Taos, NM Taos Pueblo

Taos Pueblo: Established 1350 AD.

Bandelier National Park, NM.  Tyuonyi Ruins
Climb a mountaintop in northern New Mexico, and you'll inhale the breath of the heavens. Clouds will convince you to reach up and try to touch them. Below lie small villages drenched in natural beauty. The people of this area realize there's no need for artificial adornment, as the trees, mountains and sky provide a grandeur no human effort could match. The area surrounding and surrounded by the Enchanted Circle offers all of nature's best. The circle is an 84-mile scenic drive encompassing Carson National Forest, New Mexico's highest peak, innumerable recreation spots and four communities.
 
 

TOUR OF BEAUTY
Taos, the largest town in the area, rests at the base of the Sangre de Cristo ('Blood of Christ") Mountain Range. A good starting point for the circle tour, Taos is an expansive showcase of local art, culture, history and energy. Follow Paseo del Pueblo Norte north out of town; it later becomes State Highway 522.  (To marvel at the Rio Gorge Bridge, take a seven-mile detour west on U.S. Highway 64 at the Highway 150 junction. The three-span, continuous-truss bridge sprawls 650 feet above the Rio Grande and is the second-highest bridge on the U.S. highway system.) Back on northbound Highway 522, mountains rise in the west, and adobe homes dot the countryside on the east. You'll pass villages of little more than two homes; in tiny Arroyo Hondo, witchcraft is rumored to be prevalent still today.

The D. H. Lawrence Ranch sits five miles east of Highway 522 between Arroyo Hondo and Questa. The author of Lady Chatterley's Lover arrived in Taos in 1922 and praised the landscape as the most fantastic he'd seen. A shrine to the writer is open during daylight hours. After passing through Questa (elevation 7,500 feet), renowned for its honey production, you'll cross the Red River. Cottonwood and willow trees provide contrast to the geometric, salmon-colored cliffs hovering over the road. State Highway 38 east heads through Red River Canyon, ripe with campgrounds and fishing spots. 

HEIGHTS AND SIGHTS
Across from Goat Hill campground lies the Molycorp Molybdenum Mine. More than 125 million tons of molybdenum, used to strengthen steel, have been excavated since 1914. The next stop is Red River (elevation 8,750), the highest town in New Mexico. Shops and cafes line the main street, and the New Mexico Adventure Company, (505) 754-2437, offers jeep tours, horseback riding and white-water rafting. Hop a mountain-bound, open-air jeep for an exhilarating view of town- and white knuckles along the way. Highway 38 exits Red River and passes the Enchanted Forest Nordic Ski Area. Wheeler Peak emerges on the right; the aspen-covered mountain is New Mexico's highest at 13,161 feet. Wildflower patches paint the roadside with daisies, sunflowers and irises. The remains-and purported ghost- of Elizabethtown, New Mexico's first incorporated town, loom to the east on County Road B-20. Five miles south on Highway 38, Eagle Nest town and lake are home to 200 residents and the country's largest privately built dam. The 100,000-acre reservoir is stocked with trout and salmon. At this point, Highway 38 ends and U.S. Highway 64 takes over. The 31-mile stretch looping back to Taos is a designated AAA Scenic Byway.

A few miles south of this point is the D.A.V Vietnam Veterans National Memorial. Built by one family in honor of its son, it was pro- claimed a national memorial in 1987. The visitor center is open Tuesday through Sunday.

Turn east on State Highway 434 to visit Angel Fire, home of the ever-expanding Angel Fire Resort. The energetic staff will have you skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, golfing, fishing, hiking, biking- even scaling an indoor rock-climbing wall. The beautiful hotel welcomes your tired body when night comes. Return to Taos via curvy U.S. 64. Keep your camera handy, as you'll wind through a dazzling section of Carson National Forest, rich with hiking and biking trails. For a special adventure, call El Pasco Llama Expeditions, (800) 455-2627, to arrange for a furry hiking companion. These gentle creatures will be glad to carry your camping gear and small children, but they'll pause every few steps for a bite of something tempting and green. As El Paseo owner An- drew Crooker says, "The llamas think they're being led through a gigantic, walk-through salad bar." Their diet makes for fresh, pine-scented breath; if you can, steal a "llama kiss" (a nose-to-nose exchange of breath).

ADOBE AND ART
Back in Taos, more adventures await. The town brims with 90 art galleries, seven museums and eye-catching spots everywhere in between. Nearly every budding, including McDonald's, is made of adobe. An interesting exception is a house fashioned from beer cans, north- west of town on Blueberry Hill Road. The area's 60-some hotels, condos    and bed-and-break- fasts offer lodgings to suit every taste and budget. In the Historic Taos Plaza, check out Hotel la Fonda's "disco-Aztec" decor, complete with bright blue and red carpeting. The more serene Fechin Inn is inspired by Russian artist Nicolai Fechin and laced with intricate wood carvings; the Historic Fechin House Museum adjoins.

After deciding where to spend your nights, you must choose how to fill your days. Native Sons Adventures, (800) 753-7559, offers year-round wilderness tours. Customize your adventure: raft the Rio Grande; hike or bike Carson National Forest; ski or snowmobile. For fly-fishing action, hook up with Los Rios Anglers, (800) 748-1707.

Taos Ski Valley sits 19 miles northeast of town. With a base elevation of 9,200, the valley offers astonishing views, 72 runs and a yearly snowfall of 321 inches. A large handful of lodgings includes the snug Hotel Edelweiss and the elegant Inn at Snakedance.

Two miles north of Taos is the Taos Pueblo, built in 1350 and still home to the Taos Indians. The National Historic Monument is open for tours year-round, except during religious ceremonies. Whatever your itinerary, the views and charm of the Enchanted Circle will send you soaring. The area's nickname, "Soul of the Southwest," fits perfectly. Standing amid New Mexico's mountains, I was certain I'd found heaven.

BEFORE YOU GO
Add a musical, historical narrative to your Enchanted Circle drive; four different "Down the Road in New Mexico" tour tapes are available from area native Maggie Greenwood, (505) 377-6870. Contact your local AAA office and the Taos Visitor Center, (800) 732-8267, for information on attractions and accommodations.