Landscape / Hardscape - Rancho La Puerta

Sunlight through stained glass ... interior wall, Las Piedras Environmental Center

The prevalence of natural rock formations influenced the design of...

Las Piedras Environmental Education Center at Parque del Professor 

Tecate, Mexico .. a project of Fundación La Puerta

Landscape architect Ron Lovinger designed the parkland (we'll be returning here soon!),

while more recently, landscape architect Enrique Ceballos of Rancho La Puerta

contributed to the design of the education building that school children adore.

Sunset ...  foothills of Mount Kuchumaa.

 Walking the grounds of Rancho La Puerta with landscape architect Enrique Ceballos,

we came upon a casita with not one, 

but two of these beautifully constructed benches adorning the patio.

Imagine resting on such a bench, 

watching the advance of rose-flushed clouds as the skies darken.

One picture... worth a thousand words: Typical of the Rancho's fine stonework. 

Tecomaria capensis .. a habitat plant that qualifies as a hummingbird magnet!

Our group delighted in the Rancho's friendly felines.

Gaillardia .. a brilliant bloomer native to Mexico.

Stay tuned... much more to follow!

Link to Part I:  A Passion for Life .. Deborah Szekely

Radiant Respite .. Rancho La Puerta

Improbable but true to its 70-year history, the destination spa/retreat,

Rancho La Puerta evolved from an unembellished adobe hut.

One day I plan to visit!

To chill.. to tune out.. to leave my computer in quiet mode - a well-deserved  respite for me & my machine.

Rancho La Puerta engaged in organic gardening methods before the practice was popular. 

The nearby 6-acre organic farm, Rancho Tres Estrellas provides the fresh produce served to guests,

in beautifully presented repasts to entice all the senses.

Sustainability and conservation are high on the list of the Rancho's guiding principles, 

as they were in the beginning: In the 1940s, 

when founders Edmond and Deborah Szekely brought their vision for a 'health camp' to Baja California.

La Cocina - Photos courtesy, Rancho La Puerta

For now, I'm dreaming. 

Imagining the clear, brisk air surrounding Mount Kuchumaa, the peak spanning the Tecate border,

connecting the U.S. to Mexico while overlooking the 3,000-acre valley setting of Rancho La Puerta.

The Rancho - basking in the mountain's splendor.

A recent video narrated by Deborah Szekely chronicles Rancho La Puerta's development over 7 decades. 

A place where Aldous Huxley and like-minded notables were drawn to the writings and philosophy 

of the late Edmond Szekely. 

Look for the Video icon when clicking on the link below, to hear Deborah reveal the remarkable history of:

Rancho La Puerta