Travel Blog

March 15, 2025 (Days 7/8)

3/15/2025

Well, our travel plans were again thwarted by inclement weather...so we pivoted and spent an unplanned extra day in Marfa in lieu of traveling to Big Bend National Park (camping in 50 mph winds did not sound like the best time...). So, here's my bonus 'love letter to Marfa' post (will hopefully be able to travel to Big Bend tomorrow).

I have been wanting to visit Marfa FOREVER. If you're unfamiliar, it's a funky little artistic haven in the middle of nowhere West Texas (3+ hours from a major city). It's full of art, history, and great food - similar to Joshua Tree/Asheville, while decidedly very TEXAS. Case in point - it was the filming location of "TEXAS: The Movie," also known as George Stevens' 1956 masterpiece, Giant. I love this film for many reasons (fair warning, skip ahead if you don't want to hear me rant about my love of Giant for much too long...lol):

1) It is astonishingly feminist and anti-racist for the time period (despite a few hiccups here and there)...some might even say it's more progressive than the present day in its positive representation of Latinos (which is a sorry reflection on our current state of affairs). Believe it or not, anti-miscegenation laws were still alive and well in 1956, as well, which makes the depiction of interracial marriage very poignant, too. I would argue that it’s not necessarily a pro-Texas film, either - it's sharply critical in a number of [rightful] ways.

2) I remember vividly that Giant was one of the few films that my grandparents owned (on double-VHS), yet I shamefully only saw it for the first time a few years ago. Elizabeth Taylor's character (Leslie Benedict) is a strong, opinionated female protagonist who immediately reminded me SO much of my maternal grandmother (B.B.). She passed several years ago, and seeing all of the ways that Leslie evoked her independence and willingness to “clap back” (as the children say), it made me incredibly emotional several times when I first watched the film. As it turns out, according to my mom, B.B. loved Giant so much that she saw it SEVERAL times in theaters with her best friend, Susie (keep in mind, it's 3.5 hours long). While I can easily imagine how much this film must have impacted her as a teenager coming of age in Dallas in the 50s (she went on to break down numerous barriers as one of the first female school principals in the greater DFW area), it saddens me that I never got to speak to her personally about how much Giant means to both of us.

3) Aside from the social impact, Giant is just a cinematic treat - visually stunning, epic soundtrack, star power for days, the whole gamut (also James Dean's final film).

The Hotel Paisano in Marfa was the home-base for the Giant crew while they were filming in town (Liz Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean all stayed here, as well). It's a gorgeous historic hotel (dating back to 1930) that still proudly showcases it's cinematic history...there are production photographs displayed throughout the halls, an entire memorabilia room, and the hotel's restaurant is even named for James Dean's character, Jett Rink (Jett's Grill - it was fab). When our plans changed last minute, we were even lucky enough to score a room at the hotel for the night (which, in hindsight, really feels like it was meant to be...)!

So, here is an excessive amount of pictures showcasing the Hotel Paisano and all of the plentiful Giant memorabilia available, because I couldn't resist...

Even if you aren't as obsessed with 1950's cinematic epics as I am, there are plenty of other attractions in Marfa, as well. The Marfa Lights are an interesting phenomenon of mysterious floating orbs that appear most frequently on the open prairie east of town... James Dean was reportedly so invested in seeing the lights that he kept a telescope in his room at Hotel Paisano! Some scientists have tried to debunk the phenomenon by attributing the lights to a combination of reflected headlights in warm air, but others say it requires further study. I don’t know if the headlight theory really holds water, given that the lights were first spotted in the 1880s…but be your own judge. Unfortunately, we didn't see the lights this time (apparently they are only visible a few times a year), but it's worth looking up if you're curious.

There's also a huge amount of art to explore here - we were able to walk through part of the outdoor exhibit at the Chinati Foundation, which was established by Donald Judd in 1986 (the minimalist artist who essentially put Marfa on the map as an artistic destination). The weather was wildin”, but the sky really put on a show. On the way in to town, we also had to stop at the very silly Prada Marfa, as well, of course.

Between Jett's Grill, The Sentinel, Planet Marfa, and Margaret's, we ate and drank very well in Marfa, too. This is a very special place, and will have to return to see the rest of the many offerings in town that we didn't get to see this time around as soon as possible!

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March 14, 2025 (Days 5-7)

3/14/2025

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Day 5: Arizona to New Mexico

During our second night of camping in Catalina State Park, we were hit with some unexpected rain...which put a figurative and literal damper on the process of packing up camp. Nevertheless, we persisted, and departed eastward for our first stop of the day, Tombstone, AZ. You can probably guess the itinerary: we visited some saloons (including my favorite, Big Nose Kate's) and watched historical reenactment of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. It's a fun place to walk around if you can lean into the kitsch. We ended up spending a bit more time here than expected (forgetting about the time change from MST to MDT screwed up some plans...whoops), but you can definitely fill anywhere from a couple of hours to a whole day here.

We said goodbye to Arizona (for now) and headed to Las Cruces, NM for a delicious dinner at La Posta de Mesilla. The building dates back to the 1840s, and was used as an important stagecoach stop, post office, and hotel before converting into a restaurant in 1939. The restaurant is enormous, and even includes a piranha tank, now! Dinner included one of their signature dishes created by the restaurant, the tostada compuesta, along with some fajitas, and of course - sopapillas. I don't love/am not great at taking food pics, but you can trust it was thoroughly enjoyed.

Day 6: White Sands to Carlsbad

After spending the night in Alamogordo (and traveling through our first border patrol checkpoint), the next morning we headed to White Sands National Park, which, in a word, is otherworldly. These stunning gypsum dunes are a must see if you are in the area, and if you are really short on time, you can drive through the entire park in an hour. We had a bit more time than that, so we opted to rent sleds and try our hand at riding the dunes...Alex was much better at this than I was.

From White Sands, we drove to El Paso, TX for two specific reasons: cowboy boots and food (and a Whataburger Mexican Hot Chocolate shake, for good measure). Mission #1 was not completely successful, but still enjoyed our visit to Tony Lama's Boots (I did at least find a cowboy hat, and Alex bought me a shirt). Wide foot problems...may have to get some custom-made one day.

Our next historic Southwest restaurant stop was L & J Cafe in El Paso. Originally opened as 'Tony's Place' in 1927 (as a bootlegging joint with home cooking), it opened legally in 1934 - although bootlegging and gambling continued inside false walls throughout the establishment. Their signatures are a THICK chile con queso, green chile enchiladas, and of course, more fajitas. It's a good thing we never get sick of Mexican food!

Day 6/7: Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns

Sadly, we had big plans to spend a night camping and exploring Guadalupe Mountains National Park (which is vastly underrated), but when the weather forecast called for high winds/dust storm advisory, we opted to spend the night at a motel in Carlsbad, instead. We were lucky enough to spend a little bit of time exploring what we could of Guadalupe, including what would have been a stunning campsite overlooking Guadalupe Peak (the highest point in Texas). The following day, we luckily had a chance to tour a historic homestead in the park (Frijole Ranch Museum) - built in 1876, these are some of the oldest surviving settler structures in the area.

The one thing I will note about this park is it most accessible to those who are more interested in hiking/backpacking/camping...there is no scenic drive through the park, and much of it has to be explored via trails. However, I was glad to see there were multiple accessible campsites in the campground, at least. If you are heading to Carlsbad Caverns and not afraid of being somewhere rather remote,, it's only 45 minutes away and well worth a stop.

Last but absolutely not least for this post - Carlsbad Caverns National Park! This is of course a well-known attraction (for good reason), but on this day, we were especially grateful for a refuge from the dust storm! I was a little nervous because caves give me some claustrophobia...but did not have any trouble here, as it's enormous! They say the Big Room could house the U.S. Capitol building 2 times over....I believe it! We opted to take the elevator rather than the much more strenuous Natural Entrance hike, but you still get to stretch your legs plenty as you walk the 1-1.5 mi path through the Big Room. Not a hot take by any means, but it's a must see (and fairly accessible, as well).

Next up: We are heading to Big Bend and won't have service for a couple of days, but I'll catch up on the next stops (Marfa, Big Bend) next week!

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March 12, 2025 (Days 1-4)

3/12/2025

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Forgive my blogging n00bness.and repost of Days 1-2 to fix the format...

Day 1-2: Los Angeles to Desert Hot Springs

The first stop out of town was Desert Hot Springs/Palm Springs. While Palm Springs and Joshua Tree are quite familiar, but prioritized visiting several spots that have been on 'the list' for quite a while. Desert Hot Springs has also been a great new find - kind of the perfect happy medium between Palm Springs and Joshua Tree?

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Day 3: Desert Hot Springs to Tucson

I live for weird desert stuff, and we were fortunate in Desert Hot Springs to befriend another weird desert aficionado at the hotel...Sandy from Hemet, in her 70's, having a staycation with one of her several boyfriends (go off, girl). She alerted us that The Windmill Market in Desert Hot Springs has the best date shake in town - I definitely approve.

We then wove our way down the Salton Sea, as there are a number of eccentric communities I've been wanting to visit out there (Bombay Beach, Salvation Mountain, Slab City). It's not a side trip for the faint of heart, but certainly intriguing. The final stop in CA was the "Official Center of the World" (a woo woo pyramid that leads to very long rows of historical facts in concrete panels, and a replica of the Liberty Bell you can ring...). We didn't linger too long because Alex also wanted to visit the Yuma Territorial State Prison (also a state park?) which was...not my fave! But did have an excellent burger at a plane bar (Yuma Landing) to make up for it - complete with Amelia Earhart bathroom homage.

Day 4: Tucson/Saguaro National Park

During our two-night stay in Tucson, we camped in Catalina State Park, which had amazing facilities (like, the nicest camping bathrooms I've ever experienced), and stunning views of saguaros and the Santa Catalina Mountains. I meant to take a pic of this beautiful park before leaving, but rain on the second morning thwarted my plans (check it out though, if you are so inclined).

We spent a lovely day exploring both sides of Saguaro National Park (the West and Eastern sides are about 30 miles apart), with a fantastic meal at El Charro Cafe in between visiting each side.

Next up: Tombstone, Las Cruces, White Sands, El Paso, Guadalupe Mountains

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Road Trip Diary

March 15, 2025 (Days 7/8)

March 14, 2025 (Days 5-7)

March 12, 2025 (Days 1-4)

Rachel V.A.

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