Christmas in Marathon

The Gage Hotel
Link here.

The old hotel where we stayed in Marathon.
The hotel was built in 1928.

"Alfred Gage came to Texas from Vermont in 1878, his enthusiasm for Texas fueled by a vast land that offered the opportunity to make his fortune as a rancher, banker and businessman. In 1927, Gage commissioned El Paso architects Trost and Trost to design The Gage as a hotel and ranch headquarters for his 500,000-acre ranch. Sadly, Gage died in 1928, only one year after construction was completed."

Lobby

The rooms are very quaint and well appointed, but small.
Some have attached bathrooms, but for those
that don't there is a central bathroom on each floor.
Kind of fun if you are game for it.
Fifteen years ago I stayed in a room & used the central bath.

One of the great fireplaces in and around the Gage.
Great for sitting & sipping a little vino on a chilly evening.

Great use of the dead ocotillo plant.
It is used to as a visual break
between the patio & the air conditioning unit.

Los Portales

This time, the first night we stayed in the historic hotel with a private bath.
The second and third nights were spent in Los Portales
where everything is must more contemporary & convenient.

This new area has larger rooms that are much
more modern and convenient.

Beautiful pool.

Marathon Coffee

We love to go next door to the coffee shop in the mornings for breakfast.
An older woman who is a native of Marathon owns the establishment.
The hotel offers breakfast but we ate here except on Christmas morning.

The G-man took this sweet photo of Gertie & me on Christmas Eve
at the Marathon Coffee Shop.


Early Morning Walk Around Town

Eve's Garden

A little outdoor peek at a bed and breakfast called Eve's Garden.
It is an unusual place, very colorful.
It is an organic bed & breakfast and ecology resource center.
The architecture is green.
Check out the link here.

Sweet cat at Eve's Garden in early morning light.

Captain Shepard's Inn B & B
Link here

Street scenes.

Wooden walkway into town.
Very quaint.

Mountains in the distance.

Famous Burro

A fun place to have dinner is the Famous Burro.
They also have a nice bar.

Interesting decor in the Famous Burro.
Remains of a century plant wrapped with Christmas lights.

Five miles out of town is the County Park.
Usually it's a nice place to look at birds.
We saw about 20 wild turkeys and
a beautiful doe and buck with lots of antlers.

Reflections

This is a spring fed swimming and fishing area.
Pretty, clear water and resident ducks.

Blue Monday

Bluest sky with painted branches in Marathon, TX

Marathon, Texas - My Favorite Little Texas Town

My absolute favorite little Texas town is Marathon, so on our last trip to west Texas we stopped for a little visit on the way home. Just forty miles south of Marathon is the Big Bend National Park.

There is camping available in the park and when I was younger I loved to tent camp, wake up to the sunrise, build a fire & make cowboy coffee. Lodging is also available at the Chisos Mountains Lodge, but now my favorite is to stay at the historic Gage Hotel in Marathon.
.

Double-click on the photos to see a larger image.

We stopped for coffee at a little internet cafe and I took some photos of the hotel's historic area & the newer section with a great pool & cabana. There are also photos of the town, the Gage Gardens, a county park and a few of the unusual abodes built overlooking the plain. I hope you enjoy this little journey with me.

Toy zebra looking into the pottery.

Side entrance to the newer area of the Gage Hotel.

Courtyard for a quiet evening.

Beautiful swimming pool and even though this in in the desert the temperatures are quite pleasant with the dry air.

Another courtyard for sitting and visiting.

Below is the entrance to the original and historic Gage Hotel.

When I was 50 years old I had a great celebration at the Gage. Friends & family met there over Thanksgiving weekend and had a blast!!! I had to make reservation one year in advance because the Gage is so well known and is always full during holidays.

Above is the lobby of the Gage. It is appointed with rustic furniture such as one would find in Santa Fe or Taos.

The Gage dog.

Stores and cafes are on the main street.

Above & below are seating areas at the Gage's restaurant.

A couple of little shops on the main street.

Windmill where cattle are roaming. Out here it takes lots of acreage for cattle to graze since there is so little grass. Love the old windmills used to pump water into a stock tank for the cattle.

This is a county park about 5 miles out of Marathon. It is a beautiful area with lots of pecan trees for shade and a beautiful fishing & swimming area of cool, clear water. I could have stayed here all afternoon watching children play and birds fly. A little dip in the spring would have been nice.

Above is a blue grossbeak. It is so colorful. I wanted him to get in the sun so that I could get the more brilliant colors, but he preferred the shade.

G-man & Gertie... watching birds & snooping around!

Leaving the park we saw a pretty little white faced calf on the same ranch were I photographed the windmill.

Now we are back in Marathon, TX. I wanted to show you some of the funky little houses that artists have built. These are indeed a work of art. I love stuff like this!

This tree has painted tops. I thought it quite unique and a piece of art in itself.

A few more interesting houses. Imaginative.

Our last stop on this whirlwind tour (and I'm sure you are needing a nice cool drink about now) are the Gage Gardens. These are across the railroad tracks from the Gage Hotel, but I think must be used for parties and perhaps weddings. These gardens are quite lovely and were totally unexpected. As long as I have been coming to this part of Texas I never knew these gardens were here. Enjoy your walk.

Thanks for coming on this little adventure with me to my favorite little Texas town. Just entering this post & looking at these photos make me want to pack up & head for a few days at the Gage!