Texas' Most Unique Town Must Be This Vibrant Art-Lovers Paradise In The Middle Of Nowhere

The small Texas town of Marfa is located in a wide open plain 200 miles and a whole time zone away from El Paso and the stunning Guadalupe Mountains. Marfa began life as a railroad water stop and freight hub in 1883. A railroad executive's wife suggested the name "Marfa" after a character in Fyodor Dostoyevsky's "The Brothers Karamazov," which she was reading at the time. It was a creative precursor to the off-beat arts town that Marfa would become.

Marfa's eccentricity began in 1883 when a ranch hand named Robert Reed Ellison noticed strange lights flickering on the horizon. Neither Ellison nor successive generations of cowboys, ranchers, or fighter pilots could establish the source of these strange lights. Today, the phenomenon is largely attributed to distorted headlights on Highway 67. Happily, such mundane explanations have not stopped the annual Marfa Lights Festival, with its music, competitions, and other events.

In 1971, artist Donald Judd arrived in Marfa. Over the next two decades, he established permanent exhibitions in former military warehouses, showcasing his industrial, minimalist work. Many creatives have followed since Judd, bolstering Marfa's unique blend of avant-garde and Americana.

Donald Judd's work is housed at the Chinati Foundation, along with pieces by numerous other artists, including four to six artists who take part in the annual Artists in Residence program. Over 170 international artists have had residences since the Foundation's establishment in 1989. Perhaps the most famous local artwork is the Prada Marfa installation, which contrasts the fussy materialism of a Rodeo Drive boutique with the awesome ruggedness of West Texas. Remember, the sculpture is not in Marfa but in Valentine, an even smaller town 40 miles west.

A short walk from the Chinati Foundation is El Cosmico, a characterful lodging site similar to the best destinations in Joshua Tree that offers camping, tepees, yurts, and vintage pink trailers with period furnishings and colorful pueblo bedsheets. Further north, just past Marfa's central crossroads, is the Hotel Paisano. Here, you'll find tree-lined sidewalks, spacious rooms, and plenty of tiled, wood-clad southwestern charm. 

For food, drinks, and more Marfa quirk, head to Planet Marfa at 200 South Abbot Street; there is a beer garden with friendly staff, a converted school bus, regular live events, and hot dogs for just $4. Don't forget Marfa Burritos, either — they're huge and delicious.

Artsy though Marfa may be, the town's greatest beauty is in its immense scenery. Marfa is a small collection of streets, and beyond them is the ​​Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve. Stargazing opportunities abound across this sparse plain, but the very best spot is in the Davis Mountains Preserve. "Nothing has ever been more beautiful than what I saw in the night sky while I was there," wrote one Reddit user. If you're headed south, the view is also spectacular south in Big Bend National Park, one of the five best national parks for stargazing.

Marfa is also notable for the Marfa Dry Line, which refers to the meeting point of dry desert air from the Rockies and dank, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico. This collision causes wind that is conducive to some of the best gliding and soaring in the United States. Pilots from around the world have converged on Marfa, setting numerous soaring records and hosting the first World Soaring Championships in 1970. Today, soaring and gliding experiences are available at Marfa Glider Rides & Sailplane Flights, just north of the town.