Upon arrival, guests can choose from ten cozy guestrooms, including a suite. The accommodations exemplify stylish Southwestern decor and comfort accented by lavish textiles; many boast fireplaces, patios, outside entrances and Jacuzzi tubs.

On a quest for respite, rediscover your touchstones in life at the Touchstone Inn, Spa and Gallery in Taos, New Mexico.  Artist-owner Bren Price describes the inn as a “very secluded and private location,” which pulls double duty as a “state of mind.” 

“I named the property ‘Touchstone’ when I moved here, because it is a healing property and it has this catalyst-type effect on you that puts you in touch with your inner feelings.  I’ve had people come up to me and tell me that, without any prompting or anything.  I know it affects other people the same way it does me,” Bren says. 

Residing here for 25 years, she started the business in 1993 “from scratch.”  The land, 7400 feet in elevation, borders Pueblo lands and the Rio Pueblo.  Full views of Taos Mountain, Blue Lake, towering trees, gardens (even secrets ones!), patios, fountains and verdant grounds further augment the circa 1800 adobe estate. 

The inn’s rich history, that includes a Native American medicine man that lived in its proximity, helps give Touchstone an oneiric quality.  “You can just feel the spirituality here,” Bren adds.  To reinforce the tranquility theme, guests can experience the seven-course labyrinth that Bren created from four tons of river rock.

In the name of seclusion, however, visitors do not have to sacrifice convenience.  Touchstone is centrally located one mile north of Taos Plaza and 18 miles north of New Mexico’s renowned Taos Ski Valley.  Upon arrival, guests can choose from ten cozy guestrooms, including a suite. The accommodations exemplify stylish Southwestern decor and comfort accented by lavish textiles; many boast fireplaces, patios, outside entrances and Jacuzzi tubs.  From custom luxury baths to down comforters to TV/VCR/HBO, tape/CD players, few, if any, amenities are overlooked.

As one would expect from artists—Bren’s husband John Staple is the other resident artist—the eye not only is appeased, but roused.  Serendipitous encounters consist of such features as cowhides on the floor along with Oriental rugs, longhorns, a ram’s skull and a saddle.  The “gallery side” of Touchstone encompasses Bren’s artwork as well as showcases a variety of Taos artists. 

“I’ve been an artist all my life.  My educational background is art education, all levels; I was an art teacher for years.  I tried to think of how I could make a living with what I have, and it turned into a bed and breakfast.  My husband is a painter and a potter.  He has his pottery studio and kiln here and produces wonderful high-fire porcelain ware,” Bren says. 

View Bren’s expressionistic watercolors with Oriental and southwestern images in the gallery with courtyard and mountain views.  Peruse the intrinsic and historical nature of the area through the books found in the common room named The Leopold in honor of Leopold Stokowski, the famous conductor and arranger and former visitor.  The room is complete with a large corner fireplace; complimentary coffee and tea is available all day.  Couple the ambiance with classical guitar music wafting from the outdoor fountain. 

To infuse a dose of romance, lovers should splurge on The Lawrence or The Mabel.  Both luxurious accommodations have a host of extras, for instance: Jacuzzi tubs, twin sinks, inviting wood-burning fireplaces and private ground floor entrances and patios.   Another indulgence is The Royal, a superbly appointed two-room suite with one king-size and two twin-size beds.  Furnished with a grandly titled bath with Jacuzzi tub, domed skylight and enhanced by a wet bar and candle Kiva fireplace, a novel pastime for visitors is to climb the private stairway that leads to the deck and capture one of the best views in town of Taos Mountain.

For an extra treat, don’t miss the “spa end” of the business.  “We have spa services on site.  Our therapists do anything from a simple massage to a seaweed wrap to a chocolate fondue wrap,” Bren says.

She too likes to call attention to the inn’s workshops from a panoply of art classes to cooking classes and Reiki; a calendar of events is available on the website.  Bren further explains that the workshops are offered through Touchstone Foundation, “a creative educational foundation that was established in 2001.”

A perfect venue for weddings, business gatherings and other special events, in addition to the praise of its visitors, Touchstone has warranted recognition among the media.  For instance, both USA Today and Fodor’s named the establishment as the number one place to be in Taos.  Additionally, the inn is chronicled in the book, Winter in Taos, by Mabel Dodge Lujan and in Taos, A Memory by Miriam Hapgood Dewitt.

Like every Touchstone discovery, breakfast at the quarters is unsurpassed.  In regards to signature items, Bren says, “It’s a tossup between our blueberry pancakes with lemon sauce and our Belgian waffles with raspberry sauce, for me; then there’s also the quiche that comes with the celery-seed dressing.  She states, “We are vegetarian.  We try and make a healthy meal, but served elegantly.”

Delicious, soothing, soulful journeys and rest, the touchstones that life necessitates.   

Touchstone Inn, Spa & Gallery
110 Mabel Dodge Lane,
Taos, NM 87571-1885
Phone: 505-758-0192
Web: www.touchstoneinn.com
Email: touchstone@taosnet.com

 

About the Author: Stacy Lytwyn Maxwell Award-winning journalist Stacy Lytwyn Maxwell has written about many subjects including decorating, healthy lifestyles and has interviewed and written about such luminaries as Judy Collins and Ella Fitzgerald for many national and regional newspapers and magazines. Specializing in travel writing for the past 13 years, she is the author of Consummate Connecticut: Day Trips with Panache. She is also publisher at Cat Tales Press. Her web site is www.cattalespress.com.