At the base of the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains about 60 mi northeast of Santa Fe, Taos is a small town steeped in the history of New Mexico. Stately elm and cottonwood trees, narrow streets and a profusion of adobe all case a lingering spell; the charming old Plaza, surrounded by art galleries and boutiques, adds to the allure. Georgia O’Keefe, Ansel Adams and D.H. Lawrence are among Taos’s former residents; so are such Wild West figures as Kit Carson and New Mexico’s first governor, Charles Bent. Taos Ski Valley is a famed ski resort in winter and a hiking and mountain biking venue in the summer.
Four miles south of Taos in the farming and ranching community of Ranchos de Taos is the beautiful San Francisco de Asis Church. Its massive buttressed adobe walls and graceful towers are a prime example of early Mission architecture. Generations of Painters and photographers, including Georgia O’Keefee and Ansel Adams have been inspired by the earthy, cleanliness of the exterior walls and supporting bulwarks which caste eerie shapes and shadows.
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