. It’s quite literally on the side of the road which was funny to me when people would drive by and look over in utter confusion. When we pulled up there were a lot of people there taking pictures and walking around so we decided to wait a bit to have our turn. The lighting was perfect because the sun would be setting within the next hour and we got some “golden hour” shots as they say. Everything came together because after about 5 minutes everyone left and we had the whole place to ourselves. I got some awesome photos and blog footage and my friend who’s also a photographer got some really fun shots of me in front of the installation.
The Prada Marfa, designed to resemble a Prada store has authentic Prada purses and shoes on display.
Here are some fun facts about the Prada Marfa;
It is technically located in Valentine, Texas
The artists behind it are Elmgreen and Dragset.
Constructions costs totaled $120,000.
The Prada Marfa is made of adobe bricks, plaster, paint, glass pane, aluminum frame, MDF, and carpet.
It was inaugurated October 1, 2005.
The look and feel of this art exhibit was unlike anything I’ve ever seen and it was more than worth the 6 hour drive. I crossed yet another thing off of my bucket list that I never even knew was on it! I also knew I wanted to get some photos of myself out there because I’ll be honest, I need more practice with that. My friend is a super talented photographer and also brought his camera along so I made sure I wore a cute outfit that day that would fit the Texas desert vibe. Honestly the photos came out AMAZING and I couldn’t be happier with the results. Check them out below!
All in all, Marfa ended up being a pleasant surprise with good eats, cute shops and a vibe that was like no other! I definitely want to come back here one day but stay longer, explore more, and diver deeper into this small town’s history. With glamping, retro hotels, and unique art all throughout the area, it’s a hidden gem of southwestern Texas that you won’t want to miss! If you have comments, questions, or even suggestions for when I return, don’t hesitate to send me an email!
Just keep exploring my friends,
xx
Cass