Taos

Creatives need places that inspire through beauty and character. Places that take one beyond day to day normalcy. Taos is one of those places. The intense beauty and mystical quality found in Taos encourages one to do their work — personal, spiritual, and creative.

Kincentric ecology keeps the influence of Sacred Taos Mountain alive.

Northern New Mexico can feel like a foreign country. The spirit of the wild west permeates the land and its people. Rich history layers into the present where the cultures of the Indigenous, Spanish, Anglos, artists, and writers harmonize.

The beautiful Taos Pueblo has been home to the Tewa people for over a thousand years. The northern most of the 19 remaining Native American villages along the Rio Grande, its seclusion allowed tradition to survive, even as evidence of the violent past exists in the ruins of the original San Geronimo church and in the memories of the people. While still home to indigenous families, it’s now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Generously, the Pueblo people welcome visitors to tour and invite the larger community to some of their ceremonial dances and celebrations.

In the late 1800s anglo artists started to arrive. Painters Bert Phillips and Ernest Blumenschein were among the first drawn to stay by the extraordinary land and light, the culture of the native people, and the rustic way of life. In 1917, Mable Dodge Sterne Luhan moved to Taos and began a literary colony. She and her husband Tony Lujan hosted many influential artists and writers, including Freida and D.H. Lawrence, Marsden Hartley, Ansel Adams, Willa Cather, Georgia O'Keeffe, Mary Hunter Austin, Frank Waters, and Aldous Huxley. The Mabel Dodge Luhan House has been designated a National Historic Landmark and is well worth a visit.

The turbulence of the 1960s and ’70s brought a wave of escapees from mainstream culture. Hippy communes sprung up, including the still existing Lama Foundation where the likes of Ram Dass spread eastern philosophies and a culture of peace, love, and happiness — though, according to those present at the time, the integration was not always peaceful.

Taos is still an active art enclave boasting an astounding number of art galleries, live music, literary events, bookstores, museums, restaurants, and a lively coffee culture. Hiking trails, river rafting, rock climbing, hot springs, or scenic drives can be found in any direction. For a small town it has a lot going for it.

The Sangre de Cristo Mountains surround the Taos Valley as a protective guardian. The hundreds-of-feet-deep Rio Grande Gorge cuts through the valley, its rocky cliffs and narrow strong river make a statement to the grander of Mother Nature.