Jennie is a wife and a mother of two boys; she tells how her family savors days on the mountain. Not only does she love the snow, but she has a general adoration of winter. She’s enthusiastic about making soups, stews and chilies in cold weather, and relishes a cup or bowl in front of the fire with her family.
Over the past three years she embarked on a journey to hunt down the best soups as she traveled to Sun Valley, Jackson Hole, Mt. Bachelor, Mt. Hood, Whitefish Mountain., Big Sky, Moonlight Basin, Heavenly, Northstar-at-Tahoe, Park City, Vail, and Beaver Creek. What grew from these travel experiences was what she describes as a perfectly balanced recipe for life: a ski town, a comfortable restaurant, and a yummy bowl of soup. As she likes to say: “Although soup is typically meant to simmer, life is meant to boil!”
The Ski Town Soups cookbook is a must-have souvenir for skiers and foodies alike. The book is a beautiful, colorful rendition of 60 North American ski resorts, restaurant dining rooms, renowned chefs, and over 100 unique soup recipes with ultimate regional flare.
I’ve had a chance to preview this cookbook before it’s available to the public and I’m happy to recommend it to anyone who loves soups, chowders, bisques, and chilies. The recipes are conveniently categorized in these sections. Each recipe is rated with a “difficulty level” from “easiest” to “most difficult”. The recipes were shared by some of the best chefs in North America’s mountain resorts and features beautiful photographs not only of the delicious dishes, but of the continent’s most beautiful mountain getaways.
The book’s foreword is provided by Kelly Liken, who, along with her husband, owns Restaurant Kelly Liken in Vail, Colorado. She begins by saying, “It has been said that the mark of a great chef can be found in their creation of a great soup.”
You can order the book from Amazon by clicking here. For a preview, check out Jennie’s blog at www.skitownsoups.com.
Andreas and Ingeborg Dirnagl (left) enjoying the 1957 Oktoberfest, Munich*
Oktoberfrest is a 16-day festival held each year in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It runs from late September to the first weekend in October. Oktoberfest is one of Germany’s most famous events and is considered the world’s largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending every year. Countless communities across the world also celebrate this beer festival, and Taos Ski Valley is no exception! Our celebration is Saturday, September 15th.
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History of Oktoberfest
Theresienwiese (Photo courtesy The Oktoberfest Website)
Crown Prince Ludwig, who later became King, married Princess Terese of Saxe-Hildburghausen on October 12, 1810. Everyone in Munich was invited to the festivities held on the fields at the city gates. The fields were named Theresienwiese (“Theresa’s Meadow”) in honor of the Princess. The locals refer to the field as Wies’n.
Horse races in the presence of the Royal Family marked the event’s closing that was celebrated as a festival for the whole of Bavaria. The decision to repeat the horse races in the subsequent year gave rise to the tradition of the Oktoberfest.
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Two Classic Dishes
Along with the ubiquitous bratwurst, pretzels, and (of course) beer, there are two other dishes that abound during Oktoberfest season: Obatzda (cheese and beer dip on rye bread) and Datschi (fruit-topped cake).
I turned to The Blonde Bear Tavern’s Consulting Chef, Andreas Dirnagl, for these classic recipes (klassischen Rezepten). Andreas’s parents (pictured above) are Bavarian natives, who moved to the United States shortly after their 1957 marriage.
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Obatzda
Photo courtesy Klaus-Maria Einwanger
Chef Andreas gives us background:
A Bavarian specialty in the beer gardens, Obatzda is really more of a spread than a dip. Use a good hearty rye or dark bread (sliced works best). Place a slice of bread on a plate with a scoop of the spread on top. Garnish with onion, chive, and paprika. You can also serve radishes with salt and butter on the side. Yum!
Place garlic in a small baking dish, drizzle lightly with olive oil, and season with salt. Pour a bit of water in the bottom of the dish, cover tightly with foil, and roast in 375° oven for about an hour.
Place the Camembert in a medium bowl, add the cream cheese, butter, ale, garlic, and caraway seeds
Add paprika, salt and pepper to taste; beat well to combine
Take about 2/3 of the onions and sauté in olive oil until golden
In a strainer, rinse the remaining raw onions under cold water; drain and transfer to a clean kitchen towel, squeezing out the liquid. Combine with sautéed onions
Fold onion mixture into the cheese mixture
Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or up to 4 days.
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Note: For a more authentic texture, set aside about 1/3 of the Camembert in a small dice and then fold it into the finished product. You may also use a bit of the rind.
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Datschi
Datschi (pronounced dah-chi) is a Bavarian word that means any of a variety of fruit-topped cake. Again, Chef Andreas gives us background:
Photo courtesy Deutschland Card
Commonality is that the dough is pressed into a straight sided pan (Datschi comes from the verb detschen, which means “to smoosh”). There is no rim built up on the edges of the dough, and it is topped with some form of fresh fruit. Streusel topping is optional. The dessert is served simply on a small plate, usually topped with a dollop of whipped cream.
These cakes are a mainstay of every Bavarian bakery and major open air festival, as they can be made in big sheets. Fruit topping is variable, although plum is the most common. If you want authenticity, you need Italian plums. Remember in baking – if it eats sour, it bakes sweet and vice versa. Italian plums look kind of like plum tomatoes (as opposed to regular plums, which are round) and are quite sour if you eat them raw. When you bake them they become sweet / sour.
This recipe is from my mom, Inge, and is quite common in the Bavarian neighborhood where she grew up:
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Ingredients:
For the Cake
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 sticks unsalted butter, cubed at room temperature
2 eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum
about 40 Italian plums, pitted and quartered
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For the Optional Streusel
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
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Preparing Datschi
Mix all the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Blend 30 seconds.
Add the cubed butter and process until crumbly.
Combine eggs, vanilla, and rum (it will look slightly curdled). Add to the food processor bowl and process until the dough just begins to form (it will look and feel like soft sugar cookie dough).
Turn out and roll the dough, forming a thick log the length of a 26″ by 18″ “half sheet” pan. Place down the center of the pan and use your hands and knuckles to push dough into all corners and edges of the pan. It should be flat, with no “rim” on the sides.
Place the fruit on top in a decorative, repetitive pattern (with an eye towards cutting servings into squares or rectangles.
Bake in preheated 375 degree oven until the dough rises slightly between the fruit slices and the fruit has softened and begins to brown slightly, about 30 minutes.
If not topping with the optional streusel, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar after about 10 minutes of baking.
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For optional streusel:
Combine all ingredients except butter, and mix well.
Drizzle with butter, and using fingertips, combine to form streusel.
Sprinkle over fruit topping before baking.
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Variations:
If using apples, use a tart variety. Peel, core, and slice into about 1/2″ wedges. You can also use about a 1/4 inch layer of apricot or raspberry jam or jelly if you have no fruit on hand. If using jam or jelly topping, then streusel is no longer optional – rather double the streusel recipe and completely cover the jam/ jelly topping with streusel before baking.
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Oktoberfest at Taos Ski Valley
This year looks to be the biggest and best Oktoberfest in Taos Ski Valley. And it’s FREE fun for all ages.
The day will feature an authentic Schuplatter band and dancers, German beer and food, activities for kids, Brat eating contest, Yodeling contest, Alpenhorn blowing contests, and more.
Our Village stores will be offering pre-season blowout prices on ski gear and sporting apparel.
At my request, Andreas sent me an Oktoberfest picture with his mom (whose Datschi recipe she graciously shared) and dad (who is now deceased). He sent the following accompanying message, which I think bears repeating:
The year was 1957 and Mom was 28. This is Oktoberfest as it used to be. Mom is on the left with my dad immediately behind her. They would have been married all of 4 months at this point. Behind my dad is my grandfather (mom’s dad). The woman on the right is my Aunt Maria and the man with his arm around her shoulder is her husband, my Uncle Siegried (my dad’s brother). The other man is a stranger who photo bombed the picture.
Mom says that she and my Aunt went for a walk to see the sights at Oktoberfest and the men stayed back in the tent to save the seats. By the time they got back, the men were ripped and as she passed by to sit down my uncle grabbed her beret and wore it for the picture.
At Bellavitae in New York, we enjoyed serving the many celebrities who dined with us. As I wrote when we closed, “I’ve never been star struck, but it was always fun to have famous people in the restaurant, many of whom became regulars.”
Here in northern New Mexico, we dine with different kinds of stars – thousands of them twinkling above in the heavens. At an altitude of nearly 10,000 feet, the dry Southwest sky is virtually free of humidity, dust, and manmade pollutants, enabling brilliant stars to penetrate the velvet darkness above.
This summer, The Blonde Bear Tavern will be serving a gourmet dinner on a moonless night to celebrate the stars: August 11th at 7:00 pm. Joining us will be Geoff Goins and Night Sky Adventures, who will show us the night’s universe, in real time, with our own eyes. After dessert, we’ll explore the night sky through one of the largest telescopes in New Mexico – with one of the best astronomy guides in the country.
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The Menu
The prix fixe menu is Piedmont-inspired – an Italian region also known for its spectacular Alpine night skies. And the dates correspond with Taos Ski Valley’s local chanterelle season – so if Mother Nature cooperates, these fabulous mushrooms will be a part of the menu.
Insalata di Lattuga con Pinoli e Parmigiano
Lettuce Salad with Toasted Pine Nuts, Parmigiano Shavings and Balsamic Vinaigrette
Fagiano con Chanterelle e Funghi Selvatici
Pheasant with Taos Ski Valley Chanterelle and Wild Mushroom Sauce
Gnocchi alla Parigina
Parisian-style Gnocchi
Verdure di Stagione
Seasonal Vegetables
Composta di Frutti di Bosco con Gelato
Mixed Berries sautéed in Balsamic Vinegar with Vanilla Gelato
Price: $28.95 per person + tax and gratuity, beverages not included. We will be offering several specially selected wines by the bottle and glass.
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The Night Sky
Geoff promises a spectacular summer sky:
“Depending on the time of year, the rings of Saturn, Jupiter’s great red spot and moons are all plainly visible. The polar ice caps, surface color variations and dust storms of Mars, the crescent phases, and beautiful cloud tops of Venus and the green disk of Uranus all show their beauty through the eyepiece. The space walk feel of the surface of the Moon at over 300 power is simply breathtaking.”
He encourages questions and guests are welcome to bring their own binoculars and to share their experiences.
One interesting note: The annual Perseids Meteor Shower – the most famous of all meteor showers – will be peaking around August 11th. It never fails to provide an impressive display and, due to its summertime appearance, tends to provide the majority of meteors seen by non-astronomy enthusiasts.
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Please Join Us!
Pardon the pun, but if the planets align on this date, we’re sure to have a magical evening.
Seating is limited and reservations are essential. For more information or to make your reservation, call 575-737-6900.
Oriental poppy in our front garden (photo courtesy Jeff Caven)
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One of the great pleasures of living at Taos Ski Valley’s Edelweiss Lodge and Spa is that in addition to my responsibilities for our two restaurants, I oversee the property’s lovely Alpine gardens. Okay — I am the gardener — and I love it.
I’ve always enjoyed gardening and have tilled soil since I was a kid — when I first planted a raw lima bean in some dirt behind our garage. I watered the spot religiously and within a week or two the darned thing sprouted. It was the most miraculous thing I had ever experienced. I still remember the thrill of discovering Mother Nature’s beginnings of life.
The memory of that childhood feeling came rushing back this morning as I was drinking coffee and sauntering past the oriental poppies in our front garden. The first five of our dozens of buds popped open overnight and greeted me with their beautiful salmon color, exotic form, and sensual mystery, as their long slender stems nonchalantly swayed in the morning’s quiet Alpine breeze.
Happily, photographer Jeff Caven is currently staying with us. I asked him to snap a photograph, and he kindly obliged. The lovely image is posted above.
Taos, of course, is famous for poppies, made so by its notable resident, Georgia O’Keefe. Long before artists like Robert Mapplethorpe (whose work I greatly admire) photographed sensual depictions of orchids and calla lilies, Georgia O’Keefe painted flowers, using photographic techniques such as cropping and close-ups, even before the technology of color film or large photographic blow-ups had been invented.
O’Keefe explained:
“A flower is relatively small. Everyone has many associations with a flower… still–in a way–nobody really sees a flower–really–it is so small…. So I said to myself–I’ll paint what I see…but I’ll paint it big and they will be surprised into taking time to look at it…even busy New Yorkers [will] take time to see what I see of flowers….When you [refering to critics and others who wrote about these paintings] took time to really notice my flower you hung all your associations with flowers on my flower as if I think and see what you think and see of the flower–and I don’t.”
Her most famous painting is arguably Oriental Poppies, painted in 1927 (two years before beginning her work in northern New Mexico) and is now part of the Weisman Art Museum‘s permanent collection in Minneapolis. Painted in New York, the work measures 30″ x 40″ and resembles an image as if seen through a magnifying glass. O’Keefe uses brilliant red and orange – pioneering at the time – juxtaposed with indigo of the flowers’ centers. The crisp shading and brilliant borders provide hypnotic contrast to the petals’ velvet texture. What soon became obvious to critics was the lack of context: there is no background to the painting, drawing the viewer’s focus deep into the flowers, presenting them as pure abstracts.
Courtesy Weisman Art Museum - Minneapolis
“Oriental Poppies”
Georgia O’Keefe (1887 – 1986)
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"Floating Bowls on a Rock Garden" in our back patio. Photo courtesy Jeff Caven
And so. . . this morning I was sipping coffee, enjoying the morning sunrise above the whispering pines — and there they were: magnificent poppies that a transplanted busy New Yorker not only noticed, but celebrated. A childhood amazement returned, a connection was made with Taos and its most famous artist, and a remembrance was triggered of a New Mexican poet, Santa Fe’s May Sarton [Eleanore Marie Sarton], who once wrote:
“Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace.”
This weekend, extreme skiers and boarders from around the Southwest will descend on the rugged slopes and ridges of Taos Ski Valley for the annual Ben Myers Ridge-a-Thon.
Now in its 16th year, this grueling event attracts winter athletes — including former Governor Gary Johnson — who compete in an intense two-day skiing / boarding marathon. The event supports the Emergency Medicines Fund of the Taos Community Foundation.
This year The Blonde Bear Tavern will provide the food for the event’s awards party and celebration.
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The Event
Hiking Kachina Peak (click to enlarge)
Singles or two-man teams hike and ski the extreme terrain and ridges of Taos Ski Valley non-stop for five hours. The object is to ski as many runs as possible within the time allotted. The competition ends at 2:00 pm, at which time participants may choose to hike and ski Kachina Peak, which will count as three bonus runs.
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Taos Community Foundation’s Emergency Medicines Fund
The Fund provides vouchers for the purchase of prescription medications at wholesale cost from local pharmacies. The result is free prescriptions to eligible individuals. The Fund is an emergency alternative to more long-term assistance. Emergency Medicines supports local nonprofit organizations within Taos and western Colfax counties that are currently engaged in emergency service activities and provide assistance to undeserved individuals.
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Ben Myers
Ben Myers
Ben Myers was a well-known local extreme skier who died at the age of 26 of a rare cancer. His friends organized the Ridge-a-Thon in 1997 to collect money to pay his medical expenses. Today, the event helps others in similar situations.
Ben’s legacy lives on — not only his enthusiasm for skiing and Taos Ski Valley — but through this important yearly event that allows us all to help our friends and neighbors.
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How You Can Help
Participants are currently soliciting donations, usually a set dollar amount for each run accomplished during the two days. I’m sponsoring our own Kent Forté, who is participating for the sixth year. Last year he completed 38 runs in the two days!
If you’re not familiar with a participant, please consider donating to this very worthy cause by visiting the Taos Community Foundation website.
Here’s a terrific video, which highlights Ben Myers, his dedicated friends and family, and the Ridge-A-Thon. It also shows some beautiful shots of Taos Ski Valley:
“Just what makes a classic ski town? It starts, naturally, with skiing and snowboarding so good they attract people like youth-bestowing fountains. Then add an inviting mountain burg steeped in ski heritage, amenities, and culture. These are the 25 best.”
The article describes Taos Ski Valley as “a narrow valley engulfed by precipitous peaks. The Swiss-style chalets at the area’s base exude an old-time European character while the town itself feels like a funky Southwestern artist’s colony.”
And the skiing?
“The mountain offers some of the finest steep skiing and boarding in the U.S., with powder that rivals Utah’s for lightness. You can ski double diamonds top to bottom here. The most challenging terrain—and best powder runs—come on the hike-access West Basin and Highline ridges and the area’s highpoint, 12,481-foot Kachina Peak (check in with ski patrol before attempting). Taos operates one of the country’s most highly regarded ski schools—for beginners and the already skilled—which is good because the terrain demands it. There are no high-speed lifts here, which somehow suits the mountain’s almost mystical, apart-from-the-world vibe.”
And the best ski run:
“The classic ski run at Taos Ski Valley for experts willing to climb ten minutes is Stauffenberg, named after the Nazi army officer who plotted to assassinate Hitler. It’s a classic steep chute with hundred-mile views! For something mellower, try Honeysuckle, a long groomer that’s sunny and scenic.”
I am constantly asked the question, “How do I improve my wine knowledge?” To which I always respond, “Keep drinking!” There’s no better way to familiarize yourself with wines than a wine tasting. It’s a great way to experience new vintages of your favorites, and to explore other varietals and regions around the world.
The Reserve Tasting will be held at the elegant El Monte Sagrado Resort, with a dozen of Taos’ best restaurants serving signature appetizers alongside tastes of reserve wine from owners and winemakers from 30 participating wineries. This Opening Night Reserve Tasting also features a silent auction of wine to benefit the Taos High School Culinary Arts Program.
The Grand Tasting will be held right here in Taos Ski Valley, and will feature more than 155 different wines from 30 participating wineries — and tastes from a dozen of Taos and Taos Ski Valley’s finest restaurants, including The Blonde Bear Tavern. A silent auction of rare wines benefits the Taos Community Foundation.
For more information and tickets, visit the Taos Winter Wine Festival website. Please stop by our booth to say hello — and after the event, why not come to The Blonde Bear Tavern for dinner and a little more wine?
Click on map to see participating chefs (continuously updated)
The Blonde Bear Tavern is joining the celebration, and you can, too. Learn the history of this centuries-old iconic dish, along with an in-depth look at the optimal ingredients and their correct proportion, as we reveal our famed recipe here.
As we closed Bellavitae last year, I wrote a blog post titled “Six Magical Years“, which concluded: “So what happens next? All I can say is look for Bellavitae in the future – and look in unexpected places.”
Well, here I am.
Photo courtesy Altitude Asphyxiation
Back to my beloved Southwest, but this time instead of the Sonoran Desert, I live nearly 10,000 feet above sea level, nestled within the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in northern New Mexico – in a charming village named Taos Ski Valley.
Mysterious and spiritual, dramatic yet peaceful – the scenery in this distant setting is simply breathtaking. Taos is full of juxtapositions – of contrasts really – that give one pause. This is a place where extreme skiers, hardy mountaineers, nature lovers, creative artists, haute cuisine, and native peoples live in harmony.
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The Blonde Bear Tavern
We’ve come to Taos Ski Valley to re-create The Blonde Bear Tavern, a restaurant and wine bar within the Edelweiss Lodge and Spa. Joining me are Chefs Sophia Vigil, Josh Tate, and consulting Chef Andreas Dirnagl. Rounding out our team is Wine Manager and Mixologist Rushan Perera.
Skiing originated in Europe and was refined in world-famous resorts throughout the Alps. Our menu gives a taste of classic dishes from those regions interpreted through the casual laid-back attitude for which the Taos Ski Valley is known.
We call it Alpine Comfort Food. The flavors are very familiar to the American palate, but the origins – like those of Taos Ski Valley – are European. We add some American classic dishes too. When designing the menu, I asked myself, “After skiing one of the world’s famously challenging mountains, what would I want to eat?”
Our from-scratch menu uses ingredients sourced locally in New Mexico whenever possible, with an emphasis on organic producers.
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Taos Ski Valley
Some 15 miles northeast from and 2,200 feet higher than Taos is the village of Taos Ski Valley. The village lies at an elevation of 9,207 feet; however, it reaches elevations of 12,581 feet with the highest residential dwelling at 10,350 feet, making Taos Ski Valley the highest municipality in the United States. Wheeler Peak, the tallest mountain in New Mexico at 13,161 feet, overlooks the village.
Photo courtesy OnTheSnow
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As of the 2010 census, there were 69 people counted as residents of the village. So when I moved here, the population increased nearly 1.5 percent!
Taos Ski Valley combines the founders’ Swiss/French/Austrian roots with the rich heritage of the area’s Native Americans. Known for its dramatic peaks, black steeps and deeps, remote chutes and long blue/green cruisers,Taos Ski Valley is rapidly gaining a reputation as the ultimate ski and snowboarding destination in North America.
The skiing and snowboarding here are intense – okay – Bad Ass. With over half the runs labeled Black Diamond or Double Black Diamond,Taos Ski Valley is world famous for its steep terrain, dry powder, and world-class skiers. Don’t believe the bad ass part? Check this out, filmed just days ago:
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Here’s another clip that gives a flavor of the area. It’s a sneak preview of the movie “A Season in the Life” shot at the Log Mahal, Taos Ski Valley, and various backcountry locations:
My favorite thing about skiing here? It’s a contrast from the above videos: The wilderness. The mountain’s solitude. The interaction with nature. There are no views of interstate highways, vast condominium communities, or golf courses designed by some retired pro.
With Kachina and Wheeler Peaks watching overhead, the only encounter you may have is with occasional wildlife. The only sound you may hear is that of your skis cutting through deep powder, or perhaps the internal sound of your heart pounding from the exhilaration of accelerating down the steep grade. Your mind now focused on maneuvering through the various runs of the mountain, forgetting your troubles, now so far away.
And when you reach the mountain’s bottom, you saunter into The Brown Bear Tavern and shout, “What’s for dinner? I’m starving!”
Après-Ski
And that’s where we come into play. With Après-Ski commencing daily at 2:00, nestle into one of the overstuffed chairs by the fireplace and sip on a Decadent Hot Chocolate or Hot Toddy. Enjoy crostini and crostone, or nibble on Native American pita bread – chemaith – served with black bean humus or spinach-artichoke dip. Or consider some prosciutto di Parma served with Navajo fry bread, fried little meatballs, or an international cheese plate.
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Dinner
Our alpine comfort food revolves around classic dishes from the Alps: French Boeuf Bourguignon (country French stew), Bavarian Jägerschnitzel (paillard of chicken breast with wild mushroom sauce), Swiss Côte d’Agneau Doigts Brûlés (lamb chops from New Mexico’s Talus Wind Ranch), and Alto Adige’s Salmone con Salsina di Barbaforte (sautéed salmon with green apple horseradish sauce). Or how about an All-American Chicken Pot Pie topped with puff pastry?
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Wine
Toasting with Casanova di Neri’s Giacomo Neri
We take our wine seriously, but with no pretense. And we took great care to create an offering that compliments the food and reflects our surroundings.
We also feature wines from New Mexico’s own Gruet Winery and Napa Valley’s Merryvale Vineyards. And if you’ve ever been skiing in the Alps, you expect to drink Austria’s Grüner Veltliner. We pour ours from Loimer.
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Come and Enjoy
Spectacular scenery, interesting people, serious skiers, and rich cultural heritage. Add to the mix fabulous food and wine and you get, well, Taos Chic. We’ll continue to blog about our experience here in Taos Ski Valley, sharing recipes, wine notes, and cultural observations. Come join us. There’s a lot to experience.
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Taos – An Ancient Community
“Sunset over the Sangres Mountains” Photo by Geraint Smith
Taos Pueblo The Taos Pueblo has been occupied for nearly a millennium. The pueblo was built between 1000 and 1450 A.D. and is the oldest continuously inhabited community in the United States.
Photo courtesy Luca Galuzzi
It is the most northern of the New Mexico pueblos and, at some places, is five stories high; composed of many individual homes with common walls. There are over 1,900 people in the Taos pueblo community. Some of them have modern homes near their fields, but there are about 150 people who live at the pueblo year-around.
Spanish Colonization Taos was established around 1615 as Fernandez de Taos, following the Spanish conquest of the Indian Pueblo villages. The relationship between the Spanish settlers and Taos Pueblo was initially amicable, but eventually turned sour, leading to a revolt in 1640; Taos Indians killed their priest and a number of Spanish settlers, and fled the pueblo, not returning until 1661.
In 1680, Taos Pueblo joined the widespread Pueblo Revolt. After the Spanish Reconquest of 1692, Taos Pueblo continued armed resistance to the Spanish until 1696, when Governor Diego de Vargas defeated the Indians at Taos Canyon.
During the 1770s, the Comanches of eastern Colorado repeatedly raided Taos. However, in 1779, Juan Bautista de Anza, governor of the Province of New Mexico, led a successful punitive expedition against the Comanches.
U.S. territory and statehoodMexico ceded the region to the U.S. in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo after the Mexican-American War. After the U.S. takeover of New Mexico in 1847, Hispanics and American Indians in Taos staged a rebellion, known as the Taos Revolt, in which the newly appointed U.S. Governor, Charles Bent, was killed. New Mexico became a territory of the United States in 1850 and reached statehood in 1912. The English name Taos derives from the native Taos language, meaning “place of red willows”.
Taos Art Colony Beginning in 1899, artists began to settle in Taos; six formed the Taos Society of Artists in 1915. In time, the Taos Art Colony developed. Many paintings were made of local scenes, especially of Taos Pueblo and activities there, as the artists often used Native Americans from the pueblo as models in their paintings. Some of the artists’ studios have been preserved, including the Ernest L. Blumenschein House, the Couse/Sharp Historic Site, and the Nicolai Fechin house. Influential later 20th-century Taos artists include R. C. Gorman and Agnes Martin.
