Taos Pueblo

We spent a few days in the Taos area including a long visit at the Taos Pueblo. It is the oldest continuously inhabited community in the United States. The two main structures are believed to be well over 1000 years old. The buildings are actually many individual homes built side by side with common walls but no common doors. The buildings are made entirely of adobe and there is a restriction of no running water or electricity being allowed. There is the Red Willow Creek running through the compound that they use for drinking water and there are fireplaces and a few wood stoves in some homes and outdoor Horno adobe ovens for baking. About 150 people live within the walls under these restrictions but many more live just outside the walls in more modern but modest adobe homes. Many of the first floor units have been converted to rustic shops were crafts are made and sold. While some places had obvious items that they purchased for resale, we did find some of the especially the older craftsmen that were making the items right in their shop and selling only what they made. We wandered more of the downtown plaza shops and then headed back to our camp on the river. We really like this Northern New Mexico country and culture but the prices are “artistically high” with lots of New York and California wealth and we think the winters would do us in.