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Origin LLC
34020 US Hwy 285 49 Rancho de San Juan Road, Ojo Caliente, NM 87549
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About
3.5
#1 of 1 guest house in Ojo CalienteLocation
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Luxury guest resort and small event center open for overnight accommodations, small parties or events, Ra Paulette sandstone art cave tours in a private gated neighborhood. Nestled between Santa Fe and Taos, Origin comprises 145 tranquil acres. The decor is relaxed yet refined with wild-flower-filled courtyards, exposed beams, tile floors, inviting furnishings and an impressive collection of fine art. Our guest accommodations at Origin include luxury private casitas and glamorous camping "glamping". Rent whole compound or just one room, or combination to suit the size and needs of your party. Sleeps anywhere from 1 person to 16, and can accommodate up to 50 with special arrangements and pricing. 27' yurt on property can accommodate up to 45 people for meetings/presentations.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Free breakfast
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Airport transportation
Meeting rooms
Non-smoking hotel
Self-serve laundry
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Wifi
Breakfast available
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Air conditioning
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34020 US Hwy 285 49 Rancho de San Juan Road, Ojo Caliente, NM 87549
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27Reviews1Q+A4Room tips
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Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
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Detailed Reviews
Note: My companion and I did NOT stay at the hotel. We came to tour the cave.
After seeing a number of social media posts about the work of Ra Paulette, I desperately wanted to see his carvings in person. A quick google search turned up information about a 90 minute tour through Origin. Although the price seemed a little high, it was not unreasonable, and I thought we'd be seeing a great deal of his work, so we booked the reservation.
To be clear, reservations must be made in advance, and they are not offered every day. The email from the site gave very clear and complete directions, but we forgot that we needed a gate code to get in. Thankfully, we were met at the gate, and still arrived on time for our tour.
Our guide led us on a short walk along the switchbacks, up a gentle slope, to the entrance to the hand carved caves. During this walk, our guide shared the history of the property, and explained a few things about the caves.
Only one cave is currently owned by this facility, and only takes a few minutes to view. While it is lovely, it is not as elaborate as the other two caves, currently for sale near by. While the owner of Origin has been trying to purchase the other two, they are not currently part of this tour.
Inside the cave, photos are not permitted. Emphasis is placed on the importance of treating this environment as a sacred space. There are areas for sitting, with cushions and candles in appropriate places. Visitors are encouraged to sing, chant, write in the guest book, or draw patterns in the sand on the floor, if they feel so inspired. Most of the 90 minute visit is dedicated to self-guided meditative experience within this sanctuary.
After seeing a number of social media posts about the work of Ra Paulette, I desperately wanted to see his carvings in person. A quick google search turned up information about a 90 minute tour through Origin. Although the price seemed a little high, it was not unreasonable, and I thought we'd be seeing a great deal of his work, so we booked the reservation.
To be clear, reservations must be made in advance, and they are not offered every day. The email from the site gave very clear and complete directions, but we forgot that we needed a gate code to get in. Thankfully, we were met at the gate, and still arrived on time for our tour.
Our guide led us on a short walk along the switchbacks, up a gentle slope, to the entrance to the hand carved caves. During this walk, our guide shared the history of the property, and explained a few things about the caves.
Only one cave is currently owned by this facility, and only takes a few minutes to view. While it is lovely, it is not as elaborate as the other two caves, currently for sale near by. While the owner of Origin has been trying to purchase the other two, they are not currently part of this tour.
Inside the cave, photos are not permitted. Emphasis is placed on the importance of treating this environment as a sacred space. There are areas for sitting, with cushions and candles in appropriate places. Visitors are encouraged to sing, chant, write in the guest book, or draw patterns in the sand on the floor, if they feel so inspired. Most of the 90 minute visit is dedicated to self-guided meditative experience within this sanctuary.
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Date of stay: June 2016Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The rooms are nice, the cave is wonderful, but the customer service is severely lacking. I think the owner wants to honor the work of Ra Paulette but she forgets that the customer is there to keep her in business and the gentleman in charge of reservations needs some serious customer service training.
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Date of stay: November 2017Trip type: Travelled with friends
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I notice a lot of people have left negative reviews of the cave tour and I disagree with them. There are some things to keep in mind before the tour and foremost enter the tour with an open mind and allow yourself plenty of time for the entire experience.
We arrived at Origin, which is tucked away in a beautiful area in New Mexico -- the directions given were easy to follow and we found the location easily. We entered the main area and were offered tea, snacks, and restrooms. Our tour began in the main area around a fire where the owner, Jill, gave us about an hour-hour and a half of overview of the areas history, some mindfulness discussions/astrological discussions and a meditation. The owner was very clear that some of the discussion would be uncomfortable to some and some may disagree but she always expressed her opinions as hers and that it was not something she was projecting on anyone else in the room. I didn't disagree with most of what she was saying and was actually quite happy to hear what she had to say, it was all interesting. Not everyone will agree with what she is saying but that does not mean you cannot listen to her perspective (it is NOT cultish like another reviewer has stated however it is very left of center).
We then took a break and convened outside where the walking tour was to start. We hiked up to the cave and took breaks during the hike to discuss the nature around us and some ecological discussions (again all interesting). She then told us stories about the artist Ra Paulette, how he made the caves, why he made the caves -- it was all very informative. The hike was not as treacherous or hard as they made it seem and they offer to give you hiking poles if you want them. If you are in moderately good physical health and can climb up rocks then you will make it to the cave.
Once we entered the cave our cell phones were taken away (as to not take pictures) and to focus on the cave itself. We were given time to explore the cave which is very beautiful and amazing!! We then had a 20 minute sound meditation within the cave which was very beautiful and relaxing. After the meditation we had time to take pictures outside the cave and the area around us. We then hiked back down and were given the option to leave or go back to the main area for tea and snacks and purchase some essential oils that Jill sells.
I honestly believe that Jill has the best of intentions with the tour and her business overall. She focuses a lot on healing inner pain within her discussions and she sells essential oils that some people use for this healing. She never pressured any of us to buy the oils and we left without ever going back into the main area. Yes, it may be "new-age spiritual mumbo jumbo" but it is an experience worth experiencing if you are open to it :)
I overall give the tour 4/5 stars and dock the tour one star due to: the tour being too long (Jill could tone down a bit on the info that she shares), the fact you cannot take pictures inside off the cave, and the price of the tour itself is also quite high.
I write this all not knowing forsure how Ra Paulette feels about how Origin approaches these tours, I hope he thinks this represents his art in an appropriate manner.
We arrived at Origin, which is tucked away in a beautiful area in New Mexico -- the directions given were easy to follow and we found the location easily. We entered the main area and were offered tea, snacks, and restrooms. Our tour began in the main area around a fire where the owner, Jill, gave us about an hour-hour and a half of overview of the areas history, some mindfulness discussions/astrological discussions and a meditation. The owner was very clear that some of the discussion would be uncomfortable to some and some may disagree but she always expressed her opinions as hers and that it was not something she was projecting on anyone else in the room. I didn't disagree with most of what she was saying and was actually quite happy to hear what she had to say, it was all interesting. Not everyone will agree with what she is saying but that does not mean you cannot listen to her perspective (it is NOT cultish like another reviewer has stated however it is very left of center).
We then took a break and convened outside where the walking tour was to start. We hiked up to the cave and took breaks during the hike to discuss the nature around us and some ecological discussions (again all interesting). She then told us stories about the artist Ra Paulette, how he made the caves, why he made the caves -- it was all very informative. The hike was not as treacherous or hard as they made it seem and they offer to give you hiking poles if you want them. If you are in moderately good physical health and can climb up rocks then you will make it to the cave.
Once we entered the cave our cell phones were taken away (as to not take pictures) and to focus on the cave itself. We were given time to explore the cave which is very beautiful and amazing!! We then had a 20 minute sound meditation within the cave which was very beautiful and relaxing. After the meditation we had time to take pictures outside the cave and the area around us. We then hiked back down and were given the option to leave or go back to the main area for tea and snacks and purchase some essential oils that Jill sells.
I honestly believe that Jill has the best of intentions with the tour and her business overall. She focuses a lot on healing inner pain within her discussions and she sells essential oils that some people use for this healing. She never pressured any of us to buy the oils and we left without ever going back into the main area. Yes, it may be "new-age spiritual mumbo jumbo" but it is an experience worth experiencing if you are open to it :)
I overall give the tour 4/5 stars and dock the tour one star due to: the tour being too long (Jill could tone down a bit on the info that she shares), the fact you cannot take pictures inside off the cave, and the price of the tour itself is also quite high.
I write this all not knowing forsure how Ra Paulette feels about how Origin approaches these tours, I hope he thinks this represents his art in an appropriate manner.
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Date of stay: November 2019
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I am a luxury travel advisor and am very knowledgeable about tours and activities. I booked the Art Cave tour and arrived 10 minutes early (noting the message in the confirmation AND on the door that if we arrive 15 minutes late, they will leave without us). A few minutes after we arrived, we were informed that the owner would be an hour late and we were welcome to walk around while waiting for her. We were assured that if this timing did not work for us that we would be refunded. Given that the tour would be an hour late, the timing didn't work for us as we had another commitment after the allotted timeframe. We were disappointed but had to leave. We requested a refund and received several very terse messages from Jason that we would not receive a refund. There was absolutely no consideration for our time and no explanation as to why the tour was delayed by an hour. Extremely poor customer service.
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Date of stay: January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
are you ready to be preached to for three hours only to have to suffer through a 10 minute singing bowl concert? If you are left of the left and have nothing left and you need to have some one preach their self richiouse crap to you; you found a home! Oh; on the cave, she dosnt tell you it was one of his unfinished works. It may have some scale but there are other caves he has done that really have his art in them; this is more structure. check out the documentary.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Go anywhere else
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My wife and I were very excited to tour the caves, but the owner/tourguide ruined the experience.
The 1/3 of a mile walk to the caves took over two hours! Every 20 feet or so, she would make the group stop so that she could go on and on about whatever self-centered thought entered her mind. And none of it was interesting. We signed up for a tour of some beautiful caves, and were instead subjected to the aimless ramblings of a narcissist. She made us, as well as the other members of our group, feel extremely uncomfortable, as we were all beaten down by the nervous anxiety she projected. We maintained a facade of politeness, despite the utter agony our group was feeling. It was a terrible experience.
When we finally got to the caves, we felt like we couldn't even enjoy them, as we were so tense after the exhausting verbal tirades of the host. The caves were beautiful, but she had ruined the experience. I would recommend checking out the work of Ra Paulette, as he is truly an amazing artist. However, do it somewhere else. It's just not worth it to do it here.
We weren't about to let the guide lead us back down the trail to our car, as we had already had more than enough of her. We ignored her demand to stay with her, and basically ran down the mountain to escape.
0/10, would strongly urge you not to visit.
The 1/3 of a mile walk to the caves took over two hours! Every 20 feet or so, she would make the group stop so that she could go on and on about whatever self-centered thought entered her mind. And none of it was interesting. We signed up for a tour of some beautiful caves, and were instead subjected to the aimless ramblings of a narcissist. She made us, as well as the other members of our group, feel extremely uncomfortable, as we were all beaten down by the nervous anxiety she projected. We maintained a facade of politeness, despite the utter agony our group was feeling. It was a terrible experience.
When we finally got to the caves, we felt like we couldn't even enjoy them, as we were so tense after the exhausting verbal tirades of the host. The caves were beautiful, but she had ruined the experience. I would recommend checking out the work of Ra Paulette, as he is truly an amazing artist. However, do it somewhere else. It's just not worth it to do it here.
We weren't about to let the guide lead us back down the trail to our car, as we had already had more than enough of her. We ignored her demand to stay with her, and basically ran down the mountain to escape.
0/10, would strongly urge you not to visit.
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Date of stay: December 2017Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
To make a long story and terrible experience short....
My wife and I were traveling through New Mexico. My wife had heard of the cave artist featured here and had been interested in seeing the caves and his work for years. We were driving through and did not have internet access but called Origin on a whim. Jason sold us on a 2.5 hour romantic couples tour of the caves for $300 and another ~$250 for a room, including a sound bath experience. It was steep but a once in a lifetime opportunity and we were getting married in a couple of days so we agreed. Jason said our dog traveling with us would not be a problem.
The truth:
- 2.5 hour tour is almost exclusively just a hike to GET to one singular small cave (not the caveS that we assumed that are all there surrounding it)
- The hike includes a section that is very steep and rocky. (My wife has a bad knee and was told my doctors to avoid steep inclines.)
- NO photos are allowed of the art
- The tour information is mostly non-related to the artist
- Dogs are NOT welcomed by the owner Jill
I called ahead of time to address these concerns and ask about options. Jason berated me. He insulted my wife’s doctors calling them “quacks”. He insulted people who have visited and posted reviews about the difficulty of hike, calling them obese. He insulted us saying we don’t want to be the type of people needing phones and taking pictures. He was rude and he was belligerent. I was remaining totally calm and trying to find out solutions / options, and he was literally yelling at me and said he needed to “take an hour to process this” which I assume meant “emotionally” and that he would call me back in an hour, which would have been about 2 hours before our tour was to start. He never called back.
The next FEW days were obnoxious. I stayed very emotionally neutral and I texted him saying we just wanted a refund, and he was just being belligerent again and kept saying he was busy having “a positive experience” with his guests. I called and he said “I am sorry for your misgivings” and hung up on me. I asked to speak to Jill and he said “I can’t subject her to your negativity, I am her gatekeeper, she is trying to stay positive”. He kept texting me really really long borderline abusive messages. He would ask “what do you do for a living?”, “where are you?”; it was actually WEIRD. I told him to stop messaging me and just refund the money and we can all move on. After refusing, he finally said “yes” days later when I texted him asking if he was going to refund.
Of course they did not refund. When asked if they were still going to, they did not reply. Jill never called me even though I asked a few times. We are now going through our credit card to dispute the charge since we were told we were being refunded and we never even got called back for solutions BEFORE the scheduled tour.
In our opinion, this is a scam. It’s an exploitation of a small piece of a great artist’s work to try to sell some sort of medical healing experience and make you pay for a hike to get to a cave. These people are just plain bad people who are pretending to be super positive, but it’s all about the money and taking advantage of people.
Please do yourself a favor and drive right past this place. Go to Ojo Caliente hot springs. It’s a wonderful calming and peaceful experience by great people with an extensive and professional staff. Prices are insanely reasonable and the owner is SO NICE and welcoming.
NEW MEXICO RULES, Origin is such a shame.
My wife and I were traveling through New Mexico. My wife had heard of the cave artist featured here and had been interested in seeing the caves and his work for years. We were driving through and did not have internet access but called Origin on a whim. Jason sold us on a 2.5 hour romantic couples tour of the caves for $300 and another ~$250 for a room, including a sound bath experience. It was steep but a once in a lifetime opportunity and we were getting married in a couple of days so we agreed. Jason said our dog traveling with us would not be a problem.
The truth:
- 2.5 hour tour is almost exclusively just a hike to GET to one singular small cave (not the caveS that we assumed that are all there surrounding it)
- The hike includes a section that is very steep and rocky. (My wife has a bad knee and was told my doctors to avoid steep inclines.)
- NO photos are allowed of the art
- The tour information is mostly non-related to the artist
- Dogs are NOT welcomed by the owner Jill
I called ahead of time to address these concerns and ask about options. Jason berated me. He insulted my wife’s doctors calling them “quacks”. He insulted people who have visited and posted reviews about the difficulty of hike, calling them obese. He insulted us saying we don’t want to be the type of people needing phones and taking pictures. He was rude and he was belligerent. I was remaining totally calm and trying to find out solutions / options, and he was literally yelling at me and said he needed to “take an hour to process this” which I assume meant “emotionally” and that he would call me back in an hour, which would have been about 2 hours before our tour was to start. He never called back.
The next FEW days were obnoxious. I stayed very emotionally neutral and I texted him saying we just wanted a refund, and he was just being belligerent again and kept saying he was busy having “a positive experience” with his guests. I called and he said “I am sorry for your misgivings” and hung up on me. I asked to speak to Jill and he said “I can’t subject her to your negativity, I am her gatekeeper, she is trying to stay positive”. He kept texting me really really long borderline abusive messages. He would ask “what do you do for a living?”, “where are you?”; it was actually WEIRD. I told him to stop messaging me and just refund the money and we can all move on. After refusing, he finally said “yes” days later when I texted him asking if he was going to refund.
Of course they did not refund. When asked if they were still going to, they did not reply. Jill never called me even though I asked a few times. We are now going through our credit card to dispute the charge since we were told we were being refunded and we never even got called back for solutions BEFORE the scheduled tour.
In our opinion, this is a scam. It’s an exploitation of a small piece of a great artist’s work to try to sell some sort of medical healing experience and make you pay for a hike to get to a cave. These people are just plain bad people who are pretending to be super positive, but it’s all about the money and taking advantage of people.
Please do yourself a favor and drive right past this place. Go to Ojo Caliente hot springs. It’s a wonderful calming and peaceful experience by great people with an extensive and professional staff. Prices are insanely reasonable and the owner is SO NICE and welcoming.
NEW MEXICO RULES, Origin is such a shame.
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Date of stay: July 2018Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jill E, Owner at Origin LLC
Responded 6 Oct 2018
Hello Mark, As the owner of Origin and the tour docent who checked you and your lovely wife in for the tour and arranged on a last minute request by you two, to be available to guide you on a private tour, to help celebrate your beautiful day, I was sorry to learn you decided to cancel the tour and not return from the hot springs to join me for the 2.5 hour experience. It is actually quite a romantic outing. As you and your wife did not actually take the tour, I am wondering where you get your information from. The hike is 1/3 of a mile, and is a guided tour which includes information on geology, history of native culture, history of local culture, and at least 40 minutes of discussion and sharing about Ra Paulette and his passion, mission and purpose. 90% of the hike is very mellow and an extremely gentle rise. 10% of the hike is a short steep rocky section and we provide hiking poles for all guests if they desire. All the other caves in the 90 mile radius are on private land and not available for public viewing. I am honored and blessed to welcome people to my home and ranch and our retreat center to view this spectacular piece of land art and very sacred earthen chamber. I have personally seen 8 of the roughly 20 caves Ra has carved and the spectacular Windows of the Earth on Origin property is about medium in terms of size of the ones I have viewed. Some are larger, many are smaller. We communicate readily the nature of the hike, the tour, the experience, and our refund policy. We care deeply about pets, and in this harsh desert environment, and the heat of June, we have found it just not an appropriate place to bring animals. Shade is minimal and dogs find the sand to be brutally hot on their tender pads of their feet, and we have peacocks roaming on the land that do not appreciate being chased by curious dogs. As a healing retreat center, many who come here have allergies to pet dander as well. Generally we are a no pet establishment, and on occasion do make exceptions, especially on the tour. I understand Jason even discussed with you having a pet sitter down at the lodge shaded porch, while I guided you to the cave sanctuary, an option you declined. I was ready and available and happy to lead the experience to the cave, with your pet accompanying us. We have accommodated guests with small dogs in carriers on their bodies, and have at times allowed pets to be on property with some concessions. We were happy to accommodate you and your pet, as I spoke with you in detail and at length at the desk that day. We also communicate in detail the no photo policy on our tour policy and booking page, and at the time I rang you up for the payment, personally, yet again. There are abundant opportunities for photos all around the amazing 147 acre ranch. I emailed you personally, twice, and indicated we would be willing to extend a voucher for a rebooking within one year for the private tour, and that we would allow you to add other people to the experience, up to 10 more. I am sure you can understand as single business owner of a rapidly growing retreat center, it is not always feasible for me to speak to each and every customer on the phone. I was disappointed to not have received any response to both my emails. As a small business we have carefully crafted our refund policy to insure our ability to continue to offer this experience to guests, and do hope those making payment and bookings read the material we convey on our website. All who work here at Origin would have communicated the same policy to you, that of no refunds for guests cancelling an hour before their already booked and paid for tour. In general, we do not offer vouchers for last minute cancellations on the part of the customer, unless there is a death in the family or critical acute injury just before the tour. I do hope you and your group, at a time more amenable to you, can come back and experience the tour our guests rave about.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I recently returned to Rancho de San Juan for a tour of the sandstone caves. My kids used to visit the caves with their day camp, and I visited the caves a few times in the 90s. Back then, you drove to Rancho de San Juan, a luxury Relais and Chateau resort, and told the owners you were going to hike to the caves. Access was unrestricted and the caves were beautiful. Now, under the Origin aegis, you have to book and pay for a tour. The tour is very commercialized and misrepresents the history of the caves. Moreover, the one cave you are permitted to view is full of trinkets: candles, crystals, pillows, flower petals etc. all very new age. The caves were beautiful when they were empty and wind blown. Nature will eventually reclaim the caves. For now, it’s a tourist trap disguised as a “spiritual experience.”
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Date of stay: November 2018Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jill E, Owner at Origin LLC
Responded 28 Apr 2019
Hello, I am the owner, Jill, and this property is not only my personal home and ranch, but a place I delight in opening it and the cave sanctuary to the public such as you, to allow people to view the astounding work of land art by Ra Paulette. The history of the cave I share comes directly from conversations with Ra Paulette himself, in our budding friendship and his many visits to Windows of the Earth with me, personally. I understand the space used to be free. I also am most grateful to provide continual trail maintenance, preservation efforts to the cave itself, and the opportunity to play our sound bowls to guests in the space so they may experience the acoustic nature of the sanctuary in the sandstone butte. I ask guests to make reservations so that I may know who is entering, with permission, my own personal home/ranch. The items inside the cave, such as crystals and candles and felt mats, are both used by me in my personal meditations, for my comfort and such, and donated by other guests staying with us or visiting, as a way to say thank you. I do, and our other guides, do our best to relay the history of the natives and local cultures, the geology, the flora and fauna and Ra Paulettes mission, passion and purpose.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I truly hate to give this place a negative review because I believe the owner, Jill, has good intentions; but the experience was just plain miserable! We paid to tour a Ra Paulette cave on Jill’s private property in order to learn about the artist, his process, and see his beautiful creation in person. The description given to us was that this would be a “2.5 hour cave tour” or possibly 3.5 hours if you wanted to explore some of the other things the property had to offer. Lunch would also be included in this timeframe. We were told in advance that there would be a 20 minute sound meditation once we got into the cave but there was absolutely no mention of what else would take place during this day from Hell.
We arrived with many others, about 30 minutes early and were greeted by a sweet woman named Nuna. She walked us to the property’s labyrinth nearby while we waited for others to arrive. None of us knew the purpose of the labyrinth but Nuna was nice enough to take pictures of all of us. Once we all arrived, we were taken to the main lodge at which point we were all told to grab snacks, water and a seat. The owner, Jill, then sits down by the fireplace and tells us that we’re going to have a one hour “fireside chat.” For the next 1.5 hours, we were left to sit there and do nothing except listen to her ramble on about her spiritual insights, self-awareness lessons, the ancient people, her emotional pains, and how she’s a Gemini who has studied psychology, neuroscience, meditation, astronomy, blah blah blah. I’m actually a psychiatric provider and I felt emotionally DRAINED after listening to her ramblings. My husband and I came to the area for a quick 1.5 days to get away and do some exploration yet I felt like I never left work after this experience. This was then followed by a 10 minute “chocolate meditation.” THEN we had to sit there and listen to her speak about essential oils, which she sells in the lodge.
We FINALLY made it back outside and I thought it was finally time to get to the cave. WRONG. She stopped our group before we got to the trail and had us stand there for ANOTHER 20 minutes as she continued talking about....oh God I can’t even remember because I was tuning her out but it still had nothing to do with Ra Paulette! Our group was OVER it at this point but we were all trying to be polite. We then get to the trailhead where she stops again to explain some of the geology, cool. I didn’t mind that and it only took about 5 minutes. We then stopped one more time for about 15 minutes where she FINALLY talked about Ra Paulette! But seriously, after listening to all of her ramblings, we only get 15 minutes worth of hearing about the artist and caves himself!?!? Whatever, just get me to the frickin cave, lady. We then were actually starting the short 1/3 mile hike to the cave which took about 10 minutes. We were split into two groups because the cave is small (this tour just shows 1 cave) though it was truly remarkable! We were allowed 10 minutes to walk around the cave and that’s really all you needed. The other group then came in (they would get to explore after the sound meditation) and Jill had us find a seat and did a 20 minute sound meditation which I was expecting. It was nice; I didn’t mind it as it showed off the acoustics of the cave. We then went back outside and had to wait for the second group to finish except by this point it was 2:37pm and the “tour” had started at 11am. Everyone was beyond frustrated. One couple tried to make their descent down the mountain and Jill called out to them to wait. The woman told Jill they had to go because this whole thing lasted way longer than advertised. Jill said they told everyone to allot 4 hours which is completely not true. Did I mention we hadn’t even eaten lunch yet? Seeing the frustration, Jill then let our group go down the mountain while Nuna stayed with the second group. Jill then invites us all to eat lunch in the lodge when we got to the bottom. My husband and I, along with many others, were beyond DONE at this point. It was almost 3pm!! We opted to skip the “lunch” and go find lunch somewhere else. We did NOT want to go back to that lodge and have to listen to one more word she had to say. Would we have to listen to her about how nutrition feeds our souls, spiritual connections between the human body and food?? No idea and we weren’t chancing it.
As you can tell, this is probably the longest review ever written which is a testimony to how long and wordy this “tour” was. The actual cave experience lasted a grand total of 30 minutes- that’s it. I sadly would not recommend this tour to any friends or family. Watch the movie, “Cave Digger,” look at pictures of Ra Paulette’s caves online and call it a day.
We arrived with many others, about 30 minutes early and were greeted by a sweet woman named Nuna. She walked us to the property’s labyrinth nearby while we waited for others to arrive. None of us knew the purpose of the labyrinth but Nuna was nice enough to take pictures of all of us. Once we all arrived, we were taken to the main lodge at which point we were all told to grab snacks, water and a seat. The owner, Jill, then sits down by the fireplace and tells us that we’re going to have a one hour “fireside chat.” For the next 1.5 hours, we were left to sit there and do nothing except listen to her ramble on about her spiritual insights, self-awareness lessons, the ancient people, her emotional pains, and how she’s a Gemini who has studied psychology, neuroscience, meditation, astronomy, blah blah blah. I’m actually a psychiatric provider and I felt emotionally DRAINED after listening to her ramblings. My husband and I came to the area for a quick 1.5 days to get away and do some exploration yet I felt like I never left work after this experience. This was then followed by a 10 minute “chocolate meditation.” THEN we had to sit there and listen to her speak about essential oils, which she sells in the lodge.
We FINALLY made it back outside and I thought it was finally time to get to the cave. WRONG. She stopped our group before we got to the trail and had us stand there for ANOTHER 20 minutes as she continued talking about....oh God I can’t even remember because I was tuning her out but it still had nothing to do with Ra Paulette! Our group was OVER it at this point but we were all trying to be polite. We then get to the trailhead where she stops again to explain some of the geology, cool. I didn’t mind that and it only took about 5 minutes. We then stopped one more time for about 15 minutes where she FINALLY talked about Ra Paulette! But seriously, after listening to all of her ramblings, we only get 15 minutes worth of hearing about the artist and caves himself!?!? Whatever, just get me to the frickin cave, lady. We then were actually starting the short 1/3 mile hike to the cave which took about 10 minutes. We were split into two groups because the cave is small (this tour just shows 1 cave) though it was truly remarkable! We were allowed 10 minutes to walk around the cave and that’s really all you needed. The other group then came in (they would get to explore after the sound meditation) and Jill had us find a seat and did a 20 minute sound meditation which I was expecting. It was nice; I didn’t mind it as it showed off the acoustics of the cave. We then went back outside and had to wait for the second group to finish except by this point it was 2:37pm and the “tour” had started at 11am. Everyone was beyond frustrated. One couple tried to make their descent down the mountain and Jill called out to them to wait. The woman told Jill they had to go because this whole thing lasted way longer than advertised. Jill said they told everyone to allot 4 hours which is completely not true. Did I mention we hadn’t even eaten lunch yet? Seeing the frustration, Jill then let our group go down the mountain while Nuna stayed with the second group. Jill then invites us all to eat lunch in the lodge when we got to the bottom. My husband and I, along with many others, were beyond DONE at this point. It was almost 3pm!! We opted to skip the “lunch” and go find lunch somewhere else. We did NOT want to go back to that lodge and have to listen to one more word she had to say. Would we have to listen to her about how nutrition feeds our souls, spiritual connections between the human body and food?? No idea and we weren’t chancing it.
As you can tell, this is probably the longest review ever written which is a testimony to how long and wordy this “tour” was. The actual cave experience lasted a grand total of 30 minutes- that’s it. I sadly would not recommend this tour to any friends or family. Watch the movie, “Cave Digger,” look at pictures of Ra Paulette’s caves online and call it a day.
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Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We I've been wanting to check out Ra Paulette's hand carved caves for years. We were shocked they were $86 a person but figured they must be incredible and worth the fee. We entered the building and everyone was sitting and were told we would be sitting there for about an hour while she spoke. Jason handed us cacao chocolate and told us to wear the stickers with had emotions on them. Jill walked up to me and threateningly asked if I paid for that chocolate. Not even a hello. It made me feel super uncomfortable and like she thought I was stealing. We then listen to her ramble about religion, spirituality, politics, and history. Her views...I feel like the owner Jill bought this property to create a spiritual Podium for herself to speak. Went with our family and listen to her drone on and on about every spiritual religious and historical belief of hers for 3 hours. We then did a chocolate cacao ceremony. It felt like we were finally taking a hike to the caves which mind you are only about a half a mile up the hill. Every 100ft she stopped again and kept talking and everyone in the group seemed uncomfortable and unhappy and bored and frustrated. I understand this woman has a lot to say and wants to be heard but nobody wants to listen to anyone talk that long. We went purely to experience the caves and only got about 20 minutes in them. They are extremely small and although beautiful they pack a lot of people in there and there's not really room to move. And I felt like she use the caves as her personal stage for her singing Bowl concert. I think this cave experience and tour would be a lot better if it was half the price and half the time.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I would call them but I recall that no dogs were allowed in the cave
"My room was the Black Mesa. Outstanding and very quiet. The kitchen was also available to me."Read full review
LOCATION
United StatesNew MexicoTaos CountyOjo Caliente
NUMBER OF ROOMS
10
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Frequently Asked Questions about Origin LLC
Which popular attractions are close to Origin LLC?
Nearby attractions include Classical Gas Museum (6.2 km), Los Luceros Historic Site (5.7 km), and Romero's Fruit & Veggie Stand (6.7 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Origin LLC?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free breakfast, and free parking.
Which room amenities are available at Origin LLC?
Top room amenities include a kitchenette, air conditioning, and a refrigerator.
What food & drink options are available at Origin LLC?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to Origin LLC?
Conveniently located restaurants include NOSA Restaurant & Inn, Socorro's Restaurant, and Arioso.
Does Origin LLC have airport transportation?
Yes, Origin LLC offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Are there any historical sites close to Origin LLC?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Los Luceros Historic Site (5.7 km).
Is Origin LLC accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access and reduced mobility rooms. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.