Before we visited Texas for the first time in 2017, I pictured all of Texas to look like how West Texas actually looks. West Texas looks like a scene from a cowboy movie with the high hills, vistas and desert vegetation.

In actuality, the Hill Country of Texas is very green, except when we’re in a drought, with rolling hills. grapes for wine, grapes, peaches, strawberries, and all sorts of veggies out in the fields. There are also a lot of ranches that raise cattle, goats, etc. You get the picture.

That being said, we decided this year for our anniversary we needed to explore and find that typical Texas vibe. 

I made reservations at the famous Gage Hotel in Marathon, TX. Marathon is located north of Big Bend National Park and has a huge influx of bikers, hikers and campers headed towards Big Bend. If you head out the highway further west you’ll run into Alpine and, the artist haven of Marfa. North of Marfa is Fort Davis in the Davis mountains. This is also where you can find the McDonald Observatory that is part of the University of Texas.

Our goal for this getaway was to relax and soak in all the slow, yet redeeming qualities in this part of our adopted home state.

From where we live in Fredericksburg to Marathon, is a solid five hour ride. My husband loved driving it because that part of the interstate is 85 mph. I used this time to catch up on my reading while taking the scenery every now and again.

When we arrived at The Gage, they were very welcoming and genuinely seemed excited to see us. This hotel is filled with history and stories. According to The Gage Hotel website it is, “Known as one of America’s last frontiers, it is a place of the “Long View,” punctuated by the presence of the Rocky Mountains and touched on all sides by the Chihuahua Desert. Drawing from cultures of the North American Indians, Spanish, Mexican and Anglo Cowboys, the region enjoys an intensely rich history.
Beyond the property, the charming town of Marathon serves as the quintessential backdrop for the Gage Hotel, complete with shops, country churches, and local eateries all within walking distance.”

Mr. Gage left the state of Vermont in 1878, in search of ranching opportunities in Texas. He made his way to Marathon after the railroad had made its way there from the east. He saw this as an opportunity to create a ranching empire that eventually led to owning over 500,000 acres.

There was not a hotel available in Marathon, so he built one! He hired Henry Trost to design this beautiful hotel in 1926. I, for one, I’m certainly glad he did.

They offer all of the luxuries of a beautiful hotel. Their concierge service was helpful even prior to our arrival! They reached out to us asking if they could help make reservations for our meals. There’s a spa, fitness center and a pool on site. There are a few different buildings on the property that also have rooms to stay in.

I read online that they were no televisions in the room and I can honestly say, that was the only complaint my husband had. I brought my iPad so we could watch a movie at night is that how we typically wind down so he got over it quickly.

Once we got settled in our room located in the historic hotel building itself, we went for a walk to get the lay of the land. Marathon is a very small town of less than 300 people. There is the main street, Highway 90, where a lot of The Gage Hotel and restaurants are located. There is also a small bank, a few art studios, a barbecue joint and my favorite little grocery store, the French Grocer.

We went for a walk around the town, observing the small churches, library, and a very colorful Airbnb.

After wandering around the property and familiarizing ourselves to our home for the next three days, we made our way to the famous Gage Hotel bar, the White Buffalo. 

I really love a good margarita and the JP Marg at the White Buffalo did not disappoint. Scot opted for a glass of Inscription Pinot Noir, from the Willamette Valley. We got some chips, salsa and guacamole to nibble on before dinner. I actually think eating Tex-Mex is a requirement at least one time in this part of the state.

We ran into folks we knew from Fredericksburg! Crazy that you’re 300 miles from home and you’re sitting next to people that you know. After a little chat with them, it was time for our dinner reservation at 12 Gage.

We started our meal with some jumbo lump crab cakes that had a buttermilk dressing and dill that hit the spot. For our entrees, I opted for the beef tenderloin fillet that was served with a parsnip potato purée, wild mushrooms, chard with a black garlic herb butter. Scot saw steak frites and had to have them! It was a New York strip with crisp potato stacks, a petite salad and black garlic steak.

After dinner, we made our way to our room as we were tuckered out and needed some rest for the next day.

Friday

We wanted to get an early start on the day for our almost hour drive to the entrance of Big Bend National Park. This is the 14th largest national park in the country, so we knew we would be spending most of our time there. For breakfast and coffee, we went next-door to the V6 Coffee Bar. I chose the cowboy burrito and it was humongous! It definitely would feed a cowboy. It was made with scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes with Jack cheese blend and I opted for bacon. Scot went a little more traditional with an egg sandwich. It had a touch of spicy mayo on it for some heat, along with a nice cup of coffee. We sat outside and ate ate a bistro table that was lined up on the sidewalk.

Now, it’s time to head south to Big Bend National Park! The views of this park are absolutely incredible. When you stop to get your ticket to enter, you can pick up a map that shows all the areas that you can walk, hike, and drive. We drove through this park for five hours. We got out and walked in a few areas and of course, had to take photos! 

We decided to leave the park through a different entrance as we were making our way to Marfa for dinner.

An hour later, we arrived in Marfa before a dinner so we stopped at Hotel St George and had a glass of wine at the Bar Saint George. 

We walked around the corner to Cochineal for dinner. I made the reservation and opted for the à la cart menu. When they shared what was on the chefs tasting menu that evening we quickly changed our minds.

Scot chose a lovely battle of Barolo that we sipped throughout the night. They did offer for a wine pairing with each course, but we decided against it.

The restaurant is a busy place and has lots of fans. You could tell that a lot of locals eat there with the conversations all around us. We really enjoyed the chef’s tasting menu. It was a bit expensive as we needed to purchase some à la cart items to make us full. Even though there were only two of us they did include a service charge, so make sure you look at your bill so you don’t tip twice.

We headed back to Marathon, and just before arriving in Alpine, you can see the parking area on the right to park to see the Marfa Lights. It was a bit cloudy so we decided to continue on back to The Gage Hotel.

Saturday 

Saturday morning we did the same as we did on Friday and headed over to the V-6. Scot had the same egg sandwich and coffee, but this morning I felt like trying their pancake plate with some bacon and it did not disappoint. 

While I was waiting for my pancakes, I went next-door to the V6 Collection. It was a lovely artisan gift shop that had a variety of entertaining pieces, scarves, jewelry, candles, not to mention Gage Hotel merchandise. I was drawn to the Barbie pink, Yeti water cup. I needed a token of our time there so I bought it. I’m actually using it right now as I write this blog!

We were on our way to Fort Davis to see the McDonald Observatory located in the Davis Mountains. The observatory is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM and a ticket for a self guided tour is only three dollars. If you opt for the guided tour, it is $10 for an adult or five dollars for children under five years. they also offer parties on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday evenings.

We did the self guided tour and went to the two different observatories available to the public. The views were spectacular and I was very happy that we had made the stop.

Back down the mountain, we headed through town and headed to a local winery, Château Wright. 

We had tasted the wine from Château Wright at a wine event last spring and were very impressed. We made sure we put time on our calendar during our visit to check it out.

This winery, in the Texas Davis Mountain AVA, is at a high-elevation and is located in the Chihuahuan desert. The buildings are situated against a small hill with vines surrounding the property.

We were getting hungry, so we opted to go to the food truck on property called “Too Hot For TABC”. Their homemade hamburger and grilled cheese with pesto was off the chart. We sat on the porch and enjoyed a glass of their 2020 Heraldic Red. It’s a blend of Temprano and Granache. It has a great black pepper nose and a full bodied mouth feel with a finish of cherry and vanilla. We thoroughly enjoyed and bought a few bottles to take back home with us.

We decided to make our way back down to Marfa and do a little walking around and shopping.

We stopped on Austin Street and went into a little spot called Alta Marfa. It’s a little winery that serves both wine they mike and other Texas wines. I decided to try a glass of their 2022 Tempranillo/Viognier blend that, surprise, was a sparkling wine! I really enjoyed it. It was nice and dry. It reminded me a little bit of Lambrusco. 

Scot had a glass of their red blend that included Zinfandel and Tempranillo and really enjoyed it.

We walked down the street to find Mira Marfa, a beautiful store with beauty products, candles and books. We crossed the street to check out the famous Hotel Paisano. The 1956 movie, “Giant”, was filmed in the area. A lot of the movie cast and crew, including Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean stayed here. There was a lot of memorabilia sharing their time in Marfa that was reminiscent of old time Hollywood.

On our way out of town, we stopped at the vintage store, Raba Marfa. I found a beautiful silk, hand dyed scarf that I am looking forward to wearing for many years.

We drove back through Alpine and decided to eat dinner at the White Buffalo. We split some deviled eggs and a roast chicken dinner. It was the perfect way to end our lovely visit.

The next morning, we got up bright and early and headed home. The Gage was the perfect place to stay for our anniversary weekend. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy my time in West Texas. I also finished that book in a weekend, and that always makes me happy.

With grace, grit & gratitude,

xx, JeriLynne