Taos named among '20 Best Small Towns'

TAOS, N.M. (AP) - Taos has been named one of the nation's "20 Best Small Towns in America" by the Smithsonian Magazine.

The May edition of the magazine names the small, northern New Mexico mountain hamlet as the number two best small town, losing only to Great Barrington, Mass.

The Smithsonian Magazine says the charm of Taos centers around tourists and other outdoor enthusiasts packing the plaza of the old adobe town and the town's many galleries and museums steeped in a deep Hispanic and Native American past.

The list was developed by the geographic information systems company Esri who searched towns with populations less than 25,000. Towns were judged based high concentration of museums, historical sites and other cultural attractions.

Taos was followed by Red Bank, N.J., and Mill Valley, Calif.