Tip your cowboy hat to the open road with a tour of Marfa, Alpine and other art-inclined towns in the Big Bend region of West Texas.
The art rocks in Big Bend – like, literally. Artistic expression in the region stretches back some 6,000 years, with petroglyphs and pictographs etched into towering limestone canyons. We recommend a week-long road trip. Spend the weekday portion roaming the wide-open, natural masterpieces of the region, hugging Big Bend National Park along the mighty Rio Grande, about 300 miles southeast of the New Mexico border; then saddle up for an action-packed art weekend in Marfa and Alpine, where many businesses keep weekday hours to a minimum. Starting your adventure is easy for Phoenicians: Just get on the I-10 and drive east for a day or so.
Thursday-Friday
Landing in Marfa
Founded in 1883 as a railroad water stop, Marfa has evolved over the years from military outpost to a minimalist art mecca favored “by Dallas yuppies,” in the words of one native. Thanks to artist Donald Judd’s efforts to foster the local art scene in the 1970s, it’s now equal parts dusty and divine – a place where high art meets high desert.
After driving through El Paso and covering a stretch of West Texas as wide as California, detour left off the I-10 for your first architectural detour: Hotel El Capitan, a 1930s landmark in the town of Van Horn designed by architect Henry C. Trost, showcasing Mission Revival design with Southwestern and Spanish Colonial influences. Continue down U.S. 90 to the town of Valentine to peep Prada Marfa – the famous mock storefront built in 2005 by Scandinavian artist duo Elmgreen & Dragset, capturing dusty desolation with haute couture in a single, surreal package. Nearby, you’ll find the area’s other iconic image: a larger-than-life 3-D mural by artist John Cerney nods to the 1956 film Giant, complete with a soundtrack by musician Michael Nesmith.
Once in Marfa, book a tour at the Judd Foundation to step inside the mind – and living space – of minimalist master Donald Judd, then visit the Chinati Foundation, founded by Judd in 1986 and named for the nearby mountains. Spanning 340 acres on the former Fort D.A. Russell military installation, the area now showcases large-scale, permanent art installations by Judd and select contemporaries.
Later, browse the delightfully cheeky Wrong Store, an art gallery and gift shop that has a full bar, and where co-owner Buck Johnston will surely be happy to pour you a strong one to sip and shop the day away. At night, chase the mysterious Marfa Lights – explained away as paranormal events or atmospheric reflections of distant car headlights – with the best viewing about 9 miles east of town off highway 67/90. Don’t miss the Hotel Paisano, Building 98’s POW murals (call 432-729-4826 to book a visit) and “Sleeping Figure” by artist Matt Johnson, a massive reclining sculpture made of shipping containers, a mile east of town on U.S. Route 67.
Eating & Drinking in Marfa
For the culinary side of things, you’ve got options. Start at Marfa Burritos (@marfa.burritos), where Ramona Tejada – aka the Burrito Queen – serves scrumptious handheld legends, praised by Anthony Bourdain and immortalized on a wall of celebrity snapshots. Then head to The Sentinel for a post-prandial Americano and a copy of the region’s lone newspaper, The Big Bend Sentinel, which happens to be published at the coffee shop. You might lunch at Bordo by James Beard-nominated chef-owner Michael Serva, who cut his teeth in Michelin-starred kitchens and delivers what he calls “post-caviar” cuisine – affordable, simple and stunning. While the sandwiches are the most popular item on the menu, he says his pasta is “simple, and high quality. Like a Prada dress.”
For dinner, consider Cochineal Marfa by Beard-nominated chef-owner Alexandra Gates, whose cooking is a study in flavor composition, blending West Texas roots with European technique. For a spirited prelude, Marfa Spirit Co. pours house-distilled, desert-inspired libations. Stop in before you hop over to Planet Marfa – an open-air bar with a renovated school bus, where day drinking becomes performance art.
Where to Stay
Hotel Saint George pairs historical bones with modern lines. Hallways and rooms are adorned with original works by local artists – think gallery meets getaway, with rooms that feel like sleek, livable installations. 105 S. Highland Ave., Marfa, 432-729-3700, marfasaintgeorge.com
Friday-Saturday
Float Over to Alpine
The ironically named desert town of Alpine began as a Southern Pacific Railroad shipping hub and has evolved into a creative enclave under some of the darkest skies in Texas. City tourism official Chris Ruggia says it best: “Culture isn’t curated here – it’s created.”
At Museum of the Big Bend, explore regional history and art, including Tom Lea’s powerful Western Beef Cattle series – raw, unflinching vignettes of the cattle lifecycle that feels undeniably Texan. If you can, time your West Texas visit with the Smithsonian Museum on Main Street traveling exhibit (July-August), which spotlights how communities spark fresh ideas and new ways of thinking.
Alpine’s see-and-do scene is nothing if not diverse. Sports fans can catch a 7th-inning stretch at Kokernot Field, a charming “mini-Wrigley” built in 1947 where amateur and semi-pro teams play. If architecture is your thing, take in the exterior of the Holland Hotel – another Henry Trost design, built in 1912 in Spanish Colonial Revival style. It will undergo renovations this summer, with a planned reopening in January 2027. Then, for a dose of perspective, hike Hancock Hill to its summit, where you’ll find “The Desk”, a decades-old study perch with sweeping views. Bring a pen and leave your mark among the inscriptions.
But art is surely the thing in Alpine. Start your art walk at the Alpine Visitor Center to grab a mural map, then roam 50-plus public works, including a Texas-twist homage to the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Pop into 5th Street Gallery for a fair-trade, artisanal take-home treasure, including some pieces that support the Big Bend Natural History Association.
End the tour by picking up a bar of donkey milk soap or cozy alpaca apparel at Wassermann’s, where you might get to pet a baby wallaby, or grab a ticket to the Wassermann Wranch for a full alpaca meet-and-greet. End your day at The Ritchey, where the second-floor balcony sets the scene for a vivid Big Bend sunset, best enjoyed with a Texas tea and a little live music.
Eating & Drinking in Alpine
Fuel up at Scoops (@scoopsalpinetexas) where, yes, breakfast and ice cream rule. Spicewood serves comfort classics – like its mainstay chicken-fried chicken – with a view that could inspire a landscape painting. At night, Alcove Social mixes house-distilled spirits with karaoke. (Liquid courage = live art.) Lucia rounds it out with luscious Italian fare, jazz tunes and a mood as smooth as a well-blended palette.
Where to Stay
Hotel Parker offers ranch-style serenity with a luxe twist – casitas, big skies and ample room to roam.
Monday-Wednesday
Rocking Out in Big Bend
Farm-to-Market Road 170 – aka the “River Road” – is arguably Texas’s most scenic drive, bird-dogging the Rio Grande as it ribbons through canyons and cinematic desert landscapes, past hoodoos and balanced rock formations. Pull over at Closed Canyon, a picturesque slot canyon, and climb Fandango Dom Rock, the steepest point on the road. A boulder here bears the word “DOM” – a nod to the 1985 film Fandango, which made Kevin Costner a star and was shot in the area. Stop at Contrabando Day-Use Area, a mostly flooded-out former movie set where Dead Man’s Walk and Rio Diablo, starring Naomi Judd and Kenny Rogers, were both shot.
Driving past the gritty ghost town of Terlingua and its famed cemetery, you’ll arrive at Big Bend National Park. Hike the Chimneys and Indian Head trails to spot ancient rock art and soak in historical hot springs, then stargaze under some of the darkest skies in North America. The park is a designated International Dark Sky Park Gold Tier.
When the end of your Big Bend residency rolls around, take FR 170 back to the I-10 and start the long drive back to Arizona – second state on the left.
