Taos, enchanting town with excellent skiing and famous artist colonies
Taos,
a scenic New Mexican community, is famous for many things, including
skiing, art and architecture and historical sites. A mix of Native
American, Spanish and Anglo-American cultures is represented in art and
architecture, music, dance, food and festivals. Historic Taos Plaza and
its side streets have old adobe buildings, once the homes of some of
Taos' leading citizens such as Kit Carson. Renovated into galleries,
stores and boutiques it offers a pleasant stroll with many hidden
treasures.
Taos Pueblo (or Pueblo de Taos), is the ancient town of the northern
Tiwa-speaking tribe of the Pueblo American Indians. Lying 1.6 km (1 mi)
north of modem Taos on the Rio Pueblo, it has been home to this tribe for
more than 1,000 years. The Pueblo's reddish-brown adobe housing, built
between 1000 and 1450 AD, is a National Historic Landmark and a World
Heritage Site and it remains occupied to this day.
Just 32 km (20 mi) to the north-west is the ranch DH Lawrence lived in
during the 1920s, while just outside Taos in Ranchitos is the Martinez
Hacienda, the residence turned museum of the late Father Martinez, one of
the first Spanish settlers of Taos. Artists began settling in Taos in
1898, creating the 'Taos Society of Artists'. Many painted local scenes,
especially of Taos Pueblo. Some of the artists' studios, including the
Blumenschein House, have been preserved and make a worthwhile visit.
Once home to miners, trappers, cattlemen and shepherds, Wheeler Peak, the
highest peak in New Mexico at an elevation of 4,011 m (13,161 ft) is now
home to The Enchanted Circle, a winter playground where snowshoe and
cross-country ski enthusiasts enjoy the many back country trails and
meadows in Carson National Forest and the trails at the Enchanted Forest
Cross Country Ski Area.
Home to the ski resorts of Taos, Red River, Sipapu and Angel Fire, Taos
offers uncrowded skiing on wonderfully diverse terrain, feather-light
powder and an intimate alpine village for skiers of all levels.
Taos is a natural wonderland. Whether you want skiing, horse riding,
biking, hiking, rafting or kayaking, the stunning mountains and the Rio
Grande Gorge offer a number of fantastic outdoor pursuits.
