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Publication: The Monitor, |
Section: Valley & State, |
Page:21, |
Date: |
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Little
Hideaway
B&B offers nature-lovers a place for a little R&R
By DULCINEA CUELLAR
Monitor Staff Writer dcuellar@themonitor.com
The home has a peaceful, organic feel to it, and it is
easy to see why so many people view El Rocio Retreat Center in
This three bedroom home/retreat center/bed and
breakfast is an artist’s paradise, a place where people go to relax and enjoy
the scenery.
The home itself — a round structure that mesquite trees
grow in and out of — is filled with original artwork and hand-painted mosaic
tiles.
Designed in the early 1980s by
The main home, a sprawling and open structure, is
nestled in 18 acres of natural surroundings. On any given morning, it isn’t
unusual to spot raccoons, hawks or beavers scurrying about.
A 75-year-old mesquite tree serves as the main support
inside the home. The tree, which Nelson has dubbed "The Tree of
Life," is a constant reminder of how much people should appreciate nature.
"There is no place in the Valley like it,"
Nelson said. "It really is a special place."
In one area of the home is Nelson’s favorite spot: the
bathroom.
The tub is three feet deep, decorated with hand-painted
mosaic tiles of greens, blues and corals. The adjoining shower is colored with
specks of red, yellow and bright pink.
A few feet east of the home is a meditation room — a
single-room structure much like a Hobbit burrow from Tolkien’s The Lord of the
Rings.
The meditation room is a place where a weary visitor
can get away from the house and just relax and meditate. The only outlet in the
room is for the air conditioning.
"People just like to be in this room," Nelson
said of the standalone structure. "It brings them peace."
On the other side of the meditation room is a 20-foot
tall brick stucco structure that resembles a clothespin.
However, when the sun sets and the light falls just
right, ground shadows form what appears to be two lovers with a heart between
them.
"I’ve only seen it once," Nelson said.
"But, can you imagine the time it took to think of that and to put it
together. It really is amazing."
Nelson and her husband, Dr. Michael Gamel, purchased
the home form Morton in 1995 to use as a getaway from their busy
"We heard about the place and on a lark we went to
go look at it," Nelson said.
"My husband took one look at the house and then at
me and asked me, ‘Do you want it?’"
The couple purchased the home for $800,000 and used it
mostly for parties and get-togethers, Nelson said.
"You know, when the Cowboys had their winning
seasons, we were over here a lot," she said.
Then Gamel died.
Widowed, Nelson wasn’t sure what to use the property
for.
One day, she had an idea. She could use the center to
host her corporate workshops and open the home as a bed and breakfast.
"I think people really like it that way," she
said. "When you have such a beautiful place, you just want to share it
with others."
Today, visitors trek in and out of the home. Some stay
for hours to stare at the architecture, while others stay for the night and
wake up to chickens’ squawking.
"This is really a center where people can just
come and decompress," Nelson said.
"After all, if we don’t take care of ourselves first, no one will."
——— Dulcinea
Cuellar covers entertainment and features for The Monitor. You can reach her at
(956) 683-4427.
Photos by Larry W. Clubb/The Monitor The main house at El Rocio Retreat in
Left, visitors to the retreat walk through a gateway before arriving at the
main house. Below, the main house is built in a circular pattern and is the
center of the multi-use facility. Owner Marsha Nelson uses the retreat to host
corporate workshops as well as for a bed and breakfast.
