"Rancho Sin Vacas" "The Cactus Villa" Catalinas

Enchanting 'Cactus Villa' in exclusive "Rancho Sin Vacas," a prestigious enclave of private homes situated high in the heart of the Catalina Foothills at Tucson's northern edge -- one of the city's best locations, and premier communities.

The upscale gated community has 24/7 security that is manned by a professional and friendly staff that monitors every vehicle entering "Rancho Sin Vacas."

This desirable villa at Rancho Sin Vacas, at a desirable price, is one story -- no stairs to climb with luggage or groceries. Your personal, covered parking spot, steps away from your front door, is in a unique lot reserved for only 4 units and their guests, unlike the shared mass parking lots of all the other units.

The convenient end unit is private and quiet -- no one lives above or below -- and you are not sandwiched between two common side walls that block your mountain views, the city lights, and the energizing natural daylight.

Say goodbye to the 300 SF cookie-cutter hotel room, and enjoy resort-style living in "Rancho Sin Vacas" at a fraction of the cost of the resorts a few minutes away down Skyline/Sunrise, and without the high taxes and surcharges. Just unpack, and relax in affordable luxury.

The "Rancho Sin Vacas" villa is approximately 1000 SF. It is well appointed and tastefully decorated in Southwestern/Mexican decor, with authentic Mexican Saltillo tile flooring throughout.

The Great Room has a spacious, open floor plan combined with the kitchen and dining area that is ideal for entertaining, with vaulted 18' ceilings, a French door to the private patio, and wraparound floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the rooms with light and sun, and offer panoramic views of the breathtaking Catalina Mountain range, and of the distant twinkling lights of the city below.

With a fully equipped kitchen offering high quality stainless steel cookware and full size appliances, including a brand new refrigerator with ice maker, you don't have to go out for every meal unless you want to.

The convenience of a full size washer and dryer means you can pack lighter and save on airline surcharges.

Also provided are extra touches to pamper you, like feather pillows, Egyptian cotton linens, and thick fluffy towels.

There are cable TVs in EVERY room: In the Great Room a new 32" flat screen HDTV with a DVD/VHS player, in the guest room/library a brand new 23" flat screen HDTV, and a TV in the master bedroom.

Wireless, high-speed Internet, Preferred Digital cable package, and unlimited local calls are included.

For your additional enjoyment you will find an extensive collection of DVD and VHS videos, a stereo CD & tape player, a classical music tape library, as well as other types of music tapes.

Lounge in the library/guest room, or in your cozy reading corner in the bedroom with a book from our large personal library of quality and interesting books, or perhaps one that was donated by one of our many lovely guests.

Play board games, chess, cards, enjoy a fondue, gather around the piano, or just relax in front of a cozy fire in the kiva fireplace after a day in the invigorating mountain air of Tucson or greater Arizona.

For those who want to walk or hike, there are miles of winding roads right outside your back patio within gated "Rancho Sin Vacas."

Outside the Great Room is a large and private enclosed patio, surrounded by lush, mature vegetation, with two bistro tables and chairs, patio umbrella, ample additional seating for your guests, 2 comfortable anti-gravity reclining chaises, a safer-than-gas charcoal BBQ, a copper wood-burning pit, cozy lanterns, candles, and a collection of musical wind chimes that create a magical atmosphere in which to rest or star-gaze, and enjoy the cool nights, or the warm sunny days of the serene and starkly beautiful Arizona Sonoran Desert.

In the winter, you can view the snow-capped mountains from your wrap-around windows, or while you soak in the warm Arizona sun on your private patio. In the summer, the higher foothills elevation (approximately 3500 ft) keeps the temperatures cooler than the city below.

"The Cactus Villa" at "Rancho Sin Vacas" is a year-round birder's paradise. You'll delight at the many species of hummingbirds, gambrels quail, roadrunners, cardinals, finches, orioles, and other birds that abound in the trees and shrubbery right outside your doors or at our feeders. You'll see majestic hawks, and hear owls and other nocturnal birds .

You'll also hear the coyotes yipping in the mountains that are just a short distance from your doorstep. If your timing is good, you may even get to see the beautiful bobcats that live in those mountains.

Your "Rancho Sin Vacas" villa is host to a spectacular variety of desert wildlife that you will enjoy watching every day from every room of the villa, or as you relax on the patio. Keep a camera handy because if you like wildlife and beautiful natural desert scenery, you will love your surroundings and the "desert visitors" to "The Cactus Villa" at "Rancho Sin Vacas."

"The Cactus Villa" in "Rancho Sin Vacas" is perfect for a vacation at any time of the year. You will feel so comfortable and at home in this quiet and private enclave in the Foothills that you will want to make "The Cactus Villa" at "Rancho Sin Vacas" your "winter retreat" -- or "any time retreat" -- year after year.

"The Cactus Villa" is the premier "Villas at Rancho Sin Vacas" vacation rental that others try to emulate, even to the wording used in their property descriptions. Our photos are current and a TRUE representation of the property and furnishings as they are today, not of the way they looked 7 or 8 years ago.

The peaceful community setting of "Rancho Sin Vacas," off Skyline Drive/Pima Canyon and north of Ina Road, is secluded and removed from traffic and noise, yet only minutes from the upscale La Encantada Mall, The Foothills Mall, The Tucson Mall, supermarkets, pharmacies, the post office, FedEx/Kinko's, state-of-the-art medical facilities -- and all the amenities one could desire at a home away from home.

It's only a five minute drive from "The Cactus Villa' at "Villas at Rancho Sin Vacas" to the fine art galleries and restaurants at the corner of Ina and Campbell to the east, and less than a mile west to Oracle Road (Route 77) -- a main north/south thoroughfare with shopping and restaurants to suit every palate and price range.

You probably know that Tucson has 350 days of sunshine, more than two dozen golf courses designed by the likes of Tom Fazio and Jack Nicklaus, and some of the best Southwest cuisine this side of the border.

What you might not know is that Tucson is surrounded by four different mountain ranges, and there's great skiing at nearby Mount Lemmon. The city has a wealth of historic places to explore, from the 19th century St. Augustine Cathedral to the old homes and store fronts in El Presidio.

Just outside of Tucson, you can visit old mining towns, missions and archaeological sites, including the petroglyphs at Signal Hill and the reconstructed dwelling at Dankworth Village.

When temperatures get too brutal for outdoor pursuits, such as hiking the 150 miles of trails in the Santa Catalina Mountains, you can always hop in a summer class with the University of Arizona at Tucson's lifelong learning program. There's even a course on pirates!

If you have the time, side trips to places like:

Rocky Point, Mexico on The Sea of Cortez -- about 4.5 hrs. Las Vegas -- about 6.5 hrs.
Los Angeles or San Diego -- about 7 hrs.
Tubac - 50 min
Nogales, Mexico - 1 hr. (shopping on the border of Mexico/Arizona)
The Grand Canyon
Sedona
National Parks at the Arizona-Utah border and the Four Corners area

-- all can easily be made from "The Cactus Villa" at "Rancho Sin Vacas" -- our little corner of paradise!


CHECK MY LINK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE TO THE "TUCSON CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU" FOR UP-TO-THE-MINUTE INFORMATION ON ACTIVITIES, ATTRACTIONS, AND EVENTS THROUGHOUT TUCSON.

Highlights of a few Tucson activities and attractions:

Hiking
Bicycling
Skiing at Mt. Lemmon (9157 ft)
The U of A, and the endless downtown activities and cultural events
4th Avenue - Funky shopping in the "60s" or NYC "Village" atmosphere
Casinos - the popular Indian casinos 1/2 hr; the Las Vegas casinos 4.5 hr
Movie theaters
Gem & Mineral Shows (January-February)
World-class golfing - 15 min
Tucson Rodeo (February)
Major league baseball spring training mid-February through early April
Tohono Chul Park - 1 mile
U of A's Biosphere 2 - 50 min.
Pima Air Space Museum - 30 min
Titan Museum - 40 min
Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum - 40 min
Old Tucson Movie Studios- 40 min
Tombstone - 40 min
Catalina State Park - 15 min
Sabino Canyon - 20 min
Saguaro East National Monument - 20 min
Tucson Mountain Park - 30 min
Beautiful and peaceful Mission San Xavier del Bac - 25 min
Arizona Desert Jeep Tours
Colossal Caves - 30 min
Kitt Peak Observatory - 1.5 hr

-- and so much more of what makes Tucson such a premier vacation destination.


PLEASE INQUIRE FOR AVAILABILITY AS I KEEP MY CALENDAR PRIVATE.
THANK YOU

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