One of the benefits of a Taos ski vacation is the shopping. The Taos shops are quirky and diverse with lots of goodies such as gorgeous art, home decorations and souvenirs. You may struggle to fit your desired purchases into your suitcase (or your car!).
Taos Ski Shops
There are several ski shops at Taos Ski Valley resort, most of which have equipment rentals as well as retail. The emphasis at TSV is still on the skier with a greater predominance of ski hardwear and clothing relative to snowboard gear. Alpine Xtreme at Edelweiss is probably the exception, selling snowboard garb from Burton, Roxy and Billabong.
The Boot Doctors not only sell and fit ski boots; they also have a large range of ski equipment, clothing and accessories. Cottam’s ski shop at TSV is largely a rental shop with a few ski accessories and lots and lots of Taos souvenirs.
Cottam’s also has a store in the town of Taos, and there are a few other ski/outdoor shops in town. The most interesting is Taos Mountain Outfitters (on the plaza) who have a range of gear for skiing, climbing, backcountry adventures and outdoor sports. They sell functional ski clothing and have a small range of powder skis.
General Taos Shopping
In town there are lots of shops selling interesting jewellery to suit a range of budgets. Silver and turquoise are the most popular elements, and it’s difficult for females to resist the temptation to buy some jewellery.
At the Taos Pueblo (a few miles out of town) there are lots of artisans selling arts and crafts such as pottery, jewellery (again lots of silver and turquoise), photography, paintings and drums. It’s possible to watch the artists at work in the shops, making their creations with techniques that have passed down through the Pueblo Indian generations. The Taos Pueblo also has a contemporary shop that sells a range of souvenirs.
Galleries
Many people think of Santa Fe as the art capital of New Mexico, even though there are a greater number of galleries per capita in Taos. Either way you know you’ve got plenty of choice when it comes to art as there are galleries galore. Spanish, Mexican, and American Indian are common themes for the contemporary or traditional art, and the art mediums and disciplines are incredibly diverse.
Shopping in Santa Fe
In addition to the many galleries, Santa Fe (about a 90 minute drive away) also has very interesting shopping. The town square has a daily Native American market, the Native American Vendors Program of the Palace of the Governors. The little stalls sell a variety of knick knacks and jewellery including the popular silver and turquoise pieces. The stall vendors do it tough having to sit outside in the freezing winter cold; it’s tough enough being a shopper!
If you need to keep warm, head to one of the various arcades that have fashion boutiques and fascinating shops selling artefacts, cowboy boots, jewellery (for a range of budgets) and pottery.
The most common item for sale in Santa Fe seems to be a ristra (Spanish for string) of chillies. New Mexico has 20,000 acres of chilli plantations so I guess that have to sell them somewhere.
Grocery Shopping
At Taos Ski Valley there is a small grocery and liquor store at Bumps Market at the Snakedance Condo Complex.
A bigger range and more economical prices can be found at one of the supermarkets in town. Cid’s Food Market is on the main street of Taos about 2km north of the town centre (you might even spot Julia Roberts here if you’re lucky), or Supersave Discount Foods and Albertson’s are at the south end of town.