Shops in Taos, NM

I go to Taos, New Mexico once a year, and my favorite place to go when I'm there is the John Dunn Shops and Galleries.  The setting is a beautiful pedestrian walkway that's surrounded by some cool and very unique shops.  Here are a few of my favorites.

A must go-to spot, whether you have kids or not, is a toy store called Twirl.  They have some fun toys, games, and gifts for kids of all ages, but the best part of all is the playspace behind the store.  My kids always want to go there.  It's full of fun things to explore and interact with and it's completely free to use.   On top of that, I would bet that the outside space which doesn't sell anything except for snow cones, takes up more square footage than the inside retail space.  In retail every square inch counts, so this really makes an impression on me.   I highly recommend going just to check it out.

Really cool hand-painted murals on the play equipment.

These chimes are made from pipes, wrenches and oversize bolts. 

Another favorite store of mine is a fabric store called Common Thread.  They have some beautiful textiles from around the world.  They carry both new and antique fabrics which adds to the charm of the store.  You can buy some lovely fabrics and ribbons by the yard.  I really love the way they color coordinate their display tables - such eye candy for me is irresistable.

At the Taos farmers market, aside from the many different fruits and vegetables, flowers and soaps, you can find these beautiful handmade baskets from Ghana.  There was a small selection here, but I did find one that I had to have.  Last year when I was at the Santa Fe Flea Market there was a huge selection and I could not resist getting one there too.  I wish I took a picture of the selection because it was huge, but below are two that I have.  As you can tell, I just love the navy blue color, but there are other colors to choose from.  The best part about buying these baskets is that a certain amount of the proceeds go back to the women in Ghana who make them. 

Found this one at the Santa Fe flea market for $30.

Got this one at the Taos farmer's market for $25.

Didn't get this one in Eagle Nest for $50, but I just loved the unique shape of it.