Life, food, events, and community in Albuquerque, NM

Paseo del Bosque Trail - one of the many things I love about my neighborhood and city

I moved to NM in 1992 and spent 8 pretty good years in Santa Fe. If I'm totally honest I was a Santa Fe snob (in my ignorance.) Then in 2000 I escaped Santa Fe and moved to Abiquiu where I spent 2 really glorious years living on the Rio Chama. After that, continuing the northward movement, I dug my feet in north of Taos, and spent two years living out on the Hondo mesa in a converted quonset hut. I guess there was no where further North to go so I headed out west to Washington state where I spent 4 sad and unhappy years. This last Spring my partner said "let's head back to NM" and I was so relieved I cried. Within a few weeks we'd packed our bags and were heading for NM. I kissed the ground when I crossed the NM state line and that's no joke! I really did.

Our destination was Albuquerque, which seemed (forgive me) kind of mundane after all my rarefied New Mexico experiences. I have been more then pleasantly surprised though. In fact, this was supposed to be a stopping place before we jumped back to Santa Fe and I don't want to go anymore! There are so many things I really, really love here. One of them is the Paseo del Bosque Trail which is right by my home in North Valley. I see owls, cranes, herons, and hawks on a regular basis on this walk. There's all sorts of friendly happy people walking, biking and running along the trail. It's never crowded and mostly sunny - like the rest of our beautiful city.

More photos of the trail at: travels.all-around-us.com

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Comment by Luann Wolfe on January 17, 2009 at 10:01am: Great photos! It's one of my favorite spots too. I'll look for you next time I'm walking the trail.

Comment by dolores on January 17, 2009 at 12:12pm: Kimm Glad you came to your senses,made the shift and followed your heart instead of going back to SF. I seriously feel SF has some bad energy swirling around it. Some people call it Fantasay, which pretty much says it all. I understand how you feel when you said you kissed the ground. Whenever I am in Colorado and heading back home, the minute I get to the Raton Pass and see NM spread out before me as far as the eye can see, I let out an audible sigh. "Thank god, there it is.....It wasnt just a dream" Its as if I have been holding my breath the whole time I was out of the state.
Your photos are quite lovely and what the heck is that turtle doing?

Comment by Kimm on January 17, 2009 at 12:30pm: Hi Dolores,
Yes you expressed so finely just the thing! It wasn't just a dream! & Thank God! I feel this almost every day and I've been back since July.
One of the reasons I left SF for Abiquiu was the crazy way all my friends had gotten tied up in knots trying to make $. SF started to lose it's small town, laid-back charm for me. Luckily I could move my little business further North to Abiquiu where the land of manana still ruled. We still have a lot of friends in SF and I am deeply in love with the Santa Fe forest but with the friends I notice they all seem to live with the same hectic, stressful energy which I left to avoid back in 2000.
The turtle, I think, is expressing her turtlish version of Albuquerque, New Mexico happiness!

Comment by ziaMatt on January 17, 2009 at 12:37pm: Filming the flying sequence of "Super Turtle, Bosque Hero" in front of a blue screen.

Comment by dolores on January 17, 2009 at 1:10pm: He does look like he is trying to learn how to fly. Sweet thing, I completely identify with him...........some days my chances seem about on a par with him also..........one can dream

Comment by Chroma Studios on January 17, 2009 at 3:43pm: That poor turtle looks stuck there! I wonder if his buddy behind him had to give him a push off that rock! :)

Comment by JMG on January 18, 2009 at 9:25am: From Santa Fe to Abiqui on the Rio Chama to the Hondo mesa by Taos, to Washington state to the North Valley "right by the bosque trail"..... what do you do for a living and where do I apply?