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Tuesday, February 25, 2003

Taos' Top 10 Destinations

By Nancy Tipton
ABQJournal.com

Taos Pueblo
Taos Pueblo has been home to Taos Indians since long before Columbus arrived in the so-called New World.
This awe-inspiring five-story adobe structure, the largest and most photogenic multistory pueblo in existence, remains a living community, where Taos Indians continue to reside and work.
Visitors can browse through shops featuring handmade pottery, jewelry and other crafts, eat traditional pueblo foods and watch ceremonial corn dances On the second weekend of July, Taos Pueblo hosts a powwow that attracts numerous North American tribes. Web site.

Taos Mountain Casino
At Taos Pueblo's Mountain Casino is there's no smoking allowed inside the building, anywhere. It's New Mexico's only totally nonsmoking casino. Adult beverages are not available. What they have, they work hard at. And that is excellent personal service, gracious hospitality, comfortable table games and up-to-date slots and poker machines.
Six blackjack tables and one roulette wheel along with 200 slots and video poker stands fill the room, giving it a cozy-casino ambience.
The slot and video poker layout is an interesting mix of nickel, quarter, dollar and five-dollar machines.
Taos Casino's Cash Wheel offers players opportunities to pick up extra cash by earning spins on the wheel for playing the games at hand. Web site

San Francisco de Asis Church
Built during the 1700s, the church of San Francisco de Asis (St. Francis of Assisi) in Ranchos de Taos provides a glimpse into the religious past and present of northern New Mexico.
It contains a variety of historic religious objects, and the massive adobe buttresses along the back, facing the road, are a familiar sight to many people from numerous paintings and photographs, such as those done by artist Georgia O'Keeffe and photographer Ansel Adams.
Although open to the public, the church isn't a museum but, a place of worship. Photography isn't permitted inside the church or nearby parish hall, where a video presentation on the church is shown and where you can see a Mystery Painting an image of Christ that mysteriously glows in the dark.

Kit Carson Home & Museum
For a look at the mountain-man era in Taos, stop at the Kit Carson Home & Museum, another unit of Taos Historic Museums.
Kit Carson bought this house as a wedding gift for his bride, Maria Josefa Jaramillo, in 1843, and the couple lived there until their deaths in 1868.
Exhibits tell the story of Carson's life, touching a bit on the controversy of whether Carson was a friend or enemy of the Indians, as well as some of the history of the Indians and Spanish American settlers. There's also a hands-on mountain man encampment display.
Web site.
Taos is also home to more artists per capita than Paris and more non-profit cultural institutions than cities ten times its size. A guide to museums in the are is here.

Enchanted Circle
It winds through some of northern New Mexico's most spectacular mountain scenery, with stops at towns rich in history and culture, and offers opportunities to hike, ski, snowshoe and fish. You'll get views of Wheeler Peak, at 13,161 feet the state's highest point, which rises from the middle of the Enchanted Circle. Much of the Enchanted Circle passes through the Carson National Forest the route has been designated a National Forest Scenic Byway and you can get additional information about the numerous outdoor recreational possibilities from the Forest Service office in Taos. Along the way you can also visit the state's largest trout hatchery, see the remains of a 19th-century boom town and stop at an emotionally moving memorial dedicated to the men and women who died in the Vietnam War. Map

Pot Creek Cultural Site
For a peek into the very early human history of Taos, head south of town to Pot Creek Cultural Site, maintained by the Carson National Forest.
The site includes a small reconstructed pueblo, with ladders providing access to the roof entrances, and a kiva (underground ceremonial chamber) that you can also climb down into.
Archaeologists say Pot Creek Pueblo (named for the large quantity of clay pots found there) was inhabited prior to 1350, and it is believed that residents of Taos and Picuris pueblos, who built this reproduction for the Forest Service, are the descendants.
An easy-to-follow one-mile loop trail winds through a pinon-juniper forest to the reconstruction, with signs discussing the people who lived there as well as the trees and other flora. There's also a pleasant tree-shaded picnic area. Web site

Taos Ski Valley
It's a legendary ski resort, a year-round alpine playground, and a gracious Old World village happily rolled into one.
Whether you visit Taos Ski Valley to ski our famed slopes or to hike, bike, ride horseback or relax on a summer chairlift ride, you'll sense the friendly nature of our community.
Wherever you go in the Village of Taos Ski Valley -- from our owner-operated lodges and one-of-a-kind shops to our lively taverns and restaurants -- you'll be greeted by convivial people whose passion for the mountains is contagious.
Ask us where to find the best fishing streams, hiking trails or secret stashes of deep powder and we'll respond in vivid detail. We're eager to share our mountain's natural assets with our guests. After all, there's more than enough for everyone. Web site.

Wild Rivers Recreation Area
Drive north of Taos to the Wild Rivers Recreation Area for a bird's eye view of the Rio Grande Gorge.
The Rio Grande or "Great River" has sliced an 800-foot deep volcanic canyon through the high plains of northern New Mexico, rich with history, rugged beauty and exciting recreational opportunities.
Here the Wild Rivers Backcountry Byway, winding its way along the rim of the Rio Grande gorge offers access to spectacular overlooks including the confluence of the Red River and the Rio Grande at La Junta Point. Information on other activities is available at the Visitor Center. Web site.

Shopping/Arts
Taos has inspired the likes of Ansel Adams, D.H. Lawrence, and Georgia O'Keeffe. Chances are, Taos will somehow inspire you, too.
Today, a new generation of artists preserves our rich artistic tradition in nearly 100 galleries. The diversity of our talent is celebrated in our Spring Arts Festival and our Fall Arts Festival and in arts and crafts fairs held throughout the year.
Dates for special events events are listed at the Taos Chamber of Commerce web site.

Fine Food
Taos has over 50 restaurants ranging from simple to sophisticated. Native Americans still bake bread in outside adobe ovens.
Classically trained chefs create sophisticated dishes that appeal to both eye and palate. Many cooks and chefs rely on locally grown organic produce, and each has their own special formula for red or green chile, ranging from spicy to mild.
And twice a year, in addition to various Beer and Wine festivals, Taos cuisine gets extra billing with festivals devoted exclusively to the culinary arts.
A round-up of fine dining is available here.