Taos, New Mexico

Taos earns its place on character alone: an adobe town of galleries and plazas set against the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, with Taos Pueblo next door, a living community whose adobe walls are still refinished with fresh plaster each year as part of a village ceremony. Taos Ski Valley, up a winding canyon road, is a steep, serious mountain for winter, and summer brings high-country hikes and long dry days. Food is a genuine reason to come, with New Mexican cooking built on red and green chile. The Pueblo sets its own visitor hours and schedule, which can change, so check before planning a day around it.