Bed, Breakfast and Savings in Taos from Now Through June 30

Two nights. That’s the amount of time most visitors give Taos, New Mexico outside of ski season, and the local innkeepers are fed up.

So, these guardians of the town’s most romantic and historic lodgings have joined together for the first time in the Taos' history, to offer a city-wide discount program. From now through June 30, those visitors who stay for three nights at one of the 20 Taos Association of Bed and Breakfast Inns will get the third night at 50% off. That means that visitors to the Adobe & Pines Inn, an 1830’s adobe hacienda updated with bold splashes of color and such niceties as Jacuzzi tubs, CD-players and fireplaces, could pay as little as $245 for the three night stay ($98 for the first two nights, $49 for the last). Other lodgings boast similar rates (along with suites for much, much higher prices).

So is Taos worth more than a two-night stay? That depends on your tastes. Some visitors are underwhelmed by this small town (5000 residents) filled with art galleries and laid-back, former hippies. It’s too cute, too quiet, they think.

Others revel in its aesthetic pleasures, from the beauty of the setting (at the foot of the soaring Sangre de Cristo mountains) to its bustling arts scene (museums, galleries, the oddly shaped homes of the "earthship" residents) and topnotch restaurants. Just outside the town are more than enough diversions to keep outdoor enthusiasts happy—challenging rafting, rock climbing, biking, fishing, even llama trekking. And few leave without visiting Taos' Native American Pueblo, the well preserved home of the Tiwa tribe (many still living in the way their ancestors did several centuries ago), a fascinating and moving community to visit.

For full information on the discount program, go to www.taos-bandb-inns.com.

(Photo of Taos Pueblo by Cynthia Carodean)