Earthships
This “Healthy Discovery” is off the beaten path – literally. Just outside Taos, New Mexico, off the main road, five miles of dust, bumps and hills, you will arrive at the Dobson House – an Earthship bed & breakfast.
“What the !#@** is an Earthship?” Well, I’m glad you asked!
Earthships are environmentally friendly homes. Discarded materials (automobile tires, aluminum cans) are used to build the Earthship. When completed, they look a bit like a spaceship. They are solar-electric with a natural adobe finish. Earthships are independent from the “grid” so they are less susceptible to natural disasters. Finally, they are homes that the average person with no specialized construction skills would be able to create. A friend of mine, who works in the sustainable green living industry, introduced me to Earthships ten years ago.
Side note, while I support sustainable living, I admit it is not my first area of interest. Also, I grew up in the Colorado countryside (closest neighbor was one mile away on a dirt road). I’m used to living off the “beaten path”. These days I prefer to spend the majority of my time in cities (LA and London in particular). I do not like to camp and I would rather vacation at a beach hotel than “rough it” in the mountains. I offer this disclosure about myself because The Dobson House Earthship is in the middle of nowhere and resembles everything that I am not particularly interested in; however, I love going there! I have taken weekend getaways to this B&B for years…go figure. In other words, if you think you wouldn’t be interested in an earthship in the high desert, you might be surprised.
John Dobson is a retired professor from the University of Texas and Joan Dobson is a retired librarian. They built their earthship home with their own hands over a decade ago. There is a grand staircase that leads up to the living and dining room. The interior is very cozy. Joan serves wine and cheese every afternoon and cooks delicious breakfasts in the morning. If you have any food allergies or special food requests she always accommodates. We eat and look out the huge windows into the New Mexico desert and the Rio Grand Gorge. At seven thousand feet and no city lights the stars are spectacular, and everything is incredibly peaceful and quiet.
To get to the Dobson House you fly into Santa Fe or Albuquerque and then drive to Taos. They have two guest bedrooms and room for 4-6 people at one time. The Dobson’s are both avid readers and we always have great conversations. Their guests are equally fascinating, as they come from all around the world. HGTV featured the Dobson House on the Offbeat America segment two years ago.
If you want to recharge somewhere that is totally removed from civilization I highly recommend the Dobson House. Plus, if you are interested in sustainable living and all out green living this Earthship B&B is a special treat.
