Marfa (Days 7-8)

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). I can easily imagine how much this film must have impacted her as a teenager coming-of age-in Dallas in the late '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, though. 

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, and 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 Giant as I am, there are plenty of other attractions in Marfa that cater to many off-beat tastes. 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!