Taos

When the sun rises over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains something magical happens. The light, irresistible and brilliant, spills a river of diamonds over the landscape. The hills and mountain slopes, still as charcoal sketches, sparkle in the morning sun. In the valley, the air is filled with the hearty aroma of wood burning in stoves and kivas. The spirit of Taos, a blended quixotic mix, awakens to another day rich with possibilities.

Most visitors travel from Santa Fe to Taos on Highway 68. When the road enters the narrow Rio Grande canyon for the climb upward — Taos is 6,967 feet above sea level — the scenery is spectacular. The sculpted formations, with layers of varied colors, prove nature is the most prolific sculptor. At the top of the “horseshoe turn,” Taos Valley suddenly appears.

To the left is the Rio Grande Gorge, another monument to nature. At the bottom of the canyon, 600 feet below, you can see the silvery-green water of the Rio Grande, a river in miniature, moving south. Straight ahead is Taos Mountain, an arresting peak, perfectly crafted.

The history of this vast and rugged land is far more than an adventure story; it’s a dramatic narrative. Nomadic hunter-gatherers passed through 13,000 years ago. Pueblo Indians established permanent settlements long before Columbus sailed. In 1540, Spanish Conquistadors arrived seeking gold, followed by missionaries seeking souls. A pueblo revolt, initiated by Taos Pueblo, ousted the Spanish from New Mexico. A second uprising, following Spanish resettlement, failed. When the United States took over after the Mexican American War in 1847, a drunken mob killed the first territorial governor, Charles Bent.

Taos Plaza is the site of the original Spanish settlement. The plaza has been the center of trade and gossip for centuries. Like gatherings of old, the annual fiestas, trade fairs and arts festivals bring vendors, artisans, collectors and neighbors together.

At no time is the Hispanic culture more evident than during Las Fiestas de Santiago and Santa Ana, held on the third weekend in July. A queen is presented, and there are parades — described by some as pageants reminiscent of the Middle Ages — and entertainment, featuring local musicians and traditional folk dances. During fiestas, Tio Vivo, “the lively uncle,” makes its annual appearance. A ride on the Flying Jenny carousel is as much a rite of passage for Taosenos as losing a baby tooth. The aging carousel features ponies, painted by Taos artists, and a pink unicorn, a favorite with little girls.

More than 65 galleries, shops and restaurants are in the charming adobe buildings within the plaza and the surrounding Historic District.

Taos Pueblo, three miles north of Taos Plaza, is home to the Taos-Tiwa Indians. Inhabited since 1000 A.D., it is one of the oldest continually inhabited communities in the U.S. and has been designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations. The pueblo has two multistory adobe structures divided into north and south houses by the westerly flowing Rio Pueblo de Taos. There are several shops and galleries in which Native American artisans display arts and crafts. Special celebrations, including seasonal dances, many of which are held during the Christmas holidays, show the cultural pride of the area.

In the outlying region, St. Francis de Asis Church in Ranchos de Taos is a testament to the faith of the settlers and their descendants. The church, completed in 1815, has massive adobe buttresses. Those who attend the church gather annually to re-mud the structure.

Pot Creek Cultural Site on Highway 518, 10 miles southeast of Taos, is an ideal place to learn more about the region’s earliest settlers. Walking tours through reconstructed dwellings depict the lives of the ancestral Puebloan peoples.

SMU-IN-TAOS, located near the cultural site, occupies Fort Burgwin. The reconstructed fort was originally built in the 1850s to protect the main wagon road from Santa Fe to Taos and north into Colorado. The garrison was involved in a number of battles with Apaches and Utes. In summer, SMU presents free lectures on archaeology, history and culture.

The varied terrain of mountain meadows, vast forests and rivers that once attracted trappers, provides outdoor adventures year-round. The climate is moderate, with warm days and cool nights in the summer. Outdoor activities in the warmer months include hiking, camping, mountain biking, rock climbing and fly-fishing. The Rio Grande River, specifically the Taos Box, is an ideal locale to shoot the rapids. If you prefer to drift, you can navigate the river elsewhere in a canoe or kayak.

Winter temperatures range from the 40s to well below freezing. Abundant snow falls on the Taos Ski Valley, an alpine ski resort and village. With some of the most exciting runs imaginable, the resort is one of the top destinations in the nation. Red River, Angel Fire and Sipapu ski resorts are also nearby.

Some say Taos Mountain has magical powers that allow it to control the lives of those who come under its spell. Please the mountain and you will return.

TAOS MUSEUMS

The Millicent Rogers Museum
contains the core of one of America’s foremost Southwestern arts and designs collections, plus traditional and contemporary Hispanic religious and domestic arts, pottery, paintings, photography and graphics.

La Hacienda de los Martinez
gives a rare glimpse of the rugged frontier life of the early 1800s. The hacienda’s 21 rooms surround two courtyards.

The Kit Carson Home and Museum
includes a portion of Carson’s original home, purchased for his bride in 1843. Artifacts and exhibits illustrate the trapper and Indian scout’s life story. Other exhibits depict Native American and Hispanic cultures in Northern New Mexico.

The Blumenschein Home and Museum
takes you back to the early 20th century. In the autumn of 1898, two young artists, Ernest L. Blumenschein and Bert G. Phillips, traveling from Denver to Mexico, broke the wheel of their wagon not far from Taos. Enchanted by the clear light and the scenery, the artists remained. Blumenschein and Phillips were instrumental in establishing the famous Taos Society of Artists.

Taos Art Museum
is housed in the studioand home of artist Nicolai Fechin, who carved and molded the adobe buildings with Russian, Native American and Spanish motifs. The permanent collection includes over 300 works of art, including paintings by Taos Society of Artists, Fechin and Taos Moderns.

The Harwood Museum of Art
The galleries span the spectrum of the arts in Taos, ranging from traditional Hispanic, including retablos, paintings on wood, to the works of the Taos Moderns along with contemporary artists.

For more information on Taos Museums: (800) 732-TAOS.
For more information on lectures at SMU-IN-TAOS: (505) 758-8322.