Life at the end of the Line

The Painted Pony Resort is at the end of the line, figuratively and in reality.  Located at the very end of Painted Pony Road, the estate sits on over 750 acres of deeded land in the high desert of southwestern New Mexico.  The quiet and solitude is only broken by the occasional bird watcher, delivery vehicles, and of course guests.  The estate is also at the end of the line for DSL internet services which snakes its way in from Highway 80 and electric power which is delivered to the estates' NE corner 1.75 miles away.

The isolation and anonymity provided by the Painted Pony Resort makes it ideal for those who wish to get away from it all and find someplace quiet for a family centered reunion or other event.  The estate has helped celebrate a dozen weddings, from small intimate family weddings to those with over 100 guests, as well as hosting other group events such as astronomy and artist workshops.

As opposed to estate rentals in urban areas with distractions that reduce family time and distract from family oriented activities, the Painted Pony Resort is a place of ideas and concepts where the distractions are few and the landscape itself provides the entertainment.  While the estate has all the onsite amenities associated with urban settings, satellite TV, wireless internet, pool, hot tub, basketball, and with 13 bedrooms in 4 buildings, it is New Mexico's high desert and the surrounding mountain ranges are the real attractions. So if you are looking for a unique location for your next event, come on down for a visit.

Arriving at the Painted Pony Resort

Aerial view of the Painted Pony Resort, looking south.

Aerial view of the Painted Pony Resort, looking east.

Aerial view of the main complex at the Painted Pony Resort, looking east.

Expanding Again

I have been fortunate to oversee the expansions of the Painted Pony Resort from an initial 80 acre complex with 9 bedrooms and and 13 beds to a 756 acre complex with 12 bedrooms and 17 beds.  But a recent decision to create a bunk room in the Bungalow will increase the number of beds available for family reunions to 21.  Family reunions can be stressful when trying to find room for all the children and the estate is responding to the need by dedicating a space for little ones.  Several sets of bunk beds are being placed in a large room in the bungalow.  This space served the original owner a closet but is now re-tasked as an additional bedroom for children.

Our goal is a family friendly environment with privacy for reunions and the 756 acres of deeded land surrounded by federal and state lands provides such an opportunity.  With access to both the Pelocillo and Chiricahua mountains it is a great place to hold reunions.

The Test

The Rustic cabin at the Painted Pony Resort received its' first set of guests and a family reunion held at the estate provided the occasion.  A family of 5 stayed in the cabin for the reunion and tried out everything.  The only glitch found was a breaker on the demand type water heater.  The breaker was starting to fail and tripping after about 5 minutes of usage, making showers short the first night.  A run to the Valley Mercantile Saturday morning for parts and an hour of work had the problem resolved for the guests. The fence walk through installed to ease walking access between the main estate and the cabin was completed before their arrival allowing them the option of walking or driving between the cabin and estate.  It was another happy family centered gathering at the Painted Pony Resort.

Another Kid Friendly Family Reunion

Another family reunion is underway at the Painted Pony Resort and this one is all about the children.  A kiddie carnival was set up in the courtyard and 2 jumpers were rented for the kids to play in during the carnival.  Family centered activities are the core of family reunions and the with 80 acres and 3 buildings people can spread out and have private time or congregate and participate in group activities.  A family Olympics is also planned and the ping pong, pool table, and basket ball court will see lots of activity.

Carnival Preparations

Jumpers for the kids

Nature Deficit Disorder, the Cure is Here.

Coined by Richard Louv in the 2005 book "Last Child in the Woods", nature deficit disorder is a description of a trend occurring in young people as well as adults.  Simply put, as people become more urbanized a disconnect begins to develop between individuals and nature.  Children no longer spend as much time outside exploring nature but rather spend more and more time indoors.  Playing video games, watching TV, or on the computer.  According to Louv, the result of this disconnect is a variety of behavioral problems and a limited respect for their natural surroundings.

Based on these observations the question arises, what can a parent do to counter act this trend?  How can parents expose their children to nature when so many other demands on time exist? 

While cleaning after a recent 4 generation family reunion held at the Painted Pony Resort the item shown below turned up.  It was found in one of the courtyard planters.   A clear plastic box with a removable top and air vents along with a magnifying viewing port.  All hanging from a string just the right length to hang around a little ones neck.  It’s an insect collecting box.  An interesting find and its presence is very telling.  The insect collecting box is not something that would attract the eye of a child under the age of 10 in a store.  It is not particularly flashy, no electronics or flashing lights, just a simple plastic box for collecting and viewing insects.  This suggests that the purchase was not made by a little one but rather a little one’s older relative and this relative wanted to expose a child to nature, specifically entomology.  Clear evidence of a parent's awareness of nature deficit disorder and their attempt to combat it while enjoying the surroundings at the Painted Pony Resort.

A child's insect collection box