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Luxury travel website Tripveel released its latest “5 Reasons to Visit . . .” feature today with 5 Reasons to Visit Taos.  We especially love #3: Yes, The Blonde Bear Tavern.

Located within Edelweiss Lodge & Spa—The Blonde Bear Tavern personifies the unique personality of Taos Ski Valley like no other. Chef Jon Mudder has transformed this once-sleepy restaurant into a world-class destination that is now known throughout the Rocky Mountains for its critically-acclaimed food.

Read the whole thing here.  Their Instagram post is here.

Tripveel is powered by Booking.com and OpenTable, part of the Priceline Group.

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So says Food Editor Allison Spiegel, on Monday’s Huffington Post post entitled “Bucket List Places You Need To See In The Next Decade“.

“The world will look very different in the next decade than it does today. For travelers, this means the time to explore is now. . .  Before our world’s landscape changes even more, here are the destinations that should go straight to the top of your bucket list in the next decade.”

Besides Taos Ski Valley, she recommends:

• The Philippines
• Macedonia
• Elqui Valley, Chile
• Great Barrier Reef
• Malawi
• Bolivia
• Maldives
• Mongolia
• Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem, Thailand

Plus this:

“Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico is so much more than just a ski mountain. Rugged and remote, Taos is famous for its breathtaking scenery and the “legendary light” that has inspired artists like Georgia O’Keeffe. Taos has always had a sort of mystique about it. In 2013, billionaire Louis Bacon bought the mountain from its founders the Blake family, promising this lovably weathered mountain would get a “much-needed shot in the arm,” as The New York Times put it. This year, a chair lift opened to Kachina Peak, which had previously only been accessible by a hike. Thirty-five acres of new tree skiing opened, too, and the village’s ski lodge also got an upgrade. Ski Taos in the next 10 years to take advantage of these new developments, and also to experience the unique charm of the place while it lasts.”

Read the whole thing.

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From New Mexico magazine’s Nick Heil.

Here’s what he says about The Blonde Bear Tavern:

We made a few more runs before I knocked off that afternoon and headed to The Blonde Bear Tavern, in the lobby of the Edelweiss Lodge and Spa, for an après beer. What the Ski Valley has in abundant untapped terrain it has long lacked in base-area amenities—at least compared to other A-list resorts in the region. But that’s changing, too, and the Edelweiss offered a glimpse of the future. The Blonde Bear Tavern has a more upscale and cosmopolitan vibe than the other watering holes in the base-area village, with a polished stone bar, leather stools, and a discriminating wine list.

“We want people to come and enjoy a meal in a warm atmosphere that has some sophistication, but that is still casual,” said Jon Mudder, The Blonde Bear’s executive chef and a New York City transplant. “The Ski Valley is always going to have a laid-back attitude, and we don’t want to lose that.”

Read the whole thing here.

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I’ve been gardening since I was a kid in Nebraska.  A few years after planting my first seed – a Lima bean I had plucked from a sack in our pantry and stuck it in the ground – I asked my dad if we could clear some bushes and trees in our back yard to make way for a sunny garden plot.  He agreed and I’ve been gardening ever since.

During the off season here in Taos Ski Valley, we only operate Café Naranja for breakfast and lunch four days a week.  That gives me time to tend to the beautiful gardens that surround the Edelweiss Lodge & Spa.

The Lodge is nestled within the heart of Taos Ski Valley on Sutton Place.  The crystal mountain waters of Rio Hondo meander through the north side of the property; these gardens we keep largely in their natural state.  To the south and east, we offer a more cultivated expression of our microclimate – our terroir.

Our terroir presents unique gardening benefits – and challenges, but this is my second year, so I think I’m getting the hang of it.

Friends and family have asked that I send pictures of my handiwork, so here they are, both for them and for folks that only come to Taos Ski Valley in the winter.

I spend many hours working the gardens, and do so with great pleasure.  My favorite time of day is near dusk, after perhaps a few hours of huffing and puffing in the thin dry mountain air:  tilling, planting, watering.  At sunset the light turns warm, the breeze becomes soft, and I feel close to God.

The music is the favorite of my grandma – Alice Hopp – to whom I dedicate this short film.

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“We’ve gathered the 10 best ski resorts on the continent that offer something for every skier or snowboarder. Bottom line: none here will fail you. You wanted a good time on the slopes? Consider it done.”

Plus this:

“Taos Ski Valley is rugged and natural for the more adventurous inbounds skiers and boarders. You’ll have access to plenty of tame groomers over its 1,300 acres—though, more than 50 percent of the trails are rated to expert—but the draw here is the matrix of untouched bumps, rocks, and drops on unmatched hike-to terrain. That and the 300-plus days of New Mexico sunshine on top of 305 annual inches of snow.”

Read the whole thing.

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