There is more to Taos than zesty chile peppers, New Age shops, and Southwestern art. Sure, that’s what draws most tourists, but visitors to northern New Mexico should take in its mountainous high-desert landscape as well. The Rio Grande Gorge is home to the third highest bridge in the United States at 650 feet, and there are observation platforms along it where you can peer down at the narrow ribbon of river below. Whitewater rafting here offers glimpses of petroglyphs along canyon walls, and llama-supported treks into the canyon end at hidden pockets of hot springs. Taos also has incredible sunsets over the Sangre De Cristo Mountains. Early Spanish settlers named the mountains for the blood-red color the setting sun painted the rocks, scenes that later became inspiration for all that Southwestern art sold in town.