Taos, New Mexico

Taos - Soul of the Southwest in New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment

http://taos.nm-unlimited.net/

Daughter lived in Taos, New Mexico for several years.  It is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of in the Sange de Christo Mountains, incorporated in 1934. As of the 2010 census,  its population was 5,716. Other nearby communities include Ranchos de Taos,  Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, El Prado, and Arroyo Seco.  The town is close to Taos Pueblo, the Native American village and tribe from which it takes its name.

There are many ways to explore art in Taos.  There are three Art Museums in Taos; Harwood Museum of Art, Taos Art Museum, and Millicent Rogers Museum that provide art from the pueblo Native Americans, Taos Society of Artists and modern and contemporary artists of the Taos art colony.  The town has more than eighty art galleries and there are several houses of the Taos Society of Artists.

 

My favorite artist there is Valerie Graves, a Master Painter of landscapes, capturing the special light and essence of the mountains, sagebrush mesas and valleys of the Southwest.  Many have said that her remarkably sensitive and beautiful work is extremely reminiscent of the very best of the early Taos Founder paintings. Few artists have earned that praise.

Valerie loves New Mexico, the land and light and culture, and she loves animals, birds and wildlife.  She has a wonderful selection of original paintings available at Wilder Nightingale Fine Art in Taos and a fine selection of signed prints, cards and more available at the Carson House Shop in Taos.  I purchased two of her prints on my visits out there.

July Blossoms by Valerie Graves

Last Light of the Day ©Valerie Graves. All Rights Reserved

Taos, New Mexico is a charming town with many little shops, galleries, restaurants, and inns. Much of the historic town of Taos can be enjoyed on foot, since Taos Plaza–ringed by galleries, shops, Northern New Mexico restaurants and an assortment of historic sites–is the heart of the community.  Most of the buildings around the Plaza are old; however, since Taos has always been plagued by fires, none of the Plaza's buildings predate the 19th century.

Summer activities

The Taos valley, Rio Grande and Taos mountains provide many opportunities for recreation, such as fly fishing, horse back riding, golfing, hot air ballooning, llama trekking, rafting, mountain biking and more.

Winter activities

In the winter many people come to Taos to ski. Wheeler Peak, at 13,161 feet, is the highest peak in New Mexico. The Taos area has four ski areas - Taos Ski Valley, Red River ski area, Sipapu (ski area) and Angel Fire ski area.  Other winter activities include hot air ballooning, horseback riding, snow-shoeing, cross-country skiing, ice skating, ice fishing and snowmobiling.  

The colors in Taos are brighter, the sky is bigger and bluer, and the weather is almost perfect!  We visited there both in November and March for several years.  Although it was very cold in the mornings and freezing at nights, often the weather was warm enough for shirt sleeves during the days.  Taos has a magical quality.  Its rugged beauty, majestic mountains, wild Rio Grande river and unique blend of cultures - Spanish, Native American and Anglo - have historically drawn artists and photographers, evidenced by the plentiful galleries, museums and festivals. We experienced the Native American culture here and explored Taos Pueblo, where the Tiwa Native Americans have practiced their traditions for centuries. Finally, the Anglo influence was prevalent in the business district, with its shops, art galleries and some of the finest restaurants in New Mexico. Skiing is also a major draw, but the challenging slopes are geared to the more advanced crowd. There's no rat race here; a fair share of non-mainstreamers have made this laid-back, low-key mecca their home.  We always hated leaving its tranquility and natural beauty.