Taos Goji Farm & Eco-Lodge Retreat

I don't know what on earth people are complaining about for Taos Goji; we recently celebrated our 50th anniversary there with 25 family members from all over the country and EVERYONE loved the place! The Trading Post gave us a wonderful central gathering spot for meals, games, & conversation, and the separate cabins gave each family/couple a place to get away from the crowd when they wished. The grounds, with gardens, orchards, little playground, and farm animals were awesome entertainment for the five children under five who were with us. The owner, manager, and groundskeeper were all helpful and friendly and available, without being in-your-face.

We just returned from 3 nights at the farm celebrating Thanksgiving with family and friends. My daughter and her partner had visited in August and were so happy as to organize this latest visit. We all gladly accepted. We just entered our cabin - there was no greeting or orientation around the farm. While some might enjoy this we found it a little disconcerting. Our introduction to staff was through a text inquiring about the billing. Our cabin was very quaint and the king-sized bed (unexpected, it was advertised as a queen) was clean and comfortable. The heating was fine with one mini-split and a fireplace. And there was cut wood within walking distance, but none prepared for the guest. We were pretty happy - until we quickly lost hot water and had to resort to using our friend's cabin to shower. This also, of course, effected our ability to safely wash dishes, which we did anyway in cold water. We reported this to Megan who apologized and called her electrician who came by, but reported the water heater needed replacing. We also reported to him that the toilet nearly overflowed, but we were able to plunge it to get it going again. He explained this is not uncommon in the area, and it may be seasonal. He thanked us for being understanding, as many, he said, would not have been so accommodating. I came to NM in the 70's when there were still communes and understand that the little towns outside of Taos are still influenced by this. While I very much appreciate the history of the farm, and the many touches that encourage you to feel the presence of the artists who inhabited it so many years ago, in many respects the property is still stuck in the 70's. We're in our 70's now and found it a little difficult to adapt to little hot water, very used and often dirty dishes, and pretty old and worn out appliances. There was no cutting board, only the very scarred surface of a small cabinet which felt entirely too risky to cut upon - we subbed with a plate. The coffee pot worked well, but we discovered previous guest's grounds before using it. And, although advertised on the website, there were no microwaves in any of the cabins that we were in. Not that big of a deal, but we thought we could easily heat up food rather than bringing out pots and pans. For many the history, charm, and solitude of the farm would be very appealing. But know these things before you go, and prepare to pivot if things aren't what you expected. I was very happy we had brought up compostable paper plates so as not to be washing dishes in cold water. I was also very grateful to share a few large coffee mugs from friends vs. the tiny cups provided. We didn't miss cell service, and we could text. And we were able to access the internet. So these are all good things, but I did not find it a very relaxing time. Sadly none of us felt that we would go again. We all discussed whether to write this review, noting that the responses had been defensive and th