Albuquerque amazed and delighted us. What a great city! ABQ, as it is known in the southwest, has something for everybody. It is a small, livable city. Albuquerque is backed up on the east by the Sandia Mountains. Distinct from the Rocky Mountains, the Sandia Mountains were formed by the uplifting of the Rio Grande Rift.
The B and B’s in Albuquerque are just as amazing. At the Chocolate Turtle B & B, on the north end of Albuquerque, Keith and Denise have created an idyllic country setting. It features space to roam and a pergola framing the Sandia Mountains. The pergola was designed for weddings and the mountains create a spectacular backdrop for the ceremony. There cannot be many wedding venues to match it!
The Bella Roma Inn caters to guests in many innovative ways, including breakfast “your way”. In other words, guests may opt for breakfast in the dining room or in their room at whatever time is convenient for them. Interestingly enough, most people want breakfast between 8 and 10 am and then go on their way. Laura Ferrary and Richard Chapman own the Bella Roma Inn. They also own and manage a water conservation consulting company, with projects ranging from water audits of Naval bases to helping local residents and businesses save water. Conservation minded, as you would guess, they have made the Bella Roma as water and energy efficient as they can make a 130 year-old house.
At the W. E. Mauger Estate B & B, Tammy Walden gave us a tour of her inn. This magnificent brick house is a classic example of Queen Anne style architecture. It has been beautifully restored with careful attention to detail, preserving many of the original features including etched glass and finely refinished woodwork. A sunny breakfast room is in what was once the home’s sleeping porch. We think the outside fire escape would be of particular interest to many B&B owners. Quite unobtrusive, as you can see from the picture, it operates via a lever on the third floor landing. The lever opens the ladder rungs for descent.
That white rail becomes a ladder for a fire escape at the Mauger B&B.
For anyone who might be interested, the W. E. Mauger Estate B & B is for sale.