NM09 Taos

This historic, artistic, rustic, and refined mountain community reflects the sum of its people — Native Americans who have been here for 6,000 years, Spanish farmers and traders, Anglo frontiersmen, artists who “discovered” Taos’ golden light a century ago, and souls drawn to its quirks and communal good nature. Its history, art, dining, shopping, museums, outdoor adventure, cozy inns, and hotels create the charm. Taos is so diverse and relaxed that New Mexicans come here to vacation.

You must visit Taos Pueblo (575-758-1028). Named a United Nations World Heritage Site in 1992, about 150 people live here year-round, forgoing electricity and running water. Taking in the iconic stepped structure, with piñon smoke wafting like incense and the gurgling of the Red Willow Creek that runs through the village, it’s an ideal way to experience Taos’ beauty.

Taos Pueblo was established 1,000 years ago, and today its 2,000 members live on its 99,000 acres. A mile north of Taos Plaza, Taos Pueblo generally allows visitors from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There is a $10 per person fee, and a $5 per camera fee. For 10 weeks in late winter/early spring, the pueblo closes to outsiders. It also closes for special ceremonies, tribal matters, and events. Always call (575) 758-1028 before your visit.

Next to Taos Pueblo, Taos is probably best known for its art. The birth of Taos as an art Mecca began in 1898, when itinerant artists Bert Phillips and Ernest Blumenschein rambled their way to Mexico to paint. A broken wagon wheel forced them into town. After seeing Taos, they chose to stay. By 1915, they had convinced others to join them, and the Taos Society of Artists emerged in what is now the Taos Inn. Art patroness Mabel Dodge Luhan followed and hosted writers D.H. Lawrence and Aldous Huxley, photographer Ansel Adams, painter Georgia O’Keeffe, and other luminaries, solidifying Taos’ reputation as a Bohemian retreat. Visit the Mabel Dodge Luhan House at 240 Morada Ln.,Taos, NM; call (575) 751-9686.

Taos treasures its history and boasts excellent museums celebrating its special qualities. Start with the Taos Art Museum (227 Paseo Del Pueblo Norte, 575-758-2690), once artist Nicolai Fechin’s home near the Fechin Inn. The museum itself is a work of art, with its expert woodworking details. But it’s the 300 masterpieces by Fechin and 50 other Taos masters that captivate visitors.

On Ledoux Street, visit the Harwood Museum of Art (238 Ledoux St., 575-758-9826), which presents Spanish Colonial works, Taos masters, and the contemporary work of the late Agnes Martin. Nearby, the E.L. Blumenschein Home and Museum (222 Ledoux St., 575-758-0505) celebrates the prolific artist’s life.

In the south end of Taos, the Martinez Hacienda, built in 1804, once served as an important trading center and marked the end of the Camino Real from Mexico City. After Mexico’s separation from Spain in 1821, the hacienda remained an important trade zone for U.S. goods shipped west on the Santa Fe Trail.

On the north end, Millicent Rogers Museum (1504 Millicent Rogers Road, 575-758-2462) displays the passion of the art patron and fashion designer who moved to Taos in 1947, enamored by Native jewelry and Spanish weavings. Rogers brought the appreciation of Southwest Native and Spanish design to the greater fashion world.

Close to Taos Plaza (on Kit Carson Road), the Kit Carson Home and Museum (113 Kit Carson Road, 575-758-4945) celebrates the lives of the namesake frontiersman and his wife, Josefa Jaramillo. Carson is a complicated New Mexican figure — a fighter and a friend of Native tribes throughout the country. Carson and Josefa are buried at the Taos Cemetery in Kit Carson Memorial State Park.

Outside of the museums, stroll historic Taos Plaza, which during the summer hosts outdoor concerts and dances. And walk the side streets as well: Kit Carson, Ledoux, Bent, Ranchitos — all with local shops and sidewalk cafés.

Natural beauty connects all aspects of Taos. Trails wind through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, offering a variety of topography and challenges for hikers. Eastbound U.S. 64, connecting Taos to Eagle Nest, makes for a gorgeous drive, lined with Carson National Forest (575-758-6200) access points for hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and day-use and overnight camping areas.

At the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge west of Taos on U.S. 64, walk above the 800- foot canyon and wave to rafters below. Taos Ski Valley offers world-class skiing and snowboarding in the winter, and hiking through wildflowers or fall color the rest of the year.

However you relax, dine at Taos’ fine restaurants and then settle in next to glowing kiva fireplace to end the day and plan tomorrow’s magical moments.