Taos in the Spring

When you're at Taos, don't miss the beautiful views of Taos Mountain and the Rio Grande Gorge bridge.

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

To get to Taos and explore the surrounding areas, you need to have a car. The downtown plaza area is certainly walkable, but a car is a must.

If you’re looking for an escape from the hustle and bustle of the big city or even downtown Taos, the Orinda B&B is the place to stay. Owner Sheila Percival, (who has the most warming southern twang I’ve heard in a while) has created an absolutely perfect getaway spot. The view is nothing short of astonishing. Orinda borders a huge field filled with prairie dogs, beyond which is beautiful Taos mountain. Guests can enjoy the view while relaxing outdoors in lawn chairs or an enormous hammock, or from the living room’s picture windows.

If the view were not enough, the food was fantastic. Not only was a full, warm breakfast served but snacks, coffee, and tea were constantly available. During my stay, fresh strawberry shortcake was available for dessert, and I took full advantage of it.

Orinda is set-up as a classic B&B. Four of the five rooms are within the main adobe hacienda, while the fifth room has a separate entrance for greater privacy. The B&B layout comes with the drawback that if you plan on sleeping in late, you may be awakened by the more energetic guests eating breakfast. Beautifully furnished, the rooms are spacious and comfortable. Each room has cable TV and a refrigerator, filled with complimentary sodas and bottled water.

The mood created at Orinda was warm and friendly. I felt like I was visiting a long lost relative (with an amazing house). Sheila lives on the property, and she was there to answer any questions or give suggestions on what to do in Taos. A very complete video library is open for all guests to watch on the large screen TV in the living room, and bookshelves throughout the hacienda provide plenty of reading material. Don’t worry if you don’t finish the paperback that you start while at Orinda, because you can take it with you!

If you’re staying in Taos, stay at the Orinda B&B.

Prices range from $80 to $130, and are increased by $15 during holidays. Be sure to check out the website at www.orindabb.com for up-to-date rates, specials, pictures and recipes.

Although you may not think so now, you WILL get tired of New Mexican cuisine when traveling in New Mexico. And when that happens, the Trading Post Cafe is an alternative to another enchilada or chile rellenos. The restaurant, which doubles as an art gallery(even the pictures in the men's room were for sale) serves Italian cuisine. With an open kitchen and usually crowded dining room (reservations are available for paries of five or more), the Trading Post Cafe is bustling and can be a bit loud at times. I had an excellent spinach salad, but I found my entree of linguine with salmon in an asparagus cream sauce to be a bit bland.

Overall, the Trading Post Cafe is a good alternative to New Mexican food, but it's certainly not the best Italian food I've had.

Get more information at www.nmrestaurants.com/TradingPost

Located just west of Taos is the spectacular Rio Grande Gorge, which seems to come out of nowhere as you're driving west. A small parking area is located nearby, so tourists can park and test their fear of heights as they walk over the bridge. While the bridge structure itslef is not very impressive, the view from the bridge is unbeatable. When on the bridge you're 650 feet above the Rio Grande, and the bridge provides a perfect (and scary) vantage point to view the gorge. Be ready for the way the bridge sways when trucks pass by!