My Northern New Mexico Love Affair: Beautiful Doors

Whether I have traveled through Taos, Santa Fe, or Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa, rustic wood and painted doors in this area have always captivated me. 

If you have followed this series of New Mexico-focused blog posts, you already know I have a very special affinity for Taos Pueblo (not currently open to the public, due to COVID concerns). The above photos come from several visits I had the privilege of making in the past. 

In Taos, I visited a private home, several times. A garden gate, and a carved door, welcomed guests through a tall adobe wall, which surrounded the entire property. The carved door opened onto a broad courtyard where numerous chile ristras hung.

While traveling with an artist friend, we toured The Mabel Dodge Luhan House, at the end of a quiet Taos country road. Once home to a renowned patron of the arts, it also served as a magnet for artistic luminaries that included Georgia O’Keeffe, D.H. Lawrence, Ansel Adams and Martha Graham, to name a few.

During a different visit, our press group had the pleasure of spending several nights at Taos' El Monte Sagrado, a luxury hotel that sits only blocks from the city's historic plaza-full of shops and restaurants, where individual casitas had brightly painted doors.

​Almost everywhere there's a patio, in Taos, you'll find another one-of-a-kind door, too.

For classic New Mexico and other inventive cuisine, a meal at Cafe Pasquale's is a must. Opened in 1979, the bustling restaurant, shop, and gallery offers breakfast, lunch or dinner favorites, from green chile-flecked griddled polenta to a Oaxacan tamale or Mole Enchiladas.

There's more great food inside the cozy dining room at Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi, where an unexpected dusting of snow greeted us on a chilly spring morning.

And arts lovers can indulge their passion while visiting more than 100 galleries in the Canyon Road neighborhood. Jewelry outposts and restaurants also dot this vibrant area.

There are many lodging choices at Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa but a gorgeous door leads inside, no matter where you stay. And when it comes to using one of Ojo's private pools this entryway-though not a door-is especially inviting. 

Please note: As is common in the travel industry, I may have received accommodations and other compensation for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this post, the writer believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest.​