Adobe casita on 13 acres of high desert

Our vacation property is a wonderful adobe-style home on 12 private acres just south of Santa Fe. For those who want to enjoy both "the city different" and the wonderful high desert country, this home is ideal. Just off of the Turquoise Trail, a Scenic Byway, the property is close to Galisteo, Cerrillos and the old mining town of Madrid. Just 4 miles away, on the road to town, one can enjoy the best New Mexican breakfasts and lunches at the San Marcos Cafe while watching hens, turkeys and peacocks roam the property. Our casita is cozy and carefully designed in the traditional local adobe style with hand-plastered interior walls, beautiful viga ceilings, and a wonderful kiva fireplace. The interior photos of the casita were taken by a professional photographer, so they are terrific, but we'd like to emphasize our casita is a cozy 700 square feet total. With amazing sunset views of the surrounding Cerrillos Hills, the casita is nestled into the landscape with 360 degrees of complete privacy. The landscape is completely natural, with two large sand-lined arroyos (dry creek beds) on two of our property borders. Tranquility, fresh air, unforgettable sunsets and clear starry nights are everyday treats, and the sound of coyotes howling in the distance make this a very special and unique place. The casita sleeps two in the queen bedroom, one in the single bedroom, and two on the double futon in the living room. A picnic table, hammock and lounge chair are outside on the slate patio. A stone fireplace is available for outdoor barbeques, and a pile of firewood can be used outdoors or indoors in the traditional fireplace. A large bathroom has a shower, and a washer/dryer. The kitchen has all appliances. Linens, towels, extra blankets, etc. are available. CD player/radio with CDs, a telephone (but no Internet) and only a few TV channels on a small TV. Games, puzzles, books and kids' toys are in the small bedroom. Portable air conditioner and area fans available. Internet access in town. In 25 minutes you can be in downtown Santa Fe. Bandolier and Petroglyph National Monuments, the Santa Fe Opera, and the Pecos, Sangre de Christo, Sandia and Jemez mountains are all nearby. The mountains offer hiking and fishing in summer, and skiing in winter (Ski Santa Fe in the Sangre de Christos; and ski the Sandia Mountains in Albuquerque). Art fairs and the famous Zozobra Festival take place all summer in town. Albuquerque is an hour to the southwest. The longest tram in the world climbs up the Sandia Mountains, which lie east of Albuquerque. Christmas is very nice, the town is decorated with lots of candelarias. A special thing to do all year long is to visit a nearby pueblo when they are having a feast or celebration day. There will be dancing, arts, food and other traditional Native American culture to be enjoyed. The neighborhood around the casita features beautiful New Mexico high desert scenery, with amazing sunsets and views of surrounding mountain ranges. Built low in the landscape, it feels like no one else is around. All adjacent properties are at least 12 acres so there are neighbors, but lots of space in between. Explore our own 12 acres as well as walk in the neighborhood and adjacent properties. Our land encompasses two arroyos which are great for a walk. The Lone Butte grocery store and gas station is a few miles away on Hwy 14, as is the San Marcos Cafe for all of your breakfast, lunch, hardware and feed store needs! Climate: cold (20°-40°F) in winter, and as warm as 80°-100°F in summer, but it cools down at night and often there are short thunderstorms in the late afternoon in July and August. The air is very dry and the altitude is approximately 7,000 ft. Spring and fall are ideal seasons to visit. Skiing nearby in winter. Access: fly into Albuquerque International Airport and rent a car; drive north on highway 25. Or fly into Santa Fe County Municipal Airport. Amtrak stops in nearby Lamy. Getting around: a car is needed and a navigation device/GPS is helpful. Mapping ahead of time is a good idea as well. All nearby roads are dirt roads in good condition; local weather conditions apply. Communication: cellular phone service can be good or bad depending on your provider, but the house has a landline telephone for local and long-distance calls. No high-speed Internet is available in this area as of yet. We are available for contact via phone, email, texts, before, during and after stay. Please sign our guest book!