High Mesa Escape, 3 Bedrooms, Fireplace, Sleeps 8

Nature’s splendor is just outside your doorstep at this three-bedroom home. High Mesa Escape rests on a large property, lush with trees. As you greet the day from the balcony or dine alfresco in the backyard during the warm-weather months, the chirping of hummingbirds and the mountain breeze rustling through the leaves make for an unforgettable soundtrack.

In winter the snow that blankets the spacious lawn will sparkle in the sunshine and the moonlight alike. What’s more, the home is only five minutes from the fishing, hiking, and biking of Alto Lake and Recreation Area and 35 minutes from Ski Apache. Yet it is also close to the galleries, shops, casinos, and other more-urbane attractions of Ruidoso.

High Mesa Escape sleeps eight people, but you can easily entertain twice as many in its great room. The sitting area has plenty of well-cushioned seating so that everyone can kick back to watch a movie on the flat-screen TV. The stone-surround fireplace makes this space especially inviting after a day of snow tubing at nearby Ruidoso Winter Park. The great room also features one of the two indoor dining areas; its table is ideal for poker night or a Monopoly marathon. If a round of pool is more your game, head to the full-size billiard table near the rear of the great room.

Just beyond the great room are the kitchen and the second dining area. Though High Mesa Escape is close to numerous restaurants, once you see the spacious, fabulously equipped kitchen you might want to cook at least a few meals yourself. Along with appliances, cookware, tableware, and plenty of counter space and elbow room, the kitchen boasts generous storage. You’ll be able to stock up on a week’s worth of groceries at the beginning of your stay, rather than have to waste precious vacation time making daily stops at the supermarket. You can cook outdoors as well, on the patio’s gas grill.

The master suite of High Mesa Escape is a retreat in and of itself. The four-poster king-si