el cosmico just may be our new favorite place. okay, maybe not mr. a-go-go's but i don't know. he is currently swaying in the breeze, napping away on an orange stripey hammock footsteps away from our tent. i think it's safe to say he likes it.
we arrived at el cosmico around 2pm after driving way way way past its road and having to backtrack about nine miles or so. it's in the middle of the desert and so the temps are warm, if not hot, dry and windy. if you're wondering what in the world i'm writing about, el cosmico is a tiny speck in a tiny town for you to rest yer weary head. from tent sites to yurts to vintage trailers there is a lot to choose from at all price ranges. for twenty smackeroos a night, mr. a-go-go and i have a tent in the shade (if yer the only tent camper you get shade, otherwise you are left out in the open, like a first come, first served dealio), access to a clean outdoor bathroom with showers and tub even, views of trees, teepees, yurts and trailers, use of an outdoor kitchen, free wifi and the company of the el cosmico cat. take that super 8 and yer stinky, mildewy air conditioned, forty-five dollar rooms!
once we pitched our tent, mr. a-go-go and i headed out to the outdoor kitchen to add some eats to the fridge and scarf down a peanut butter and (pilfered) jelly sandwich before it dried to cracker consistency. i have decided that i want an outdoor kitchen complete with old metal drum tables, oilcloth decor, wasps nests and wooden stools. the view was nice as the cool breeze tickled the hair on our necks. swifts flew by and hovered like helicopters into the weedy green leaves of the wildflowers that were planted about. off in the distance you can see the white fabric of the yurts billowing in the wind and the tiny specks of new arrivals as they wheel their camp goods to their accommodations in heavy yellow meshed wagons.
it's a pretty large chunk of property, kinda like a fairground but not THAT large. no cars are allowed on the grounds so you haul in your goods by way of bright yellow wagons.
the yurts are the first accommodations you see (in house-wise), sprouting up all weed-like in a cluster just past the funky open air bathroom. they are of a pretty good size and i hear they have nicely made up beds and bits of pretty inside, i can't say it for sure as i never got to peek inside one as a good number of our fellow el cos-amigos were camping out in them.
if there are campers, like we a-go-gos, you would actually arrive at our crayon colored tents before the yurts and trailers as the campsites spring up first along the windy dirt path that weaves around the property. el cosmico only just opened in november 2009 and so i won't judge them too harshly for their lack of trees at the designated campsites of which there appeared to be five or so. seriously, no shade. we popped our tent up off the beaten path under a sparse apple green tree and right next to a happy hammock. sarah, our guide gave us permission so we followed suit after the other lone tent that we saw snuggled up to a hammock across the path from us.
up the path from camp and to the right were the trailers. if this were a trailer contest, el cosmico would come in a fair second to
the shady dell. though, i have to admit, the extra outdoor showers that were porched in front of a select few trailers may tip it into a tie. very convenient. just past the trailers and a little further left at the end of the path that becomes all pretty paired up with flowering plant after flowering native plant you arrive at the outdoor kitchen that contains an oilcloth covered table. a series of stools to perch upon, fridge, sink and hot plate. there is also an old school bar-b-que out back that some of our el cos-amigos were putting to use when we arrived to cook up a curry dinner.
el cosmico is pretty nifty though we a-go-gos don't think we'd want to be there on the weekend. not a bad thing, we're just not the beer guzzling type and like to noodle about camp with our ukes and books and hammock napping. we're early risers and our fellow amigos seemed to be late-to-bedders so if yer looking for some midnight bonding with assorted hipsters, the weekend may be a good bet. the place also offers free wifi in its considerably cooler-than-outside (as in temperature) lounge. the lounge closes at 7pm (and has a resident cat) but if you've a good battery on yer laptop you can park it at the outdoor tables under the happy strings of red, red lights.
the bathroom at el cosmico is pretty cool too but not for everyone. there is an illusion of privacy that is pretty good as i think since yer all in the same boat everyone attempts to honor it but if yer not comfortable squatting next to a stranger with a series of wooden boards between ya, this may not be the place for you. but it is much more modern than the average questionable pit toilets you encounter at most other campsites. the toilets at el cosmico are clean and flushable. and there is something about taking a shower out in the breeze (don't worry, you're not OUT out there) that makes ya feel free.
after two days, we were settling in for a longer stay but the weekend was upon us and we had to get our tails to austin to visit with some awesome flickr friends and you know, hunker down for the
Lost series finale. if you plan a visit to el cosmico, make sure to wander the tiny artsy town of
marfa, they have some good eats at
the pizza foundation, lots of public art and things to photograph and if you get too hot, there's a
DQ to hit and sugar up at.
after our stay we woke up with the birdies and drove eight straight hours through
tiny towns and pretty scenery to
austin, texas where we got our
flickr on!
i suppose most people tend to think oklahoma doesn’t have much going for it more than twisters, sonic & red dirt. i used to think so too (except for that whole i-have-family-there part), until my pal jennifer and my sis guided us around town. we saw painted buffalo all over the place, murals and a banjo museum. the houses, big and small are made of brick and there is even an asian district where mr. a-go-go and i hunted out some banh mi and thai tea.
there are more estate sales than you can shake a vintage salt shaker at and tiny farmers’ markets where sellers sell handmade baskets and felt.
on saturday, after an awesome time at ingrid’s kitchen, we searched for a little adventure and thought we found it at the chuckwagon festival. sadly, we weren’t thrilled at the $18 entry fee so we wandered “home” for a nap and a dvd until it was time to meet up with friends at the paseo arts festival.
at the festival there were tents and tents full of art that i was not allowed to photograph. seriously! i asked if i could take a picture of a doll and was told only if i shot the whole booth from far away. another vendor flat out told me no while yet another said she didn’t want her ideas stolen. instead, i took photos of the colorful buildings and the happy hillbilly band that busked itself silly. gotta remember to look them up on facebook, they were pretty nifty.
i also happily snapped away at the fried food stands and my family because i never know when i will see them next.
