The souvenirs worth taking from Taos are not the ones that say Taos on them. They are the things made here or from here that do not exist anywhere else: Chimayo red chile in bags or ristras, pinon coffee, blue corn meal, local honey, a micaceous pot from a Pueblo artisan, a print from a working gallery, a piece of silver from a maker at the Pueblo.

The T-shirts worth buying are the ones from local institutions: Taos Ski Valley, Taos Mesa Brewing, local shops with designs that are actually good. Several of the boutiques around the Plaza carry T-shirts that are well-made and not embarrassing. The ones to avoid are the printed-in-bulk tourist market shirts sold in high volume at highway shops.

Dream catchers made in the Philippines. Mass-produced pottery labeled as "Southwestern style." Jewelry sold as Native American with no documentation of the maker. Anything that could have been bought at any tourist shop in any western town.

The rule is simple: if it could have been made anywhere or is not made here, it is not a Taos souvenir. It is a souvenir of tourism generally. The real things are available in Taos if you look for them.

• Shopping in Taos
• Jewelry and Native Art
• Antiques
• Clothing
• Gift Shops
• Pottery
• Home Goods
• Books
• Outdoor Gear