Southwestern Style
	Taos, New Mexico

Taos is a magical place, one that has enchanted nomads, explorers, outdoorsmen, intellectuals and artists for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years (Kit Carson, D.H. Lawrence, and Conquistador Hernando de Alvarado, to name a few). The harmony of its adobe architecture and Sangre de Cristos mountain backdrop is otherworldly in its presentation of what is essentially two towns: Taos itself and Taos Pueblo, the best preserved American pueblo still in existence.

Taos Pueblo

Taos Pueblo — a World Heritage Site — appears today much as it did when the first Spanish explorers arrived in 1540, believing it to be one of the fabled seven Cities of Gold. Open to the public year-round, the still-inhabited pueblo and its residents have gone to great lengths to preserve their way of life, their culture and their art. You can view tribal dances, or see pottery made as it has been in this region for ten centuries. Your kids will learn more in one afternoon on the pueblo than you could ever imagine.

The modern city of Taos is an eclectic, bustling ski town: downhill at Taos Ski Valley or Angel Fire, or cross-country ski and snowshoe at the Enchanted Circle. Carson National Forest is nearby, offering unlimited possibilities year-round, or go for a hot air balloon ride — a New Mexican specialty! — over the Rio Grande Gorge. Families with small children might love a half- or full-day llama trekking trip with a local outfitter. For a special treat, nothing beats a winter hike-n-swim in one of the area's natural hot springs.

Whichever of Taos' charms you choose to partake of, is one vacation your family will never forget.