Casa Bosque Near the Nature Center

High vaulted ceilings of tongue and groove pine and rough cut beams make up clerestories and lofts in nearly every room in the house. The open floor plan of the living room, dining room and kitchen make entertaining ideal. Private patios and sundeck offer additional 'rooms' to meet and relax with friends to enjoy geese, ducks, heron and crane as they travel the Central Flyway directly overhead. The spacious master bedroom provides two additional sitting areas to read and relax well isolated from the front of the house. Similarly, the front guest bedroom also provides a sitting area in the loft with views of the Bosque neighborhood. Wonder out the front door and down to the Rio Grande Nature Center and Rio Grande River using the arroyos that crisscross the Valley connecting to the 4300 Rio Grande State Park (search: emnrd.state.nm.us/prd/rgnc). Use this same network of dirt trails to run, hike and bike for miles and to lead to the paved trail that runs from Corrales to South Albuquerque past the Zoo and and BioPark (search: bioparksociety). Watch for balloons overhead and at the river doing Slash and Dashes (search: albuquerque splash and dash) or catch a ride from the many professional outfits available in the area. Slip down to Old Town to buy jewelry or just sip a margharita with a big plate of enchiladas. Red is slow to fire with a sustained glow. Green flashes with the first bite. Which is hotter? Just depends on the batch. Try them both. Have them on the side. Or go 'Christmas'. Like to drive? Yards, not miles...though it may seem like miles when you tee up at 5000' and watch your ball roll forever down the fairway. Try the 17th championship tee at Paako: Par 4, 419 yards. You are even with the top of a ponderosa pine. If you are a long ball hitter, you may well drive this green. Go ahead; try it. And if you are trying to knock off the top 100 courses of the US, you will make progress in a few days right here in Albuquerque. Or, if you just want to play a few rounds of golf without breaking the bank, then there are plenty of municipal and other public courses that offer the same spectacular scenery found elsewhere with plenty of challenge on well-kept fairways and greens. (search: golfnewmexico and golf-link albuquerque) Want to try your luck off the course? Most of the top courses are at casino resorts that offer top gambling venues with games and prizes that include cars and piles of cash. Speaking of resorts, the Hard Rock is only minutes away by car. And all of the casinos feature national acts throughout the year (seach: itsatrip). Local venues provide nightly choices of rock, jazz, piano, theater and more. Let us know your interest and we will play concierge. Are you a foodie? We have been accused and want to help you find special places to dine as well as provide you the opportunity to create your own meals from our unique ingredients that are nearly impossible to find elsewhere in the country. And if you like beer or wine with your meal, then we have the tips for the outstanding microbreweries and wineries located minutes from your door. Ready to daytrip. Drive the Jemez Mountains, lunch or dine in Santa Fe, cruz the Turquoise trial to the Mine Shaft Tavern, tour the oldest pueblo in the US - Acoma (Sky City) - and hear stories of the conquistadors. Continue onto the Ice Caves in the Land of Fire and Ice. Walk the ancient ruins of the Anasazi. All the while you are getting these kicks you will be cruising various stretches of RT 66. Stretch your legs on the hundreds of miles of trails in the Sandia and Manzano Mountains that border Albuquerque or through the forests of Santa Fe. Seattle back into your comfortable abode and open the window wide in the summer to let the cool, desert night air lull you into a deep, enchanted sleep in summer. Remember to layer up your clothing year round as the average temperature range varies 35F or more from night to mid-day. Summer highs of 95F with evenings in the 60Fs and winter night lows of 13F are followed by days of 50F. A vacation ot the Land of Enchantment is like no other. The scenery, scents and succulent cuisine will linger long after your return home and draw you back again. Keywords: Lofted, adobe casa with hard wood, brick and carpeted floors. You will feel the charm with your first steps into the home. Clerestory lofts throughout, open floor kitching/dining/living room floor plan with sunken kiva fire pit. Outdoor rooms of patios and sundeck to enjoy geese/heron flyover pathway - sometimes just 20 feet above you. Roadrunners scoot around the neighborhood. And the kid's can have a hideout in the master loft.