プラザの隣に隠された宝石。

I'm the luckiest guy I know. I'm truly thankful to be a part of this beautiful community and also be able to travel often and far. I've been welcomed into people's homes all over the world, and though I've been fairly nomadic most of my life, now for the first time I have my own place, which I have renovated and am offering as a getaway for fellow travelers to enjoy.

I grew up in Snyder, Texas, surrounded by pump jacks and fields of cotton. In the summers when I was a kid, my family would pile into the Good Times van and hit the road for weeks, escaping the 110 degree West Texas heat: Vermont, Florida, Wyoming, northern California, and all in between. When I was fourteen I spent a summer in Germany on an exchange program, and since then I've been hooked on travel. I studied biology writing in college and after graduating worked for the Fish & Wildlife Department in Alaska for a summer. I then worked in Nicaragua as a carpenter for over a year and slowly made my way to Taos, New Mexico, where I've lived for almost thirteen years.

My most recent journey was a 16-month solo motorcycle trip around the world and to the bottom of Africa.

Taos has a lot to offer for a lover of the outdoors like myself. I spend a lot of time in the nearby mountains, skiing, hiking with my dogs, fishing, biking, and motorcycling. I've always enjoyed many sports, and I regularly play soccer, tennis, basketball, and volleyball.

The location of Best Casa is remarkable. It is just far enough from the main roads that you can't tell your in the heart of Taos, but so close to the center that just about everything you need is within walking distance. The apartment itself has an old-world feel, with double adobe walls and classic mid-century windows. I've always thought of the kitchen as the heart of any home, and this kitchen is the focal point of the apartment; designed with simplicity and functionality in mind. Though the apartment still has a historic feel, it also features high-tech comforts that you won't find in most Taos adobes. You can access and control your music wirelessly through the entertainment system or send movies or videos from your portable device to the HDTV. The tile floor of the bathroom is heated (very nice for bare feet in the morning), and there's even a heated mirror that won't fog up after you take a shower.

When I completed the renovation, which took five months, I was very satisfied with the result, but I didn't truly fall in love with the place until I stayed there myself for a week. Best Casa is truly a hidden gem.