Cindy and Dave have always wanted to visit Marfa, a small artist community in the desert of West Texas.  One of Cindy’s favorite artists, Dan Flavin, has a large exhibit in Marfa and it has always been Dave’s intention to make a pilgrimage to Marfa and propose to Cindy while they were there.  During the summer of 2017 when he realized that a trip might not happen for a bit, Dave decided that a proposal inside James Turrell’s SkySpace located at The Claremont College would be the next best thing.  The SkySpace's intention, just like Marfa, connects art with it's landscape and vice versa.  So when it came time to decide on a wedding locale, Marfa was immediately at the top of the list.  It seemed like a mysterious adventure they could discover together.  Since then, Cindy and Dave have visited Marfa twice (even their pup, Banjo, has made the trek once) and each time they have connected with its vast desert landscape, big skies, and its one-of-a-kind energy.  

We are envisioning a wedding weekend getaway where our family and friends can get to know each other, realizing why we love you all so much!  We can't wait for you to discover why we found Marfa so special and enchanting.  We understand that Marfa forces our guests to step outside their comfort zone and hope all will gain a new appreciation for something unexpected - albeit the art, the quirkiness, the nature, the people, the desert landscape!  

Marfa is located in the desert of Far West Texas between the Davis Mountains and the Big Bend National Park.  It is a remote town founded originally as a railroad water stop in the 1880s.  Today, the train no longer stops in Marfa, but the tracks still go through the downtown area.  You can actually watch the train from a distance on the top level of City Hall and see that the span of the train is much bigger than the town itself.  Marfa is now a tourist destination and a major attraction for Minimalist art thanks to the modern artist, Donald Judd.  In the 1970s, Judd left New York City and acquired an entire army base out in the desert and filled it with art before his death in 1994.  Today, Marfa is not only known for it's world art class scene, historical architecture, fine dining options, and artisan shops, but also for the strange phenomenon known as the Marfa Lights.  It has been home to many film productions including James Dean's last film GIANT, FANDANGO, THERE WILL BE BLOOD, and NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN.  Marfa has often been hard to describe for those who've never been there.  A local store clerk once described Marfa by explaining, "If we don't have it, then we will show you how to do without it."

If you haven't figured it out already, it will take some effort to get to Marfa.  But we promise it will be worth it! If you need help planning or have some questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Fly: The closest airports are El Paso (ELP) and Midland (MAF). From either, Marfa is about a 3-hour drive.  Most major rental car companies are available at each airport.  Please send us your itineraries and we will create a Google Spreadsheet so we can organize carpools.  Not everyone needs to rent a car, and you will not need a car once you are in town.  Everything is walk-able unless you are planning on one of the far field excursions.

From El Paso: (approx. 3 hours): Interstate I-10 East to Van Horn. Exit onto Highway 90 East. You will pass through Valentine, which is approximately 25 miles from Marfa so keep an eye out for Prada Marfa. Please note: if you are traveling to Marfa from El Paso, the time zone changes from Mountain Time Zone to Central Standard Time, and you lose one hour.  If you are driving from El Paso please plan accordingly as the last spot for gas, food, and services is the exit at Van Horn.  

From Midland: (approx. 3 hours): Interstate 20 West, then exit onto TX-18 toward Ft. Stockton. Continue on TX-18 S for 37 miles until you reach interstate 10. Turn right onto Interstate 10 West. After 10 miles, exit onto Highway 67 South toward Alpine and Sul Ross State University. Pass through Alpine, continue to Marfa.

Drive: Driving to Marfa is a great road trip! It is 14 hours away from LA with many fun stops along the way. 

Train: Yes, you can take the train!  Not all the way to Marfa but to Alpine which is only 25 minutes from Marfa.  Just remember, you will still need to rent a car from Alpine.

Explore: The journey is definitely part of the destination here so we really appreciate your dedication to making the trip out.  We hope you take advantage of being out in the middle of nowhere and enjoying all it has to offer.  We're putting together a map with some of our favorites, and some we still want to check out. Stay tuned!

Note: If you are arriving into town late, we recommend stopping for food before you arrive in Marfa as most restaurants will close at 9pm.  Please be aware as Marfa is close to the Mexican border you will pass through a Border Patrol checkpoint on the way from El Paso to Marfa.  The good news is that if you make it through, you'll drive right by the infamous Prada Marfa in Valentine Texas, about 35 miles outside of Marfa on Hwy 90. When you get close to town, tune into Marfa Public Radio, KRTS 93.5.

We have rooms blocked off for wedding guests at the Thunderbird and El Cosmico for Friday and Saturday Night. Both are a short drive and a 10-15 min walk to the wedding festivities.  

THunderbird Hotel

601 West Antonio Street

Marfa, Tx 79843

432.729.1984

Converted roadside motel that mixes modern minimalism with Marfa cool.  No tvs, but a vinyl library and record players are included.  There is also a pool! We have all 20 rooms on hold.  All of the rooms are either Queen beds or Queens with a day bed.  Pls call before July 1st to reserve your room and let them know you are with the Chao Edsall wedding party.  Conveniently located across the street from the Capri Lounge.            

El Cosmico

802 S. Highland Ave

Marfa, Tx 79843

432.729.1950

A campground on the edge of town.  We have reserved 12 trailers and 2 yurts, and there are still canvas tents and teepees available.  The trailers have their own bathrooms and outdoor showers.  All other rooms share common plumbed outdoor showers and bathrooms.  The trailers have refrigerators, cook tops, heaters, and AC.  To directly book trailers and yurts pls email Starr Timmons at events@elcosmico.com.

OTHER LODGING OPTIONS

 105 Lincoln is a recently renovated boutique AirBnb in the heart of downtown. Each unit has 1 bedroom with a full kitchen and shares a few common courtyard spaces with fire pits and a bocce ball court.  Just across the street, walk in the footsteps of GIANT co-stars Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson at the historic Hotel Paisano, where James Dean stayed during the production of GIANT.  Alternately, if you are looking for more modern and contemporary stay, treat yourself to the Hotel St. George, a 5 story hotel with a restaurant, bar, room service, and a pool.

If you're traveling with a group or family, we recommend checking out rental options on Airbnb. Each time we've visited Marfa, we've found wonderful places to stay. You can check out some recommendations curated by us on Airbnb.

Note: Double-check the location on any vacation rental you book since the term "just outside of town" has an entirely different meaning out here. Additionally, if you need help finding a place that fits your needs, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.