Welcome Back Cuties!
I am so excited to have partnered with Lexus to bring this post to you all today. I have been absolutely dying to go to Marfa for years and this past weekend, I was able to make that dream a reality! We were heading there for one of our best friends weddings, so it was the perfect excuse to make the 8 hour drive from Houston!
For this trip, we had the opportunity to drive the Lexus NX Hybrid and it was the most amazing car to have for this trip! So spacious, luxurious, comfortable & smooth! Which is everything you want in a vehicle.
Incase you aren’t super familiar with Marfa, it’s a quirky little town, ya’ll. A quirky little town full of character, art, fashion, tequila and really good food.
Forewarning, this post is really long and fully outlines our whole weekend!
So if you’re looking for just the Travel Guide, scroll all the way to the bottom and you will find it there!
THURSDAY
Thursday morning, we woke up at the crack of dawn, packed the Lexus and began our left for our 8-hour journey to Marfa. I had been dreading the drive for weeks…but to my surprise, it wasn’t bad at all.
The drive was honestly beautiful and I had never seen that part of Texas before, so the beautiful sites made the whole trip fly by!
SHOP THE LOOK
Colton and the Groom (Lance) at the Rehearsal Dinner!
These two cuties were roommates all throughout Baylor, so needless to say, Lance has been a huge part of Colton and I’s relationship from the start!
We absolutely adore Lance, and his new wife Emiley and literally couldn’t have been more excited to be in Marfa, to celebrate their big day.
[ WHERE WE STAYED ]
(Airbnb: Corte Del Norte | Decor: Garza Marfa)
For this trip, we stayed at Corte Del Norte! It’s an Airbnb and words cannot even begin to describe how much we loved it. I can’t imagine us staying anywhere else.
If you have a decent sized group, than I cannot recommend it enough! Casa Del Norte is essentially a really old, huge home that has been renovated into two separated houses, but are still attached. We were in “The Love House”, which is a two bedroom, one bath house. We only shared it with another one of our best friends from Baylor and his Fiancé, but it could have easily slept more! There is a huge sectional couch and one of the bedrooms has a daybed!
The Groom (Lance) stayed at the one next door, so it was super fun for all of us to have this huge space to hang out in together and for us all to be so close. Emiley’s Aunt and Uncle did all of the decor in the home (they own a furniture shop in town called Garza Marfa), so they were able to recommend it to us! Everything about this property was just adorable. It was super clean, only like a block away from downtown and was all around perfect. We loved the outside area the most though!!! We had so many bonfires and had a blast hanging out there during the day as well, since the weather was so nice out.
FRIDAY
Friday morning, we woke up ready to explore the town!
First things first was grab a coffee at Do Your Own Thing Coffee and grab breakfast at Marfa Burrito.
The best thing about Marfa is that everything is essientially walking distance away and Do Your Own Thing was thankfully just right across the street!
SHOP THE LOOK
(The front patio at Squeeze – a breakfast place downtown! We never had a chance to eat there, but I had to snap a pic because it looked so cute!)
After breakfast, we walked down to El Cosmico (the famous Teepee Hotel!) to check it out!
It was seriously so cool and these teepees were anything but ordinary! The whole property was huge and they have a lot of event spaces since so many festivals are held there throughout the year! If just Colton and I ever go back, this is 100% where I would want to stay!!
SHOP THE POST
( COBRA ROCK )
Exploring the shops downtown and fell madly in love with this oversized & vintage $575 cowboy hat.
Don’t worry….. I didn’t come home with it – lol!
SHOP THE LOOK
These two little shops were literally connected to our Airbnb!
I never got the name of it, but this floral shop, was seriously adorable and had the cutest home decor / nicknacks for sale in there as well! Then the Se Venue Vending Machine next door was quite a site to see.
You literally just open the door and in this room is a single vending machine with the most bizarre “Marfa” Things in it.
Me and my cute date, ready for the wedding!
I was originally supposed to wear a different dress, but when it arrived it was way too big/baggy and shed a million pieces glitter every second. Literally, glitter EVERYWHERE.
Luckily, I had this Elizabeth James dress in my closet. It cost more than I would normally ever spend on a dress, but it was worth every penny . It’s THE LITTLE BLACK DRESS of all little black dresses. It’s hands down the most flattering dress I have ever worn and is super comfortable. Every time I put it on, I feel like a million bucks. My friends joke that it’s the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Dress” because every single one of them have worn it and have looked amazing in it.
You can buy a recent version of the dress here or rent it from Rent the Runway here!
SHOP THE LOOK
(Wedding at The Capri)
The wedding was held at The Capri and was the most beautiful and intimate little desert wedding I have ever seen.
The whole thing was indoor/outdoor, the space was beautiful and to say the margaritas were flowing would be an understatement.
SATURDAY
(Post- Toast Brunch at Garza Marfa)
Saturday morning we had a Post Toast Brunch!
I absolutely loved the idea of a “Morning After Brunch” because it was so nice getting to see the newlyweds the next morning and talk about the night before with all of the guests!
(Al Campo – Wine & Beer Garden)
Super cute!! But they have incredibly weird hours… so just a heads up.
( Prada – Marfa )
After brunch, we jumped in the Lexus and made our way to Prada Marfa.
I mean, we couldn’t go all the way to Marfa and not go to the famous Prada store. I have been absolutely obsessed with Gray Malin’s Prada Store Collection and own this print, so visiting the Prada Store was 100% at the top of my list!
The store is of course, non operating and is located all by its lonesome about 30 minutes outside of Marfa. Sadly, the man who kept up with it recently passed away, so when we got there, it had graffiti all over it….. but hopefully someone new will take over and keep it up!
SHOP THE LOOK
( Scarf is from Garza Marfa!! I picked it up during the brunch and it was the perfect souvenir to take home with me! )
The Taco’s & Tequila Party before heading out to see the Marfa Lights!
I’m telling ya’ll… this was an event filled weekend! We originally weren’t going to stay Saturday, but after hearing so much about the lights, we knew we couldn’t miss it!
We wrapped ourselves up in blankets, drank hot chocolate and looked up at the stars. It was the perfect ending to such an incredibly fun trip!!
SHOP THE LOOK
SUNDAY
Sunday, we packed up our things and got ready for our 8 hour drive back to Houston, but not before finally trying Stars Donuts. They were another one of the little shops connected to our Airbnb and since we had been smelling their fresh donuts all weekend, we couldn’t leave and not give them a try! Ya’ll, I don’t normally eat donuts, but these were 100% worth every bite. They are made to order and served perfectly warm. Colton and I were literally in heaven!
At the end of the day, we couldn’t have had a better or amazing experience as our first time in Marfa.
It’s a quirky and fun little town that I am so grateful to have experienced!
xo,
Lauren
MARFA TRAVEL GUIDE
Getting There
- Fly: The closest airport to Marfa is either the El Paso or Midland Airport. From there, you can rent a car and it is about a 3 hour drive to Marfa!
- Drive: Depending on where you live, this is the easiest option in my eyes. It was a 7 1/2 hour drive for us from Houston, and a 5 hour drive from both San Antonio and Austin!
Where to Stay
- Airbnb: If you are traveling with a group, then I cannot recommend getting an Airbnb enough! Here is the link to ours.
- El Cosmico: Wanting the real Marfa experience? Then you’ll want to sleep in a teepee at the famous El Cosmico. Don’t worry though, these aren’t your average teepees! They are super luxurious and are the definition of “glamping”
- Hotel Saint George: If you’re more of a Five Star Hotel person, then you will want to stay at the Hotel Saint George. Super trendy and upscale. Has a super nice bar and restaurant in it too!
Where to Eat
Breakfast
- Do Your Thing: Super cute coffee shop near downtown. It’s a hipsters dream and is very chill. Their normal coffee is delicious but I highly recommend trying the Horchata Latte! Their specialty toast looked delicious as well.
- Squeeze: The cutest little cafe in downtown marfa. They have your more standard breakfast options, with a ton of healthy options and smoothies as well!
- Marfa Burrito: Probably the most authentic breakfast tacos I have ever had. The menu is pretty basic, which shouldn’t come as a surprise since no one in there speaks English, but it it’s delicious and super cheap. Mathew McConaughey must be a big fan too because there are about a thousand photos of him eating there on the wall – lol.
- Stars Donuts: Hands down, the best donuts I have ever had. These donuts are made to order and served perfectly warm. Order at the window, then take it to go or eat at the picnic bench outside. I highly recommend the cinnamon sugar one!
Lunch / Dinner
- Food Shark: A food truck with incredible Mediterranean cuisine, made famous after Beyoncé ate and took photos there. It’s supposed to be absolutely delicious but has weird hours (much like the rest of Marfa), so you never really know when it’s open or not.
- La Ventura Restaurant: This restaurant in the Saint George Hotel is honestly amazing for every meal! Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Happy Hour, Late night Bites – You can’t go wrong.
- Cochineal: A more upscale place known for their cocktails and tapas!
- Stellina: It’s only open for dinner, but looks absolutely delicious and have only heard amazing things! Be sure to grab a corner table located near the windows for the best ambiance and experience.
- Convenience West: Absolutely delicious barbecue and has a super cute atmosphere. At night, the whole outside is lined by string lights that will make you want to sit on the patio all evening.
Where to Drink
Planet Marfa’s Beer Garden: Beer Garden with Appetizers. Need I say more?
Al Campo Wine and Beer Garden: Super, super cute, whimsical and more upscale than Planet Marfa! The patio is huge and has plenty places to sit. It has weird hours though, so don’t expect to be grabbing a drink in the middle of the day…
Lost Horse Saloon: Officially, my new favorite bar in the entire world. This Marfa Dive Bar which simply says “Beer” on it’s outside sign is incredibly deceiving. Stepping into it made me feel like I was stepping into another world or another time. In this bar you’ll find lots of locals, amazing live music, pool tables, people dancing, cheap beer, rescued pups lounging throughout the bar and an old cowboy with a beard and an eye patch walking around everywhere. Don’t worry about him though, that’s just the owner and he’s kind of a bad ass. I never knew this saloon was what I missing in my life, but it 100% was.
What to Do
Prada Marfa: Located 30 minutes outside of Marfa, the stand alone Prada Store in the middle of the Texas desert should not be missed and makes for a perfect photo op!
Shop the Stores Downtown: Roam the streets of the downtown area and shop until drop. Which you will, since most of the shops are super expensive…. but hey – window shopping is always nice!
Marfa Lights: You won’t be able to see “The Marfa Lights” every night, but it’s still worth a try and even if you don’t see them, the clear skies and stars are sight in themselves. Drive out to the viewing center around sunset, pack a blanket, grab a hot chocolate and then wait.
Art Exhibits: Marfa as a town is known for its art and exhibits, with new ones popping up almost every weekend!
A HUGE Thank you to Lexus for partnering with me for this post. I cannot think of a better car to have driven across the great state of Texas in.
For more information on this Lexus NX Hybrid, please click here!
Question;
I noticed you got a rental vs driving your own car. I was wondering why or is it better to rent?
Hi sweet girl!! So I still have my car, but Colton and I decided to rent a car to drive to Marfa as opposed to putting the miles on our cars! Hope that answers your question 🙂