Now's the time to find this little urban oasis because -- you hear that? Yep, the sandhill cranes are back.
There's a healthy parking lot here, if you enter headed east on Montano, but be warned that during this unique era of pandemic weekends, the lot fills up quickly and you will be ticketed if you park on the street. The open space is bike friendly, but make sure you have thick tires and sealant, #thegoatheadsabide. Spend a few minutes appreciating the chainsaw artwork forged by a firefighter who helped quelch a massive fire early in the century, and then take off headed south.
You can follow the drainage trail which is wide and partially shaded, but here's our go-to: take the foot trail just east, by Bosque School. If you keep heading south you'll come to an area we affectionately call New Zealand. Why? Well, the wife, she's a true New Mexican and the first time she entered this comparatively lush, wild cottonwood grove she was like, "Oh wow, this looks like Lord of the Rings!" which, of course, it doesn't come close to resembling but, you know, for a local, getting lost in a swath of green is damn near impossible around here. So New Zealand it is. Go get you some trees. read more