Sunday morning Mai and I rejuvenated with a walk at Golden Open Space on the Los Duendes Trail.  Golden was one of the first spaces set aside by Albuquerque in 1964 to preserve nature. Exploring city green space is a way to engage what the Scandanavians call friluftsliv, free air life.

Mai and I were startled at what we found there.  The fresh air and silence covered us like a shawl of comfort.  Though Golden Open Space is only 20 or so miles from the City, the Sandia Mountains run between them.  Golden is triangulated under three large mountain ranges, the Sandia, the Sangre de Cristo, and the Jemez.  The smaller San Pedro’s rippled profile meanders across the eastern horizon.  Between all these mountains is a country full of color New Mexico style.  Arroyos and erosion indicate water’s workings everywhere but the element of water itself is ephemeral and rare.  There are plenty of birds and horse prints.  Hidden beauty unspooling.

I’m a big fan of getting exercise in our city environment.  But we need to rest and de-stress too.  A gentle walk for adventure and discovery at Golden is a great way to combine the two.  Albuquerque is a nature rich city, and we have access across a range of scales, from neighborhood parks, to wide open spaces.  Every citizen receives nature’s benefits for free.

Resources:  Here’s the link to Golden Open Space at the City of Albuquerque website