Taos

The Hondo Lodge (now the Inn at Snakedance) was his first building and the first lift was installed with the help of 16 locals and a mule. The resort is still run by Ernie’s family and this “hands-on” heritage gives the village a compact, cozy, welcoming feel. But don’t just take our word for it—editors at Ski magazine have given the resort their “Top Choice” accolade too.

Nearby Taos town has plenty of accommodations and attractions. It is a former Spanish settlement featuring picturesque adobe architecture typical of the local Native American culture. (Adobe is earth mixed with water and straw, then either poured into forms or made into sun-dried bricks.) The climate and architecture made Taos an artists’ and writers’ colony—D.H. Lawrence lived here during the 1920s (his ranch is maintained by the University of New Mexico) and famous frontiersman Kit Carson lived here too. The local Indian (Pueblo) culture goes back over 1,000 years. Today Taos is well known as a haven for artists and it boasts many varied galleries. Taos is also the home of the oldest inhabited Native American Pueblo (village) in the U.S.