Taos
Artists, writers, and explorers of all types have found this small town nestled at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo mountains to be a haven of inspiration and reconnection. Creative, soulful, and filled with magic, Taos and its surrounding land has something for everyone.
Taos may have served as a muse for D.H. Lawrence, Aldous Huxley, and Georgia O’Keeffe, but you don’t need to be an artist for Taos to cast a lingering spell.
The sunlight is intense regardless of the season, sweeping through Taos as it does San Cristobal, painting the Sangre de Cristos a flamboyant red. The horizon stretches almost to infinity, sliced by the dramatic vein of the Rio Grande Gorge or blocked by the sacred Taos mountain.
The story goes that if one settles in Taos, one will either open a restaurant or an art gallery — both abound. Add music, theatre, and countless workshops, and the community becomes a true cultural center for northern New Mexico.
Food
Taos is not lacking in upscale restaurants — for beginners, take a peek at our glossary of eating establishments found in each of our cabins. Beyond the high-end spots, Taos has an abundance of everyday eateries with plenty for everyone, within easy reach. Expect traditional New Mexican fare with delicious red or green chile, farm-to-table cooking, and even a bit of local fusion (Japanese sushi with green chile is one memorable example). A few of our favorites:
Entertainment
Taos offers countless festivals held throughout the year — art walks, opera, movies, and music in Kit Carson Park. There are workshops, legendary country western and bluegrass events, and the seminal pow wow of Native American Nations on the vega facing Taos Mountain, held just before the San Gerónimo Festival at Taos Pueblo.
The TCA features classic and contemporary films alongside theater, music, and art. The Harwood Museum is a mecca for the same, with an impressive collection from Taos’s artist colony. The Fechin House showcases much of the master’s art and design, culminating in the very house he built for his family. Millicent Rogers is another must for anyone interested in Native American art. And of course, the earthships, the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, and some of the 1960s communes are worth visiting — if not for the sights, then for their retreats and seminars.
Shopping
Taos has its share of corporate America, but far more interesting are the countless boutiques surrounding Taos Plaza and its adjoining streets. Consider organically crafted bean-to-bar chocolate from Chokolá, just off the plaza — the cacao travels from Central and South America all the way up here, and you can chat with the artisans in Spanish while you shop.
Silverwork abounds around the plaza, from affordable to fine, much of it set with striking Hachita turquoise. Bent Street — infamous as the site of an 1847 assassination — is now lined with boutiques and galleries, alongside Kit Carson Road and the Plaza itself, home to contemporary work in every genre, tracing back to the east coast artists who found their way here at the turn of the last century.
Keep an eye out while strolling for furniture design, antique shops full of New Mexican collectibles, and a steady rotation of outdoor markets selling local chile, sauces, cheese, bread, ristras, preserves, and honey — the weaver, the beekeeper, and the baker, all in one place.
Outdoor Adventures
The rugged terrain of northern New Mexico offers spectacular hiking and skiing. Our farm sits centrally between the renowned Taos Ski Valley, with exhilarating downhill terrain for experienced skiers and riders, and Red River Ski Area for beginners. The gentle slopes at the base of the Sangre de Cristos are also ideal for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing right behind the farm after a good snow.
The Rio Grande Gorge, with cliffs towering nine hundred feet above the river, offers incredible rafting and fishing with experienced guides year-round. Tiny creeks, several lakes, and the Rio Grande itself hold cutthroat, rainbow, and German brown trout (Eagle Nest Lake even has salmon) — catch and release is the local ethic. Hiking trails wind into the wild river gorge; come prepared with sunscreen, water, and sturdy shoes. In summer, float the John Dunn Bridge stretch of river, then soak your bones afterward in the natural Black Rock hot springs.
Culture
Taos history reaches back to prehistoric dwellers along the San Luis Valley lake, through the founding of the pueblo around 700 AD, still home to the Tewa people today. In the 1500s, Spanish settlers arrived from the south, and their descendants’ adobe architecture — homes, churches, acequias — still shapes the valleys radiating from the Sangre de Cristo range.
Artists began arriving at the turn of the last century, drawn by the light and the land. Aldous Huxley lived and wrote in one of our cabins; D.H. Lawrence’s watercolors and letters turned up in our old trading post attic; Frank Waters, Henriqueta Vásquez, and John Nichols left their own marks. In the 1960s and ’70s, the counterculture movement settled communes around Taos — today only the Lama Foundation, just north of San Cristobal, remains.
Learn more at taos.org.
Taos Pueblo
Dress warmly and take part in the time-honored processions at Taos Pueblo on Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Over 1,000 years old, it’s one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the world — a National Historic Landmark sitting at the base of the Sangre de Cristo mountains, open to visitors ten months out of the year.