I’m writing these updates in LibreOffice because we don’t have anything close to an internet connection out here. The lack of connectivity is a feature, not a bug. I hope to have some photos to add by the time I post this. We’ll see. Note: We found some stray WiFi on day 2, so I’m going to go ahead and put this up.
We waited a couple of days before embarking on our road trip honeymoon just to recharge the batteries a little as we had a long day planned for the initial day of the vacation. The longest drive of the trip, six hours, through some of the least-populated areas in these United States brought us to the sleepy little burg of Marfa, Texas. It’s been nearly forty years since I’ve been I’ve been here and I’d be lying if I said I remembered the place at all, but I’d wager that its changed a little over the last few decades.
We’re staying at El Cosmico tonight and, at the risk of overselling it, it’s perfect. It’s not a hotel or motel so much as a fancy campground. We’re staying in one of the reconditioned trailers, but they also have safari tents, tepees, and yurts. They have hammock groves in several areas of the spacious grounds, as well as fire-heated hot tubs, live old-school country music or deejays spinning the same, and just the most chill vibe I’ve ever experienced when traveling.
We’d pack up and move here if we could. We can’t, and, of course, the chill vibe is enhanced by the fact that we have no Wifi and we’re on the roamiest of roaming. That could present a problem in the long term. In the short term, though, we had a good enough time that we’ll be coming back for the last night of our honeymoon.
The food options after dark seem to be limited, but they’re impressive. We ate at Stellina tonight and it was immaculate. I don’t normally care for communal seating, but it works here, in large part because they don’t pack everyone together. That seems to be a hallmark of Marfa; there’s enough space that businesses don’t seem compelled to maximize the profit from every square inch. Anyway, the food was terrific. The chickpea fritters were the highlight, but it was all good and I’m a sucker for house made pasta any day of the week.
We’re back at the trailer now, and it’s dead silent outside and I feel more relaxed than I have in months. It’s the kind of day that makes a guy re-think his priorities. If this is what makes life so great (and it is), then what I am doing spending all my time doing that? Damn fine question, isn’t it?
Nicole is brilliant. This was her idea. This is the most “us” place we possibly could have gone for our honeymoon. I love this part of the country. We’re on a high plateau in the desert, 4,800 or so feet, shooting stars everywhere, mountains in the distance, and absolutely no way to contact my office.
Our honeymoon couldn’t have started any better.
-RK