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Activity Level: M
Start / Finish: El Paso / El Paso
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Spare a Horse: Ride a Bike
Fiercely untamed after all these years, West Texas is one of the few wild frontiers left in North America. But if you think biking in Texas is all beers, steers and gears, think again. Home to outlaws, ranchers, prospectors, railwaymen and modern artists, this place where the grasslands meet the desert has long been a magnet for outsider types of all stripes. From middle-of-nowhere Marathon, you’ll bike the Davis Mountains, a spa treatment awaiting at loop’s end. Then, it’s off to Marfa, a microcosmic modern-art Mecca, before heading deep into the gulches and ghost towns of cowboy country to meet the Rio Grande face to face for a picnic. And those night skies? The biggest anywhere, we reckon.
Here’s a sample of what you can expect on your custom-designed Bespoke Big Bend adventure. Intrigued? Contact a Bespoke Trip Planner for further details.
Day 1 Explore the burgeoning artist community of Marathon before enjoying a hearty Texas welcome and a cowboy-sized dinner
Day 2 Take in views of stunning mountain vistas as you ride the curving roads of Big Bend National Park
Day 3 In Marfa, visit the Chinati Foundation and the Prada Marfa art installation: the loneliest designer boutique in the world
Day 4 Explore ghost towns and smugglers’ routes along the Mexican border
Day 5 Bike along the Rio Grande past Contrabando Canyon, through legendary outlaw Pancho Villa’s old stomping grounds
Day 6 Breakfast in Presidio and “see y’alls” in El Paso
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Gage Hotel, Marathon
After decades of neglect, J.P. and Mary Jon Bryan of Houston purchased this historic hotel property in 1978 for just $30,000—a drop in the bucket compared to the overall cost of renovation and time they spent nurturing it back to its former grandeur. Mr. Bryan’s true passions are art and architecture, and under his care, the Gage has expanded significantly in recent years, adding the Café Cenizo in 1996 and the Desert Moon Spa in 2003.
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The Hotel Paisano, Marfa
Designed by noted architect Henry Trost in the Spanish Revival style in 1927, the Paisano opened its doors in 1930 and served as the main meeting place for ranchers from all over the region. Rail travellers venturing between San Antonio and California often stopped off here too. Warner Brothers filmed the epic movie Giant here in 1955, and the cast and crew (including Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean) stayed here. After falling on hard times in the 1970s, the Paisano was purchased by the owners of Hotel Limpia in Fort Davis in 2001 and since then have been busily restoring it. Named after the Spanish word for “roadrunner” or “countryman,” it has now been fully restored to its former glory.
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Cibolo Creek Ranch, Presidio
Encompassing more than 30,000 acres, Cibolo Creek Ranch gives guests an authentic taste of 19thC ranch life with all the luxurious comforts of the modern age. The lodgings are in adobe forts built by the first owner, Milton Faver, when Apaches, Comanches and bandits roamed this area. The ranch, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has hosted many a reclusive movie star, and offers horseback riding, swimming, massage, bird-watching at the nearby springs, and hunting for Indian petroglyphs and pictographs among its many recreation options.
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Best Adventure Trips
For those who prefer rolling hills and traffic-free highways, West Texas is road-biking nirvana… The rides, the sights, and the plates of food are nearly as big as the state itself. But unless you hop on board Butterfield & Robinson’s new six-day trip [West Texas Biking], you’ll be in a big tangle of logistics. That’s because B&R is the only outfitter pedalling through this part of the country; after creating bespoke Texas trips for years, guides are offering two scheduled departures for 2008.
by Sara Tuff Dunn. Originally published January 2008 © Concierge.com
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Moderate
This trip is rated Moderate. Daily riding distances range from 19 to 56 km (12 to 35 mi.) with options for shorter and/or longer rides on most days. The terrain is for the most part rolling, with occasional hilly stretches and some flat riding.
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