There’s something so elementally expansive about a road trip. The power is truly in your hands at the wheel to decide your course. You can embrace your whims and change your mind at any given time…slow down, speed up, move on or linger longer. When you drive, you put in the hard work logging the hours and miles to get where you’re going. There’s a sense of accomplishment and wonder as you watch the landscape change and evolve. Long drives create mental space for reflection and can be quite meditative, especially when traveling hundreds of miles at a time on uncrowded highways and scenic, winding back roads.
Off the road and out of the car the adventure is even richer, whether exploring new environments or revisiting old haunts. There’s something so delightful and enriching about dropping in and becoming a part of the every day lives of the locals. Their hospitality and curiosity about your path endears you to the community regardless of if you’re just passing through for a meal or settling in to stay for a few days. These human interactions color the travel experience in the most vibrant of ways and this is where the best, unplanned magic happens.
The freedom and promise of the open road calls to me often. Seeing a distant city listed on a highway mileage marker sign, I occasionally think, “I could just go there right now.” That’s when the urge is at its most potent and I know it’s time to carve out the space to embark on a proper road trip. Right now I’m in the midst of a Southwest road trip that originated in Los Angeles and essentially ends in Marfa, Texas. (I'm flying back to California as I don't have the luxury of that much extra time on my hands right now!)
On the first day, I stopped to see The Salton Sea and Salvation Mountain as I made my way to Tucson, Arizona, where a good sleep and shower was all I could muster after more than eight hours of driving! The next morning I got back on the road after a hearty breakfast at Prep & Pastry. I stopped in Silver City, New Mexico to stretch my legs, browse through the art galleries and antique shops and lunch at Tre Rosat Café.
I drove through the Gila National Forest en route to Truth or Consequences, where I checked into Riverbend Hot Springs and soaked in their healing mineral waters in a private tub overlooking the flowing Rio Grande. The family-run Bella Luca Café, a short walk from the hotel, filled me up with friendly hospitality and delicious wood-fired pizza. My last stop in New Mexico was White Sands National Monument, where I climbed up striking bright white sand dunes still peppered with spring’s lilac colored wildflowers.
The chaos of El Paso’s highways cutting through the border city’s urban core welcomed me to Texas, but that was only a temporary, jarring change of pace as I was soon back on the blissfully open road passing the parade of big rig trucks heading east on the 10. The last stretch took me through the ranch lands of US Route 90, where the Prada Marfa art installation just outside Valentine, TX signaled I was about to arrive at my final destination, Marfa.
The road trip chapter of my journey has concluded and now it’s time to chill out and enjoy a few days in Marfa. As much as I love road tripping, after more than 1,200 miles of driving I’m looking forward to slowing down, unpacking my suitcase, leaving the car parked and exploring on foot and bike!
