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MARFA
Marfa
Marfa is a town in the Big Bend Country region of Texas. It's known for two things: innovative art and mysterious lights.
Get in
Coming from the east, Highway 90 makes for an interesting, scenic drive to Marfa. Plan your fuel stops wisely, as it's possible to go almost 200 miles between cities. Highway 90 takes in a couple of all-but-ghost towns along the way, as well as the Trans-Pecos crossing and some breathtaking scenery. Travelers in more of a hurry may prefer to take Interstate 10 to Highway 67 (from the east) or Highway 90 (from the west) straight into Marfa.
The nearest airport is in El Paso, 190 miles west.
Get around
Visitors will need their own transportation to reach most of the sights in Marfa, although many of the art galleries and restaurants are within walking distance of each other on the main drag in town, between the Presidio County Courthouse and the Marfa post office.
See
Founded by artist Donald Judd as both an independent gallery space and an artists' colony, the Chinati Foundation hosts permanent installations of Judd's work and a number of temporary exhibitions as well. Entrance is only allowed as part of a tour, however. Plan to make reservations well in advance - it's not likely that you'll be able to book a tour on arrival. There are only two per day, each covering a different area of the foundation, and the staff are not shy about turning people away. Should you miss the opportunity to join a tour, you're free to roam the open field nearby where several giant cement rectangles, installed by Judd, share space with some interesting West Texas fauna.
Do
For many visitors, the mysterious Marfa Lights are the main attraction. There is a viewing platform several miles east of the city on Route 67. After dark, the famed lights may appear...or they may not. Theories have been put forward as to their origin, but none have been conclusive; there is no way to predict whether they will appear on any given night. Visitors determined to catch a glimpse of the eerie, dancing orbs may have to set aside a couple of nights and wish for luck.
Eat
Attached to the Hotel Paisano (see below), is named for James Dean's character in "Giant". is located at the intersection of Route 67 and Route 90, across from city hall. They serve big slices of thin-crust pizza ($1.75 a slice or $12 for the whole pie) with a wide range of toppings. The menu also includes limeades and salads.
Sleep
A grand dame of a hotel, beautifully kept.
Get out
Big Bend National Park, with 801,000 acres of land, is a short drive...
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Hotels in Marfa
| Maltese Dinner and Show in Mosta |
4 hours |
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This tour will immerse you in the traditional Maltese hospitality!
You will be taken to the Ta' Maria Restaurant in Mosta, with attendants and waiters dressed in authentic period costumes. This restaurant specializes in traditional Maltese food and presents the participants with mouth watering selection of menus which for hundreds of years has been on the table of the typical Maltese family.
Enjoy your meal in accompaniment of traditional Maltese folk music and dancing. Some of the dishes you may be feasting on include Fenek (Rabbit) , Bragioli, (stuffed beef olives) and Kusksu bil-ful (a delicious stew enriched with broad beans).
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| Gozo Highlights - Ggantija Prehistoric Temples, Ta' Pinu Shrine, Azure Window |
8 hours |
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Drive to the northernmost point of Malta, where you will board the Gozo ferry for a 20 minute crossing.
The first stop will be at the Ggantija Prehistoric Temples - Ggantija Temples in Xaghra, Gozo, are one of the most important archaeological sites in Malta. The origins of Ggantija date back to the Ggantija phase (3600 - 3200 BC). The gigantic dimensions of the megaliths have always struck a chord with popular imagination. In centuries past, some locals even believed that the Islands' temples, in particular those of Ggantija, were the work of giants.
Your next stop will be at the Basilica of Ta Pinu - one of the most outstanding churches in the Maltese Islands. The most popular Shrine on Gozo, where it is profoundly believed that back in 1883, Our Lady has spoken to a devotee from Gharb named Karmni Grima. Ta' Pinu Sanctuary is a place of great devotion and is of national importance. Numerous pilgrims, both locals and tourists visit Ta' Pinu Shrine all year round.
From here the tour will continue to the picturesque fishing village of Xlendi where lunch will be served in a 4 star hotel on the bay.
Following lunch, proceed to Dwejra to enjoy some of Gozo's geological wonders like the Azure window and inland sea. Next is a short stop at the Old Citadel or Kastell, which lies upon the likeliest strategic vantage point of Victoria. It defiantly dominates the town's skyline as intended by military architects of the day.
Time permitting there will be a panoramic drive along Qala Heights - imposing cliffs with grand views of the Mediterranean on the way back to the ferry.
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| The Three Cities - Senglea, Cospicua and Vittoriosa |
3.5 - 4 hours |
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Drive to the Grand Harbor Area where your first stop will be at the Gardjola Gardens. At Senglea you can enjoy the panoramic view that includes, from right to left, the docks, Marsa, Valletta, the entrance to the Grand Harbor and Fort St. Angelo.
The sentry box placed on the tip of the bastion, il-gardjola, epitomizes the role of the fortifications around the harbor. On the sentry box there are sculptured in high relief various symbols of watchfulness, namely the eye, the ear, and the crane bird. The inscription in Latin assures the inhabitants of the Harbor area, to rest at ease, as the tower stands guard against any hostile force that may attempt to approach Maltese shores.
Next, drive through Cospicua to the historical city of Vittoriosa where you will stop for a guided visit of the Parish church of St Lawrence, which is one of the earliest medieval parishes, and St Joseph's Chapel which served as a graveyard during the Greta Siege of 1565.
The tour will then move on in to the heart of Vittoriosa, known as Il-Collachio. This was the area of the city reserved specifically for members of the Order of St John. Within the Collachio still stand the various early Auberges, set up by the Knights on their arrival in Malta following their expulsion from Rhodes.
Your last stop will be a guided tour of the Maritime Museum with artifacts and history dating back from the Phoenician and Roman period.
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