Taos, NM #2 ~ The Taos Pueblo & The Rio Grande

After a visit to Rancho de Chimayo we continued our journey along the Taos scenic byway to Taos. We were starving by now so we stopped at Blakes Lottaburger, a NM mainstay for an awesome green chili burger. 

Next stop ~ Taos Pueblo.  This Pueblo is made up of multi-storied adobe buildings and has been continuously inhabited for over 1000 years making it the one of the oldest in the US. They have walking tours that leave every 30 minutes and we highly recommend it. The young man who did our tour grew up in the Pueblo and is now a student at UNM but comes back several times a week to give tours. It was incredibly informative with many important historical references of the Pueblo. After the tour we spent several hours walking around and soaking up the view. 

Some of the buildings have galleries for the Native American artists to sell their wares. 

Fishing on the Rio Grande

After several hours, we headed into town and went to the Taos Fly Shop so Bryan could get some tips on getting to the shore of the Rio Grande to do some fishing. The team there sent us to the Taos junction bridge. Just across the bridge was a small beach and gave us perfect access to the river. After about an hour there, a crazy storm rolled in and we barely made it out of there. The dirt road started to wash out and we had to hustle to get out of the ravine.

We went for a drive thru parts of the Carson Forest and then headed back to our hotel. We loved staying at the Hotel Don Fernando of Taos. They have an indoor pool that makes for a great morning swim and the bar/restaurant are nice. The lobby of the hotel is beautifully decorated with Native American art. 

Top 5 things to see in Taos

• The Taos Pueblo: One of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the Country. Open daily from 8am-4:30pm.
• El Santuario de Chimayo: The most important Catholic pilgramige sites in the Country. Open from 9am-5pm daily.
• Rio Grande Gorge: About a 30 minute drive, this bridge is 650 feet above the Rio Grande river. There’s a visitor center here for more info.
• Visit Nanbé Pueblo: A popular stop in the stunning foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.  Nambé Falls Recreation Area, located above the pueblo, offers swimming, lake fishing, a stunning double-drop waterfall. The Nanbé tribe is famous for their mixed wood and silver pottery.
• Downtown Taos shopping: There are dozens of stores here to pick up souvenirs, Native American jewelry and pottery and plenty of restaurants to enjoy.

We had some amazing pozole at La Cueva Cafe and breakfast the next morning at Taos Diner was awesome. From. here we are heading thru Northern New Mexico to see Shiprock and then on to Sedona! 

Be sure to check out our other blogs of things to see in Northern New Mexico.