Last time, I had us finishing off with the Gingerbread House...which then mysteriously vanished. Sigh. And double sigh.
Oh well...anyway, next we all had a (very chilly) walk to a local playground where the kids could run off a little steam. This proved to be a mini-adventure all in itself. In addition to the usual playground toys -- swings, jungle gym, and so on -- the place came equipped with an enormous, wooden half-pipe ramp for the use of skateboarders.(1) And, a youngish woman in her twenties was, indeed, practicing on it with her board.
And Hazel was absolutely fascinated by the woman’s performance. She stood absolutely still (you have no idea how rare that is) and watched while the skater went up and down, back and forth, sometimes doing a stunt with the board.
I didn’t exactly shudder, but, on the other hand, I didn’t exactly do anything else, either. I’m afraid that, in not too many years, there’s going to be a skateboard in her future. I’ll start investing in helmets, kneepads, and bandages now. Sort of get a jump on things.
Seriously, it was interesting watching the difference in the way our g’kids reacted to the woman and her board. Hazel, as I say, was entranced. But that’s sort of her thing. She’s all climbing and gymnastics and ballet. I could easily see her getting into skateboards, or anything else that involved speed and balance.
Miles, by contrast, was interested, but he wasn’t fascinated. And, again, there is a fundamental difference. I think, in the end, he will be as athletic as his sister, but in very different ways. He’s a little block, and rather muscular for someone not quite three. Confronted with an obstacle, say a chair or something, he tends to just sort of pick it up and toss it to one side. This leads to some interesting problems with things like baby gates. Or, rather, the splintered remains of baby gates.
Anyway, after a bit more playing, we headed back to the AirB&B. We had to get ready for the dinner. In fact, we had a reservation. The kids were taking us to Jett’s Grill, which is inside the Hotel Paisano, which you’ll remember from a few entries back. It’s the big fancy hotel in the center of town that dates back to the 1930s.(2) Well, Jett’s Grill is the hotel’s restaurant.(3) It’s supposed to be very gourmet, very classy, and no one who visits Marfa should fail to have a meal there. Or so I’m told. Repeatedly. And with some force.
Anyway, we headed out and soon we were at the Hotel Paisano. And it is gorgeous, by the way. You really have to see it to believe it. The current owners (who, I think, are Joe and Lanna Duncan) have done wonders with the hotel.(4) They managed to modernize it but kept the original feel and, yes, elegance of the place as it was in the 1930s.
About the photos: First, for once I’ve got a photo of Martha that actually goes along with the story. Here she is standing outside the El Paisano Hotel a few days after our ill-fated dinner there. You can see it is quite beautiful. Second, an interior shot of the hotel. This is, obviously, the lobby. And, finally, a public domain picture of the Franciscan Hotel that I found on the web.
The Paisano Hotel was originally designed by the architect Henry Trost (1860-1933), who, along with his twin brother, Gustavus, built spectacular structures all over the Southwest.(5) Unfortunately, the Hotel Paisano had been allowed to sink almost into a ruin after a series of increasingly unsuccessful owners. But, the Duncans and their company purchased the property and rebuilt it top to bottom. Today, it feels like the place that Trost designed, and to which the stars of Giant would retire for a night.
As an aside, the Trost brothers, and particularly Henry, had a personal impact on me. Trost & Trost, their firm, built buildings in Texas, Arizona, Kansas, Colorado, Mexico, and...New Mexico. Some of the more lovely buildings in Old Albuquerque were, in fact, Henry Trost’s. The one that may have impressed me the absolute most, but which was torn down in 1972 (argh!), was the magnificent Franciscan Hotel, which was a fascinating exercise in Pueblo Revival style.(6) I remember going past it several times and thinking what an amazing place it seemed to be.
And they demolished it for pretty much no good reason, as near as I can tell. Some clown thought it was the business-like thing to do. To the best of my knowledge, the building’s never been replaced. Last I checked, it is now the site of a parking lot.
But, getting back to my story, we arrived at the Hotel Paisano, parked, and made our way to the Jett Grill. We presented ourselves at the front desk and explained that we had a reservation.
There was a moment of hesitation. A reservation?, they asked. Under what name? For how many people? You’re sure? You’re sure it wasn’t for some other night? Or at some other restaurant? Maybe in another city?
Yes, we said. No, we added.
Hmmm, they said. They looked in their little book again. And again. And a third time. And then...oh! That must be you. Okay. Come this way.
And shortly after that, we were at a table. Though we had to fight tooth and nail to get a highchair for Miles.
But, still, we were seated. So that was progress.
What we didn’t know was that things were about to get a little weird. I mean, weird even for Marfa. And that’s saying something.
More to come.
Footnotes
1. Yes, the half-pipe has its own Wikipedia page. It’s here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-pipe
2. The hotel’s webpage is here: https://hotelpaisano.com/
3. Jett’s Grill has its own page on the hotel’s site. It is here: https://hotelpaisano.com/dining/
4. I am using as my source on the hotel’s ownership the Hotel’s Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Paisano_Hotel
5. There are a host of sites on the Trosts. Some of the more interesting ones are:
Trost & Trost, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trost_%26_Trost
Henry C.T. Trost Historical Organization, https://www.henrytrost.org/
The Trost Society, https://trostsociety.org/
6. I’ll put a photo of the hotel in this column, but here’s a link to a site that has several more, and some information about the hotel itself: https://www.facebook.com/TrostSociety/posts/one-of-the-greatest-trost-losses-the-franciscan-hotel-albuquerquequoting-henry-c/2497616577023060/
Copyright©2024 Michael Jay Tucker
*
Care to help out?
I provide these blog postings for free. That’s fine and I’m happy to do so. But, long ago and far away, I was told that if you give away your material, that means you don’t really think it has any value.
So, to get beyond that, I’ve decided to make it possible for you to leave me a “tip” for my posts.
If you like what I write or the videos I produce, and feel you could make a small contribution to support my efforts, please go here:
That will take you to a Gumroad page where you’ll have the option of leaving me a few pence by way of encouragement.
Again, I don’t mind if you don’t. I just want to provide you with the option so that I won’t feel quite so much like I’m just tossing my works into the wind.
Either way, thanks hugely for dropping by the blog :-)
~mjt
Comments