At All Roads North, we believe that a place is nothing without its people. So often, when we ask our clients the most memorable parts of their journey, it’s not the Instagram-worthy landscape or acclaimed hotel that they mention, it’s the encounters they had along the way. That’s why our trips are carefully designed to make those connections, providing you with an authentic and immersive experience. These experiences– whether it be with a local craftsman, musician, chef or marine biologist– are the inspiration for our Connections series, where we talk to friends of All Roads North to get an insider’s look at some of our favorite places across the U.S.

What originally lured you to Taos?

Zak: In 1995, a couple of ski bumming buddies of mine called me up and said I had to get out to Taos and ski at Taos Ski Valley. I flew out with another friend. We slept in sleeping bags on the floors of the dirtbag apartment, in which they were living and skied every day. We hiked Kachina Peak, skied the west basin…the terrain blew my mind. Also, there was no one around, the mountain was quiet; no lift lines, no crowded trails, just bluebird days and steep terrain. In college I had always dreamt of becoming a ski bum, but my career got in the way.

What made you decide to call it home?

Jori: Zak and I were living in the Hudson Valley and running Fish + Game. The winters were slow, long, and dark so we would close and spend our winter breaks away in Taos. We’re both avid lovers of mountains and snow and skiing and I crave the sunshine, and Taos had it all. We bought a house in 2017 and holed up there during the pandemic, then decided to sell our restaurants and our home in New York and make Taos our full-time place.

Taos Pueblo

Three words that describe Taos.

Jori: Land of mañana
Zak: Untethered, anachronistic, expansive

What lives up to the hype?

Zak: The landscape. The light changes every day. The mountains take on different shapes and inhabit different spaces. The weather can change faster than you blink. This is the second largest rift in the world and in that sea of sagebrush and endless horizon the significance of the individual shrinks…and eventually disappears.

What’s underrated in Taos, overrated in Taos, personal favorite, and a recent discovery?

Jori: Underrated: The stone fruit that grows here! Seriously the best apricots, cherries, and plums I’ve ever had anywhere. The Fruit Basket in Velarde (between Santa Fe and Taos) has been in business by the same family since 1598. Overrated: The Motorcycle Rally in Red River each summer (oh man, everyone in Taos is going to hate me now). It’s so loud. Personal Favorite: Chokola Bean to Bar is a worldwide, award-winning chocolatier with exceptional products that blow my mind. Recent Discovery: A man called Harold who has a shop inside his family’s home in the Taos Pueblo has a herd of true wild buffalo on his land outside the Pueblo village and he takes people with him to feed them in the mornings.

What was the inspiration for Corner Office?

Jori: Our wine cellar that we moved with us from New York was down to the final three cases. At the time, nobody in this state sold the wines we wanted to drink so we decided if we were to get the wines we were interested in drinking, we should open a wine bar.  Also, there isn’t a natural wine bar in Taos and we felt the town needed that gap filled. The food menu changes seasonally with a few staples that might not ever come off the menu as well
as weekly specials. 

Where do you go to get your nature fix?

Jori: The whole place is just one massive nature fix. It’s only a short drive from our house to the parking lot for the hike to Wheeler Peak (the highest peak in New Mexico) or the lot for Lift 1 for skiing. There are a gazillion trails from flat mesa walks to steep climbs everywhere. The Rio Grande is eight minutes from our house and there are lots of trails to traverse via foot or bike down into the gorge for a swim in the summer. 

Zak: Go a bit further and you have the Rio Costilla, Valle Vidal, Conejos River, San Luis Valley…it’s all sky and earth here.

The Rio Grande Gorge

What surprised you most about the food scene?

Jori: For a small town, I was surprised by the diversity of the cuisine, from Middle Eastern, Indian, Filipino, farm-to-table, sushi, Mexican, New Mexican, Native cuisine, and more. 

Zak: There’s a sense of independence here and also a certain scarcity due to how remote it is, which means people cook for themselves, butcher their own meat, and forage for the country’s best porcini. I think this has created natural relationship with cuisine that is quite unique from other parts of the States in which I’ve lived where a greater variety of products are available and dining out is more of a routine. 

Where do you take friends to eat when they’re in town?

Jori: Our standard go-to since we moved here is Medley. We describe it as the town’s tavern. It’s great for groups. There’s something for everyone and they make great cocktails. For lunch, there’s nothing better than Ranchos Plaza Grill for the absolute best red chile sauce in all the land.   

What’s your Sunday morning in Taos look like?

Jori: Sunday is our last day of service at Corner Office before our “weekend”,so often the morning is very mellow and depending on my exhaustion level is either some outdoor activity or a cuddle into the couch with a movie or book until it’s time to head to work.

Zak: Tuesday is our Sunday and that means if it’s ski season, I’m up on the mountain, if not, probably a couple hours biking in the desert or Jori, and my dog Waylon and I are down by the Rio Grande, drinking wine, playing in the river, enjoying the sunshine.

Get in touch to start planning your own New Mexico adventure or take a peek at our sample journey, Back to the Future in New Mexico

The post Connections: Taos with Zak Pelaccio and Jori Jayne Emde appeared first on All Roads North.

All Roads North got the chance to ask John all our top questions about the remodeling of the new Auberge resort, how it incorporates the soul of Santa Fe, and so much more!

ARN: With Bishop’s Lodge being in such a culturally unique place outside of Santa Fe, how do you handle remodeling and giving it a fresh, new look while staying true to that culture?

JV: It’s interesting– it’s a very sensitive topic for a lot of people locally. They fear that the developer would come in and turn this into some kind of modern monstrosity. So there’s been a lot of care and thought into how the place has been restored.

A lot of the old artwork and some of the old furniture got rehabbed and we really chose things for the design that would keep the style and character of the resort as it was before, while still giving it a fresh new look.

Another thing is– Bishop’s Lodge has always been a resort. It opened as a resort in the 20’s, when Americans first got their cars and started driving to resorts. So we have tried to develop a whole program of activities and amenities that maintain that kind of spirit of being in the outdoors and embracing the outdoors. Whether it’s horseback riding or leading a hike or outdoor yoga classes, we’ve designed Bishop’s Lodge to encourage people to get out in the fresh air.

You mentioned the challenge of pleasing the community while staying true to the Auberge standards. I’m sure another huge challenge was the fact that it’s all been amongst a global pandemic…

That has generated more than its share of challenges, I will admit, what with delivery challenges, supply chain issues, and that kind of thing.

But those challenges also breed some innovation. For example, we created a wonderful in-room spa program so you have a mini spa right there in your room.

How has your background in the hospitality industry prepared you to take on this project?

Over the course of my career, I’ve done a lot of openings and a number of those were since I joined Auberge. I joined Auberge to open up Chileno Bay Resort in Cabo. I also did work at Alta Gracia in Costa Rica, and I reopened Malliouhana, a couple of years ago.

So each one of those is a different cultural environment. You find out what’s special in that particular area, and bring that sense of discovery to those properties. That’s been one of the fun things about Bishop’s Lodge, because there’s just so many different cultures in one place.

There’s lots of artisans that are contributing in so many different ways. We have a guy who comes in and teaches Native American rattle making, like the kind they would use for ceremonies. There’s somebody else who comes in and leads this whole chocolate experience and explains the history and uses of chocolate across many different cultures. And there’s the artisans that we found to make everything from our dishes in the restaurant to the work on the walls around the property. It’s been such a fun part of the project to meet these people.

Have you had an opening before that was a remodeling to this extent, or was it typically the creation of a brand new property?

No, I’ve opened hotels that have been closed for a period of time before remodeling due to hurricanes and all kinds of things. So Bishop’s Lodge was kind of a hybrid of remodeling and new build. It was interesting because this hotel’s been closed since 2015, but fortunately, there was still a big, loyal following.

Would you say that people use Bishop’s Lodge as a base camp to go further afield or that they stay close and enjoy the activities on site?

It’s a combination of both. We’re bordered by Santa Fe National Forest, so that gives us immediate access for trail rides as well as some hiking experiences right out the back door. The trout stream, which is coming in a couple of weeks, is designed to be a place where someone could learn how to fly cast. But then we also have an outfitter here on site that can take them further afield to some of the private waters around here and go fly fishing. We do trail rides here, but also about an hour away is Ghost Ranch, which is another horseback riding experience that takes you through some of the canyons, and so forth.

For example, I’ve got a family in-house right now and we’ve got the younger teenagers going out whitewater rafting and hiking, and so forth. And some of the older folks are enjoying some art classes on property and things like that.

What are some of your favorite details on the property?

The centerpiece of the whole place is the old historic chapel, which dates back to the 1860s. And I think it’s just so unique that we have that here. It’s a very simple building– it was the private chapel for the Archbishop back in the 1800s. We’re getting everyone from brides using it before their actual wedding to people who do some classes up there like incense making classes.

I also love the artwork that has been preserved. The art collection for the hotel really started way back in the 20s. And so we have these wonderful works of art by Warren Rollins and a few other artists that are on display around the restaurant. It’s so unique to have people come here just to walk through the place like it’s a museum.

And that artistic tradition is continuing on because we have an artist in residence program now. And so we’ll have different artists who are here for several months at a time and each one of them will leave a piece to add to the collection at the end of their time here.

We talked about the negative impact of COVID, but I’m also curious about your observations on the boom of domestic travel that we’ve seen in the US this past year as a result of the pandemic?

I have regional responsibility for all of our Auberge mountain properties, in addition to Bishop’s Lodge, and every single one of them has been seeing this enormous upsurge in travel from people from the United States. It’s great that people are rediscovering the American West. You’re seeing a lot of road trippers and it’s reinvigorated the great American road trip.

In particular for Santa Fe, it’s a new discovery for people. The Santa Fe area is very unique to the United States because of the convergence of the cultures that we have here, the architecture that’s preserved, and the fact that the history of this area dates back to the 1600s when the Spanish were coming in. Americans don’t realize what in-depth history and culture that there is in this part of the United States. And so I think it’s interesting to see people discover what they had no idea is right here.

What lasting impression would you hope that a guest at Bishop’s Lodge leaves with?

I hope people leave here having tried something that they’ve never done before. Having some kind of new experience, whether it was sitting down with an artist and creating a piece of art or learning how to ride a horse on a trail ride. Or maybe learning how to fly fish or just cast a fly rod. Then if they pick up and enjoy some of the history and the culture around them, that’s an added bonus.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Suggested Itineraries:

Back to the Future in New Mexico

Luxury Winter Road Trip Through the Southwest

The post Q&A With Bishop’s Lodge General Manager John Volponi appeared first on All Roads North.

Two huge stalagmites, Giant and Twin Dome, at Carlsbad Caverns (NPS – Peter Jones)

About 250 million years ago, the Guadalupe Mountains region lay under an ancient sea, close to a growing limestone reef. About 15 to 20 million years ago, the ground uplifted and with the help of sulfuric acid dissolving the limestone rock, the chambers were created. The formations were built drop by drop from limestone-laden moisture. Cave scientists have explored more than 30 miles of passages in the cavern, and as a visitor you  can tour three of those miles. Though the Native Americans who lived in the area knew about the cave, the person who is credited for first exploring the cave in 1898 is Jim White. Jim was a cowboy from Texas and discovered the caverns’ entrance when he saw a  cloud of bats spiraling out of the cave mouth.

When you arrive at the Carlsbad Caverns, you can choose to descend by one of two ways. You have the option of going down via the elevators or through the Natural Entrance. If you are able to, I would highly recommend using the Natural Entrance when you visit as you can observe the beautiful formations as you descend 750 feet down into the caverns. The biggest underground chamber in the United States is found at Carlsbad Caverns and is called the Big Room, it is also known as the Hall of Giants. The Big Room is about 3,800 feet long and 600 feet wide. There is also the King’s Palace, which is a series of four chambers containing unique rippled rock formations known as the Queen’s Draperies.

Visiting Carlsbad Caverns is not just an underground experience and a real highlight is watching a colony of about 400,000 Brazilian free-tailed bats spiraling out of the cave mouth at sunset as they depart on their nightly hunt for insects. The sight, arguably more fascinating than the cavern itself, occurs between the months of April or mid-May through October.

Brazilian free-tailed bats leaving the caverns (NPS – Nick Hristov)

The Carlsbad Caverns National Park also hosts night sky events in the summer. Fully-equipped with high-powered telescopes. park rangers shed light on the nocturnal wildlife, cultural folklore, and astronomy of the region. If you can time your visit to Carlsbad Caverns to coincide with the full moon, even better!  

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But walking into Taos Pueblo itself was a different sensation entirely. The entrance opens up to a large grassy area and on either side sit the red adobe buildings, arranged in tiers as much as three high. Through the middle runs a small stream, partly iced over now and crossed by two small wooden bridges. Snow was still on the ground, the sky was a clear blue in the crisp mountain air and tendrils of smoke drifted from the chimneys. Groups of seemingly feral dogs were chasing each other in circles, running between the smouldering remains of bonfires that were left from Christmas celebrations. Looking around there was nothing that resembled modernity; no tarmac, no bricks, no electricity wires, no shop signs, nothing. Even in the remotest African village there’s sure to be a Coke or mobile phone logo somewhere but not here. Other than a smattering of Gortex clad tourists, still visibly recoiling from their inability to post to Instagram, we could have returned to the middle ages. Taos Pueblo, ancestral home of a Tewa-speaking Native American tribe, is the oldest continually inhabited settlement in the United States. It was built somewhere between 1000 and 1450 with one of the few concessions over the years being the introduction by the Spanish of the pretty turquoise doors that now adorn each home.

RELATED: Taking the high road to Taos from Santa Fe

By chance I had arrived on Three Kings Day, a feast day in the pueblo which was to be celebrated with the deer dance. Now well past the stated midday start time, groups of people, a mixture of tourists and locals, were waiting on either side of the creek. There was an air of anticipation and every so often women would pop their heads out of the blue doorways or walk across the roofs that linked the second floor homes. Definitely in their finery, bright colored shawls covered their shoulders and moccasin boots their feet. For another hour the tension built as the onlookers waited for something to happen. It started with a steady, almost imperceptible drum beat that came from somewhere behind the buildings on the south side of the creek, growing in volume with each strike. Soon a close knit group appeared in the distance, shuffling to the beat of the drum. Moving herdlike, each man had the head of a bison or elk on his shoulders. With the timeless backdrop and smoke in the air, it was a sight that raised the hairs on the back of my neck. The drumming continued to grow louder and a monotonous, melodic chant struck up. Soon another drum beat erupted from the other side of the pueblo followed by a similar antler clad group. The two gatherings slowly made their way to the middle and met at the creek. At a closer distance I could see that all the participants were men but with a full range of ages down to a four or five year old boy, dwarfed by the huge bison head he carried on his shoulders. At the rear of the possession was a row of what I took to be the elders. They weren’t wearing antlers or skins but rather a red earthen paint on their bodies and a feather in their hair. Each carried a drum and sang in a low rolling chant, a look of absolute seriousness on their face. As they passed beneath the tiered adobe buildings the watching women would call out in a high pitched shrill note. Together it made a striking soundtrack.

It was clear that events were in no way directed at the watching tourists and were not for show. Visitors tended to hang back respectfully, not wanting to get in the way of the locals who were in the crowd. Many did not appear to live in the pueblo itself but were clearly part of the community. The singing and dancing continued well into the afternoon in the middle of a large crowd in front of the San Geronimo Church. The significance and meaning of what goes on at the deer dance remains a mystery to me and I know that Taos Pueblo wants to keep it that way.

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As the narrow road climbs higher and higher, it passes through a series of small pueblos that somehow seem to have been transported from the high Andes. Pretty timber and adobe houses, some looking like they have seen better days, sit in clusters along the way. I stopped at the village of Chimayo, famous for its church and chilis. The turn to El Santuario de Chimayo, site of the largest Catholic pilgrimage in America, is down not much more than a muddy lane but like religious sites the world over it is surrounded by little stalls and huts selling everything from religious art to neat bundles of the famed chilis. In the first week of January everything was shut, not a soul to be seen.

A shrine at Santuario de Chimayo

Covered in snow, the little adobe church is unbelievably picturesque. A small arched gate leads into a courtyard with the main church and its two towers that stand on either side. Inside, the wooden beams, terracotta mosaics on the walls and neat rows of little benches paint a pretty picture. A side room is plastered with thousands of photos of pilgrims and strangely multiple rows of crutches hang from wall. There is another alcove, only accessible by ducking through a small four foot archway in the adobe, that leads to a small empty room except for a small hole in the floor filled with soil. It is the healing properties of this earth that attract over 300,000 pilgrims a year to Chimayo. Alone in the church, I rubbed a little on my dodgy knee.

From Chimayo the high road to Taos continues its ascent, passing through stands of juniper and pine, with incredible views looking back towards the Rio Grande valley far below, snow-capped peaks in the distance. Truchas is the next pueblo, founded by the Spanish in 1754. Perched on the edge of a ridge at over 8,000 ft and with smoke drifting from its chimneys, it is quite a sight on a snowy morning. All of these villages are known for their craftsmanship and Truchas is no different with handpainted signs every so often advertising an artist’s gallery, weavings for sale or a tinsmith’s studio.

The view from Truchas looking towards the Rio Grande valley

With its simple buildings, potholed road and not a person in sight, there is an air of timelessness in Truchas. I later found out that the road and electricity were only installed in the 1970s. Driving through the pueblo I glimpsed the small church between two buildings, known for its precious wood carvings. The houses thin out and small farms dot the fields, huge piles of wood stacked under the eaves and big adobe hornos sit outside covered in a layer of snow. The only people I see pass in a beaten old pickup.

Looking out across the Carson National Forest

Continuing to Taos the road passes another beautiful Spanish church in Las Trampas, San Jose de Gracia built in 1760. Just after the Indian Reservation at Picuris, the scenery becomes almost alpine with small farms and houses running along the valley floor. On an empty stretch of road I stopped at a roadside restroom, as I turned to leave I noticed that the door was peppered with bullet holes. Friday night entertainment in the mountains. The final stretch before eventually dropping down to Taos runs through a stunning section of the Carson National Forest, 1.5 million acres of pinyon pine, juniper and fir that blankets this area of New Mexico.

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