The Gage

Growing up, our family vacations were mostly road trips — no beach resorts, just miles of Texas highway. Our mom, a Texas history teacher, never met a historical marker she didn't want to stop for, and as kids we thought it was the most annoying thing in the world. Turns out those detours turned Margaret and me into two of the biggest Texas history nerds you'll ever meet.

Some of our favorite trips were the drives from Houston to El Paso to visit dear friends who'd moved out west — a drive that should've taken 10 hours and somehow always took an eternity, because Mom. On one of those epic journeys, we fell head over heels for West Texas, and The Gage Hotel in Marathon was the highlight of the whole trip.

I fell so head over heels that West Texas has been showing up in my life ever since.

The Big Bend camping trip

The Big Bend crew — me, Cynthia, and the boys, back when the Window still had water in it

When I was fifteen, a year after my dad passed away, my mom and her college girlfriends decided to take their kids on a camping trip in Big Bend. One of the friends had twin boys, another had one boy, and I brought my best friend Cynthia. We had such a great time — we hiked the Window back when there was still water in it, and it was lovely.

The overnight camping was its own kind of experience. Cynthia hadn't camped much, if any, growing up, so I brought my boombox and a mixtape and played it all night so she wouldn't be scared hearing things outside the tent — she'd wake me up every so often to flip the tape. Sometime in the middle of the night, we heard rustling and animal noises around our campsite. I tried to play it cool, but I was kind of freaking out inside. Instead of staying put like you're supposed to, we bolted out of our tent straight to the boys' tent, screaming. Turns out it was just

javelinas rooting around — but of course, our first thought was bears. Never a dull moment on that trip, and a core memory for sure.

How the Gage became "our place"

When my husband Will and I first started dating, I found out he was on a hunting lease right outside Marathon, about eight miles from the Gage. Naturally, I invited myself out for mule deer season. He informed me the lease was men-only. That did not sit well with me, to say the least — I grew up hunting, and my dad wouldn't go on any hunting lease unless his girls were invited too, period.

So I finagled a deal with Will: for my birthday weekend, we'd stay at the Gage, and he'd at least take me out to the lease during the day, even if I couldn't spend the night. We went, had a wonderful time, and I've been inching my way onto that lease ever since. I still haven't gotten to go mule deer hunting, but there have been plenty of fun quail hunts out there, always followed by dinner at the Gage and a good bit of time soaked up at the White Buffalo Bar.

Another memorable trip was my first Thanksgiving with Will's family. We watched the UT/A&M game at the Gage, and afterward the womenfolk headed back to Pecos to spend the night with Will's grandparents — Grandy and Mommy Two, the sweetest people you'll ever meet. I'll admit I was a little miffed I didn't get to go to the hunting lease that time, but I fell completely in love with Will's grandparents. While we watched the game, the margaritas were flowing, and next thing I knew I'd bought White Buffalo western shirts in black and white for everybody. Then Grandy bought White Buffalo hats for everybody too — we sure do love a merch moment.

Somewhere in that margarita-fueled chatter, I mentioned to my mother-in-law that the Gage would be a great place for a wedding. I think her wheels started spinning right then and there — I might have freaked her out a little bit, since Will and I had a pretty short courtship at that point. About a year later, we did indeed have a wedding at the Gage.

Our wedding at the Gage

Will and me at the Gage, under the longhorn skulls

It was an absolute blast. My in-laws hosted the rehearsal dinner at the newly built Marathon Community Center, which was basically a concrete building at the time, so they had to bring everything in themselves. They did an amazing job, and everyone had so much fun — maybe I had a little too much. At some point I got up to give a speech and somehow turned it into an Amway pitch. I knew I'd taken it too far when I mentioned there were leadership opportunities and paperwork under everyone's chairs, and watched Mommy Two actually look under hers. That's when I had to shut the prank down.

The next day, the boys and some of the girls headed to the hunting lease for a skeet shoot. Thanks to the fun I'd had at my own rehearsal dinner, I stayed in bed most of the day with all my college girlfriends piled in around me. I rallied, though, and the wedding went off without a hitch. We had a band from Pecos that Will's grandparents found, with one condition: they had to learn Fraulein for our first song. They had so much fun with us that they came back later that night for a little encore at the White Buffalo. Will had several friends who play guitar and sing, and it turned into the sweetest West Texas sing-along.

Still our place

The Gage has stayed a special place for all of us. We try to get out to West Texas at least twice a year, usually for Thanksgiving, and a trip out there is never complete without a stop at the White Buffalo or dinner at the Gage. Another great trip out there was when my son's Boy Scout troop headed to Big Bend for a big campout and hike. I rallied the other Boy Scout moms to make a long weekend of it at the Gage while the boys toughed it out in under-freezing weather. We lived a good life at the Gage — I led our own "troop" on a hike through Big Bend, and we ended it with a lovely charcuterie spread and champagne out of the back of my car. From there, we booked it over to the border and crossed into the charming little town of Boquillas, where we rode donkeys to the local watering hole. Each evening ended with some solid time at the White Buffalo. On our last day there, I went up to the bar and ordered a Lone Star Light, and they told me, "Sarah, we're out of Lone Star Light — you drank them all." The end.

Our own "troop" on the hike through Big Bend

West Texas has had our hearts since we were little girls, and it means the world that The Gage Hotel is now officially a Fraulein wholesale partner. If you find yourself in Marathon, stop by The Gage and find a little piece of Fraulein waiting for you.

The Gage Hotel, Marathon, TX

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