Taos – A Scott Odyssey

We only planned on spending one night in Taos so we were upset to check out of the awesome hotel we were staying at. Before we left Taos we wanted to check out the Taos Pueblo. It is a UNESCO site or something like that. Any settlement that has been around for 1100 years is cool to me. We got a tour and walked around a bit. It was very interesting to see.

From the Pueblo we took off for Santa Fe. We took what everyone calls the high road to Taos, yet the guide book suggested we do it going from Taos so that is what we did. It was only about 30-45 minutes longer than the other direction. We had more breathtaking views of the countryside. We stopped at some carpet stores that do their own weaving. It was interesting but M was more into than I was.

We also stopped for a snack at Sugar Nymphs that was recommended by the books and then we had a late lunch at Rancho De Chimayo before heading off to our hotel outside Santa Fe.

For the last leg of our stay we had reservations at the Hilton Buffalo Thunder Resort. As hotels go it was by far the worst of the 3 hotels we stayed at. it was OK, but the other two were fantastic.

After we checked in we went to the indoor pool for a while before going into Santa Fe for dinner. MC got reservations at a Galisteo Bistro in downtown Santa Fe. The food was ok. Compared to the great places we had been to this was nothing spectacular.

Today was our travel day to Taos. Originally we were supposed to goto Bandelier National Monument but the concierge at the hotel said it was mostly closed due to fires. Instead we went to a pueblo near our hotel for a bit and then headed out to Taos.

It was a a pretty decent drive of about an hour and a half. The views along the way were stunning though. We stopped a few times to take pictures.

Once in Taos we went to Doc Martin’s restaurant. No affiliation to the shoe guy. I was disappointed at that, but it was a nice lunch. After lunch we spent time in downtown Taos checking out all the shops. It was fun but we didn’t buy very much.

After downtown we went to our hotel. We were spending one night at the El Monte Sagrado Living Resort and Spa. This hotel is fantastic. It is by far one of the best hotel rooms I have ever been in. It was huge, we had our own fireplace and just overall really nice. I still think the room M and I had at the Mandarin Orientel in Las Vegas is still the best I have ever stayed in this is in my top 5, and I have traveled a lot.

We spent the afternoon lounging around the indoor pool and reading. I have been glad for the downtime to just relax. I am finishing my Tom Clancy book I started on the cruise last December.

For dinner we stayed at the hotel restaurant. Again a well reviewed restaurant that did not disappoint.