Taos, NM

A somewhat small town spread over a lot of land, there are many galleries, unusual local shops, and outdoors activities. Writers such as D.H. Lawrence and Georgia O'Keefe spent time here and were inspired by the landscape. (I missed out on the Georgia O'Keefe Museum in Santa Fe unfortunately, but I did get to see SITE instead. The current exhibition broke my heart and nearly brought me to tears.) It is easy to see how they could've been influenced by the area, which, in spite of its tourist attraction, still provides enough seclusion, small-town community, and landscape to affect anyone. Definitely a place to revisit on its own.