Ponderosa Summit

I can remember as a young girl going to what is now Ponderosa Summit and exploring for hours on end. We lived just across Tomahawk Road and when I was little there were no homes here. It was just a very large piece of land that had great hills, valleys, and trees to explore. Every summer the fields would be covered with gorgeous orange hues from the Indian Paintbrush flowers scattered about. I used to pull out the little inner tubes and suck on the ends which had a sweet nectar inside of them. There was also an abundance of cacti, so you always had to be careful. As I got older I'd often ride my horse here, just strolling along the faint trails at a leisurely pace. I can remember the land coming up for sale and my mom wanting to buy it. My father would ask why she wanted it and they would argue about whether or not it was a good investment. Looking back, now that there are million dollar homes here, it probably would have been a good investment.

Speaking of the pricey homes, there is one in particular that always catches my eye. It's near Inspiration Drive right off Summit Ridge Road to the west. It has rock walls and a turret and reminds me of a small castle. I love looking at this home so much, I stopped one time to ask if they minded if I got the name of their builder. The sweet lady who lived there told me her husband, a lawyer by trade, designed it. She was kind enough to show me around the main floor and it is as spectacular on the inside as it is on the outside. The entrance is grand in an almost commanding way. I can only imagine most of the homes here are just as wonderful. I know of one that has an outdoor pool and is also very nice. Each home here is costly, but unique. They are all on a bit of land which I would guess to be at least five or so acres. There are still trails weaving in and out around the homes and people will often take their dogs for a walk or ride their horses here, just like I used to.

The area is only about five miles from the town of Parker, so shopping and dining are close by. The only drawback to this area lies on the western side of the subdivision. There are those large, really tall electrical towers which some think can cause long term damage to those who live close to them. Outside of that, I think that for the money this is a great place to live. A few of the homes on the western side have great views of the mountains and those that are on the eastern side have some pretty scenic things to look at as well. There are a lot of deer in the area, along with rabbits and the occasional fox. For those with children they go to Douglas County School District which is very good, and the high school is Chaparral. Overall, Ponderosa Summit is beautiful and worth looking into if you can afford it.