The scenic route through Big Bend National Park forms a loop from Marfa to Presidio, Lajitas, Terlingua, and then further north to Alpine, from where you can drive back to Marfa. Against the backdrop of Lajitas and Terlingua, Marfa lies further to the north, about 100 km from the border. It is a popular starting point for exploring Big Bend—about an hour’s drive away. The town is intersected by a railway and U.S. Route 67. Marfa itself covers only 4 km², just a few city blocks, surrounded by desert with low fences marking seemingly endless ranches.
Marfa is famous for the lights that can sometimes be seen at night on the desert. They float above the ground and then disappear. There are so many theories about their origin that it’s hard to say which one is true. From UFOs to the lights of cars on a distant highway, to unexplained physical phenomena. A few kilometers before the town, coming from Alpine, an observatory was even built. Telescopes and informational boards about the surrounding desert and the famous lights were installed. Not everyone manages to see them. I wasn’t that lucky.
The second recognizable attraction in the Marfa area is an art installation that supposedly was not sponsored in any way by the famous fashion house. It is a PRADA boutique, placed on the roadside, in the middle of nowhere. A small white building that could just as easily stand on a city shopping street. Initially, there were real handbags and shoes, but after several acts of vandalism and theft, only replicas remain. Handbags without bottoms and shoes without pairs. No one works there, the doors are locked, and it’s supposedly art. This is confirmed by tourists who stop their cars in the middle of the desert and snap photos. The place looks particularly attractive at night when it is the only lit spot for several kilometers. Surrounded by desert, with a glowing store window in the middle. Inside, elegant shelves and symbols of contemporary fashion. The surrounding fence of the nearby ranch is full of locks placed by couples who chose this symbol of capitalism as the perfect place to manifest their love. Twisted, but oh so contemporary.
At the southern exit of Marfa, there is a Border Patrol checkpoint. All vehicles coming from the border to the north are stopped and checked. Despite being 100 kilometers away, between Marfa and the border town of Presidio, there are no significant human settlements. It’s just desert. If someone crossed the border illegally, they must head north and sooner or later, they’ll end up near Marfa. The Mexico border is a sensitive area. The borderland is carefully monitored, and I have had to explain several times what I’m doing there and where I’m heading.
