ARTIST OR WRITER RETREAT - SANTA FE

Stayed one week here, relaxing & exploring/birding the area. The guest house is spotless, fully equipped and very comfy. Nice bathroom, great shower, good fireplace with plenty of firewood on the porch, comfy sofa, plenty of books and magazines. Wonderful front porch. Lamy is remote, yet not remote. You have to be going there to go there. Friendly female German Shepherd roams the entire property of two houses plus this rental guest house. Very safe, secure compound. Nice restaurant and saloon across the street, which appears to be the only retail establishment in Lamy. Fun watching Amtrak stopping every noon at the small Lamy Depot. Only downside (for unsteady people) are the rather steep brick steps from parking up to the front porch, with no handrail to hold on to. Highly recommended if you fancy this type of getaway.

After driving across the country from New York, I was so pleased to arrive at Nxai's Place. The door was unlocked and I was able to bring my luggage up immediately and settle right in. The house was clean and airy, and the property was beautiful. The photos on the listing did not do it justice. Even though there are two other houses in the compound, there are enough trees and vegetation so it feels very private. I spent the first week at the house myself; the owner's friendly German Shepherd, Bella, came by every morning for a belly-rub. Although I did get out to hike, this house invites laziness. The lanai is comfortable, and I spent many hours out there reading, writing postcards, watching the hummingbirds at the feeder, and just appreciating the quiet of the place. There is an entire wall of interesting books by the fireplace, which occupied my evenings. When my husband arrived, he was as pleased as I with the house. We ate breakfast every morning at the table by the big bay window overlooking the flowers in the garden. There is excellent hiking, affording wonderful views, just across rt. 285 in the Galisteo Basin Preserve, and Santa Fe is just twenty minutes away. A gas station/mini-mart is only about ten minutes north. For those of you with children, I noticed a fun selection of toys and games tucked away in a basket in the corner. My husband enjoyed listening to the CD's in the house, and there's a nice selection of DVD's, as well. We experienced no problems. We were very happy during our two weeks here, and would definitely stay here again.

My wife and I were delighted from moment we arrived at this guesthouse called Nxai's Place in Lamy, NM. We were greeted by Bella the friendly dog who to our amusement and pleasure came by on other days to visit when we were enjoying the lovely patio and beautiful landscaping. When we stepped into the guesthouse we were amazed at how charming it was. The high ceilings with open beams and the large living area give such a feeling of spaciousness while the kitchen had everything we needed. On that first night, we were lucky to have a wonderful thunder/ lightning shower which only added to the romantic atmosphere. There is plenty of privacy and space around the guesthouse and it was easy to be ourselves.

During our stay we made several trips into nearby Santa Fe and found Lamy to be conveniently located to many other areas of interest as well. Lamy itself is a picturesque village near the train station and in the nearby El Dorado area we found a large grocery store and enjoyed driving around to look at all the lovely homes.

During our stay the landlady was away while traveling but she made sure everything was in order for us including a list of phone numbers should we have needed any help. During our visit, we had the great pleasure to meet and visit with her friends who were staying in the main house. These are all really good people with great attitudes.

We sure hope to return to this place. It has great character and is far more enchanting than any 5 start hotel! It was a main highlight of our trip.