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Create a backyard retreat with a rustic ramada
 You can create a backyard retreat with a rustic ramada. The most authentic renderings of the ramada are created from natural branches and roofed in brush. While visiting Albuquerqueâs Old Town recently, we came upon a unique and interesting restaurant with a quaint little courtyard in the back. Casa de Ruiz, or the house of Ruiz, is believed to be the oldest residence in Albuquerque. We had some wonderful food there, but the most fascinating part of the entire afternoon was the quaint courtyard in the back. If you ask, you will be ushered between tables, room to room and eventually youâll be shown to a table in the courtyard. This backyard retreat is something all visitors should see. Looking around, while waiting for our server to arrive, I noticed ancient adobe walls surrounding this sequestered sanctuary. In a corner, a waterfall gurgled merrily, splashing playfully into the pool below. Overhead, vines twined over the shelter, a rustic ramada built of branches and lumber. The server explained to us that the grapevines overhead were ancient, estimated to be over a hundred years old. Lanterns hanging beneath the shelter completed the effect, and Iâm sure that at night the atmosphere was entirely romantic. The cool shade and the sound of the waterfall made a most pleasant repast.
 In our limited time at Albuquerqueâs Old Town, this was the most pleasurable and surely the most memorable. I will, without a doubt, create my own backyard retreat when I build my Southwestern Dream Home. Modeled after this fascinating place, I very much hope I can create a place as memorable as this one.
 
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