Taos - Matt Jaffe Writer

Going back to Taos
Golden leaves, killer margaritas, and an artistic core … you, too, will find this
New Mexico town the real deal
BY MATTHEW JAFFE PHOTOGRAPHS BY cedric angeles
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San Francisco de Asis
Church rises against
the deep blue sky.
OPPOSITE A dusty,
cottonwood-lined road
in Taos Pueblo.
96
Sunset October 2007
Sunset Month 2007
97
FAR LEFT The Rio
Grande flows through
the Taos gorge—
best viewed from the
suspension bridge
650 feet above. TOP
ROW Score a booth
in the off-season at
Joseph’s Table, one of
Taos’s most notable
restaurants, and enjoy
chef Joseph Wrede’s
creative dishes such as
lobster tamales topped
with fresh trout roe.
OPPOSITE When in New
Mexico, pick up the
requisite dried-chile
ristras along U.S. 64.
Drop by countless local
artist studios, such as
that of Eric Andrews,
co-owner of 203 Fine
Art gallery. NEAR LEFT
Historic Taos Pueblo,
a living community
more than 1,000 years
old, is a must-see site.
98
Sunset Month 2007
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Sunset October 2007
99
Ephemeral but intense, the New Mexico light has drawn artists for more
than a century––I was hardly the first to fall under Taos’s spell
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100
Sunset October 2007
A canopy of weeping
birch enhances a fall
stay at Casa de las
Chimeneas Inn & Spa.
Sunset Month 2007
101
Getting there
Taos is about 70 miles
north of Santa Fe and
about 130 miles north
of Albuquerque, which
has the best air access
from other Western
cities. For more information, contact the
Taos County Chamber
of Commerce (taos
chamber.com or 800/
732-8267).
The Adobe Bar Limited
bar menu but eclectic
live music nightly and
stiff margaritas. $; in
the Historic Taos Inn,
125 Paseo del Pueblo
Norte; 505/758-2233.
Joseph’s Table Blending New Mexican,
French, and Asian
influences, Joseph
Wrede’s cuisine is as
artful as his lovely
dining room. $$$$; in
Hotel La Fonda de Taos,
108A South Taos Plaza;
505/751-4512.
Orlando’s New Mexican Café A locals’
favorite for its chiles
and traditional dishes.
$; 1114 Don Juan Valdez
Lane; 505/751-1450.
What to do
D.H. Lawrence
Forbidden Art Showings five times daily
(10, noon, 2, 4, 6). $3; at
Hotel La Fonda de Taos,
108 South Taos Plaza;
lafondataos.com or 505/
758-2211.
102
Taos Ski Valley
Taos Pueblo
)(
Rio Grande
Gorge Bridge
64
TAOS
an
de
68
R i o Gr
new mexico
285
0
84
15 mi
SANTA FE
25
Where to eat
522
150
Where to stay
Casa de las Chimeneas Inn & Spa Luxury
B&B in a secluded 1930
compound within
walking distance of
the plaza. 8 rooms from
$180, including breakfast
and evening supper;
visittaos.com or 877/7584777.
Hacienda del Sol A
200-year-old adobe
turned B&B bordering
Taos Pueblo. 11 rooms
from $125, including
breakfast; taoshacienda
delsol.com or 866/3334459.
Wild Rivers
Recreation
Area
64
Wide-open meadows of
silvery sagebrush
surround Taos, which is
dwarfed by endless sky.
to ALBUQUERQUE
Ledoux Street With
galleries like 203 Fine
Art (203 Ledoux St.;
505/751-1262) and
exhibits such as the
outstanding historic
and contemporary
Taos collection at the
Harwood Museum of
Art (closed Mon; $8;
238 Ledoux; 505/7589826), Ledoux is a
low-key counterpart to
Santa Fe’s Canyon
Road. Southwest of the
plaza, between Camino
de la Placita and
Ranchitos Rd.
Mabel Dodge Luhan
House Workshops
(from $290 for two days)
and docent-led tours
(by appointment; $30)
are available at this
shrine to Taos’s
creative tradition.
When workshops
aren’t in session, it
also operates as a B&B
(rooms from $95, including breakfast). Free
self-guided tours daily;
240 Morada Lane;
mabeldodgeluhan.com
or 800/846-2235.
Rio Grande Gorge
Bridge Walk across the
Rio Grande on the
country’s secondhighest suspension
bridge, then hike trails
along the west rim.
Free; on U.S. 64, 11 miles
west of Taos; blm.gov/
nm or 505/758-8851.
Sunset October 2007
It’s not the earth that commands our attention but the sky. Billowing clouds,
like a cinematographer’s dream, cast shadows across the plains
25
San Francisco de Asis
Church One of New
Mexico’s most photographed churches.
Visitors welcome 8:30–4
Mon–Sat and Sun mass;
donation suggested; off
State 68, 4 miles south
of Taos; 505/758-2754.
Taos Fall Arts Festival
The 33rd annual celebration offers a taste
of the Taos arts scene.
Sep 21–Oct 8; free; Taos
Convention Center, 120
Civic Plaza Dr.; taosfall
arts.com or 505/758-5015.
Taos Pueblo The San
Geronimo Church and
the remains of its 17thcentury predecessor
are among the highlights of guided tours.
You can also explore
on your own, including
numerous craft shops.
$10 pueblo entrance fee,
$5 camera fee, free tours
daily; taospueblo.com or
505/758-1028.
Wild Rivers Recreation Area With 22
miles of trails, it offers
the best hiking access
into the Rio Grande
Gorge. La Junta Point
trail has dramatic
views on a steep, 2.5mile round-trip into the
gorge. $3 per vehicle,
camping from $5; on
State 522, 12 miles south
of State 378; blm.gov/
nm or 505/770-1600. N
Sunset Month 2007
103