Top 10 Things To Do in Albuquerque

Traveling full time has been good to our family so far. For the last 3 months, most of our time has been spent in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  In a city of almost 1 million people, there are plenty to things to do and our family is all about taking full advantage of our time wherever we go.  Here is a list of our top 10 recommendations in ABQ:   

1.      Hot Air Balloon Ride

Is this not on almost everyone’s bucketlist? It should be! I can’t think of a better way to see a city, especially a beautiful one with mountains and rivers. Sunrise or sunset is best.  Ask for Troy at Rainbow Ryders. The man has set world records! 

2.     La Luz Trail

There are so many trails in the Sandia Mountains and in the city that I could probably make a top 10 trails list, but this one was my favorite, strenuous but worth the effort. We rode the Sandia Peak Tram to the top and hiked down. It was still 10 grueling miles, especially with the unexpected snow and ice, but the amazing overlooks of the valley and the surrounding mountains and forest made it worth the effort. They were the kind of views that make a person happy to be alive!   

                                                                       

3.     Petroglyphs

How cool is it to see preserved rock carvings that are literally hundreds of years old?  They may be child scribblings or have some deep hidden meaning, but no matter, to me, the carvings are amazing!  The Petroglyph National Monument offers trails that give great views of the valley and the rocks, and the place is perfect for kids. They can have fun climbing, exploring, and hiking. We even saw tons of jack rabbits and a coyote running around the area!

4.     Food & Beer

With 40+ breweries in a city known for it’s IPAs, there was no shortage of beers to keep me happy. No way could I hit every one of them, but I made a dent. The food, mostly Hispanic influenced, was delicious as well - chiliburgers, sopaipillas, Posole, tacos, Bizcochos, and more.  Never a shortage of good foods and restaurants to try!

5.     Route 66

Yeah, there are a lot of old, run down motels, throngs of homeless, and jacked up traffic, but cruising down Route 66 (now Central Avenue) through Albuquerque gives a sense of true Americana.  The street has been the lifeline of New Mexico and much of the West for many years, some say as far back as when the Native Americans used it for a trade route. Route 66 definitely has character and a personality all its own. No telling what you might see. 

6.     Santa Fe, Taos, Madrid, Cerillos, Jemez

Technically, these towns are outside of ABQ, but they are awesome day or weekend trips. The beauty of northern New Mexico is unparalleled and these destinations all offer their own taste of the state. Santa Fe is the biggest with so much to see, and Meow Wolf is a must.  The other towns are smaller, but with just as much character. 

7.     Old Town

This is where American Indian, Hispanic, and modern cultures collide. The Old Town Plaza conjures the days of Spanish rule, where San Neri Church, still standing strong at almost 300 years old, casts its shadow over the entire plaza. The older adobe buildings, the Native Americans selling their crafts, and art and souvenir shops give locals and tourists alike a place to congregate and enjoy a taste of the past. A significant amount of city activities take place throughout the year, like the lighting of the Christmas Tree, Feast Day celebrations, lighting of the luminarias, and more. 

8.     Explora

A children’s museum, you ask?  Yes, but this one is just as fun for adults.  I could spend every weekend at Explora and find something new to do.  From blowing giant bubbles to experimenting with music and art to riding a bike across a tightrope, the place is a blast!                                                                                                                                              

9.     Breaking Bad

Call me a nerd, an overzealous fan, or whatever you like, but I had a great time mapping out Breaking Bad locations across town. The show is as popular in ABQ now as when it was on TV. People pay good money for tours where you can ride an RV like the one that Jesse and Walter used to cook in.  Since I had plenty of time, I mapped out some of the places I wanted to see and when I was near the area, I dropped by and snapped some pics. Of course, I also ate at Twister’s (Pollos Hermanos), bought some blue meth from the Candy Lady, and had chili dogs at The Dog House!    

                                                                                                            

         10.   Taekwondo                                                                                                     

Yes, taekwondo!  With a few months in ABQ, our family decided to find an activity all of us could enjoy together.  I chose taekwondo, and much to my surprise, our family loved it!  Well, except my daughter Sofiah, but she proved her toughness and grit by sticking with it.  Not only did the lessons allow us to spend more time together, but we gained some skills, made friends, and got great workouts!  It helped that we had a good teacher, Master Mokurai, at Silent Thunder.  I suggest every family choose a challenging, new activity to participate in together.                                                                

These are my top 10 in Albuquerque, although I could easily add a more.  Have you been to the city?  If so, what would you add?

25+ More Things about ABQ (Albuquerque)

1. Remember Bugs Bunny often using this phrase? “I knew I should’ve taken that left turn at Albuquerque.”  

2.  At the time of this writing, there are over 40 breweries in the city!

                                                                                   

3.  The Spanish supposedly planted the first vineyards in the Americas in New Mexico.     

         

4.  The New Mexico flag is yellow and red.  The colors were taken from Spain’s flag.  The red symbol in the middle represents the sun used by the Zia tribe.

           

5.   Colorful murals on the walls of buildings are numerous in all parts of town.  Many big cities have a lot of murals, but Albuquerque may top the cake.        

6.  Take advantage of Taco Tuesday in the city.  There are so many tasty places to eat!    

7.  Chile is the state’s official vegetable.  Chile cheeseburgers are a local favorite (and delicious)!

8.  New Mexico’s nickname is the ‘Land of Enchantment’.

9.  The Candy Lady, a store in Old Town, made the blue crystal meth for Breaking Bad.  She now sells it as rock candy. 

10.  Albuquerque was founded in 1706 and is one of the nation's oldest inland communities. 

11.  Gila National Forest, located in New Mexico, is the largest national forest in the USA.

12. A large part of The Avengers (2012) movie was filmed in Albuquerque.  In fact, a number of popular movies and TV shows are filmed in New Mexico.                 

                                                                                               

13.  Transportation has always been a major part of the economy.  Railroad Avenue  became Route 66.  Now Central Avenue, the street still is still important and runs through the city.      

                                                                                  

14. Albuquerque is the nuclear capital of the United States. Much of the nation's nuclear research program is conducted or supervised here.                                                                                   

15.  Jesse Tyler Ferguson, the star of the popular TV show Modern Family, is from Albuquerque.      

                                                                                                            

16. The city of Santa Fe, about an hour north of Albuquerque, has the oldest capitol building in the United States -- the Palace of the Governors, built in 1610.                                                       

17.  The Tiwa Indians were the first inhabitants in the area of Albuquerque. 

18.  There were several UFO sightings in Albuquerque in the late 1940s.  New Mexico supposedly continues to have the largest number of reported UFO sightings in the United States.

      

19.  Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in Albuquerque in 1975.  The building where they started the company is now a smoke shop!      
         

                                                                                            

20.  Albuquerque was the home of Ernie Pyle, the famous war correspondent. Pyle wrote, "If we could only have one house, then it has to be in New Mexico, preferably in Albuquerque." Pyle's home is now a memorial library.   

                                                

21. New Mexico’s largest employer is The University of New Mexico, mostly in ABQ.     

                              

22. Albuquerque is the home of the famous racing family, the Unsers, who are multiple winners of the Indianapolis 500 Auto Race: Bobby, Al Jr., and Al Unser.  

                                                                                                                     

23. ABQ has the largest number public parks per capita in the entire United States!           

24. The 2.7-mile aerial tramway located five miles northeast of Albuquerque is the longest in North America. It has the third longest span in the world. The tram whisks visitors from the base of 6600 feet to the top of 10,378 foot Sandia Peak in about twenty minutes.                                                                     

25. The UNM Lobos have never won a national championship in football, but that does not stop fans from supporting them enthusiastically.         

                                                

26.  The famous Pan American Highway, which runs from the top of Alaska to the bottom of South American, runs through ABQ.

                                   

27.  In 1926, Route 66 became a major highway through the USA and went through ABQ.  Even though the highway was decommissioned, the street, now Central Avenue, is the main artery through the city.  You can see old motels, signs, etc. along the historic route.

28. The Sandia Mountains house the world's highest television towers -- those belonging to Albuquerque's three commercial and one educational network.    
                                          

29. Approximately 40% of the uranium reserve in the United States is found in deposits 70 miles west of Albuquerque.                                                                                                              

30. The Sandia National Laboratory was originally the engineering division of Los Alamos Laboratory, the central laboratory of the top-secret Manhattan Project (the atomic bomb) during WWII.                                                                                                                                 

31. ABQ has no professional sports teams, but the Albuquerque Isotopes are a Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies.                                                                                                       

32. Smokey the Bear was created in New Mexico.

25 Things about Albuquerque, New Mexico

Our family has been in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for almost a month. Like many largely populated areas, the city has a lot of issues, but it also has a wealth of history and culture, which make it ripe to write about. Here are some things I’ve learned or noticed so far…

1.      Albuquerque has two nicknames (maybe more):  ABQ and Duke City.

2.      It is called ‘Duke City’ because it was named after a Spanish Duke, Francisco Fernandez de la Cueva.                                                                                                                                                                                

3.      The TV shows Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul were filmed here, two of my favorites!

4.      Los Pollos Hermanos from Breaking Bad is really Twisters, a local restaurant chain that serves burgers and burritos.                                                                                                                                                

5.      The Sandia Mountains border the east of Albuquerque.  The setting sun gives the mountains a reddish tint like watermelon, sandia in Spanish.

6.   The road runner is the state bird.  I’ve seen quite a few running around in the neighborhoods.  Seeing them always reminds me of Loony Tunes!                                                                                                                                                      

7.      It is illegal to give the homeless or anybody else money at street corners.  This doesn’t keep the large number of homeless in Albuquerque from asking all over the city. 

8.      Built more than 300 years ago, the San Felipe De Neri Church is the oldest building in town. 

9.      At 5312 feet, ABQ is the highest metropolitan city in America.

10.  At one point during the Civil War Albuquerque was under control of the Confederate States of America. 

11.  Rather than Christmas lights during the holidays, many people hang luminarias around the city and their homes.  These are brown paper bags with candles in them.

12.  The climate in ABQ is said to be one of the best in the USA.  300+ days of sunshine, dry with warm days and cools nights.  We have been here a month and have seen only one cloudy day!

13.  Speaking of weather, when tuberculosis was a national epidemic in the 1910’s, easterners flocked to Albuquerque because they thought the climate would help.  Sanitoriums were built all around the city.

14.  I have driven in a lot of large cities all over the world, places like Paris and Mexico City.  Albuquerque drivers are some of the rudest I have ever encountered. 

15. Albuquerque is the Hot Air Balloon Capital of the world. 500+ hot air balloons from all over the world compete annually in October.                                                                                                             

16.  Paragliding is another popular sport.  It is common to see paragliders near the Sandia mountains. Remember Wile E. Coyote?      

                                                                                

17.  New Mexico was the second to last state admitted to the contiguous United States.  It was 47^th and Arizona was 48^th.  Statehood was postponed so long for fear of Native Americans and Hispanics not being able to ‘assimilate’.                                                                                                     

18.  Carlsbad Caverns, one of the wonders of the world, is located about 300 miles south of Albuquerque.                                                                                                                                                                   

19.  Kirtland Air Force Base, the sixth largest Air Force installation in the United States, is located in Albuquerque.                                                                                                                                                 

20.  There are so many different types of restaurants, more eclectic than almost anywhere I have been, especially with a Latin American influence.  I’ll never be able to try them all! 

21.  Albuquerque is in the heart of Indian pueblo country -- the oldest farming civilization on the North American continent.                                                                                                                          

22.  The famous river that serves as a natural border between Mexico and the USA, the Rio Grande, runs through Albuquerque.        

                                                                                                           

23.  The cofounder of Etsy, Jared Tarbell, is a native of ABQ.                                                                           

24.  There are five volcanic cones that are easily visible from the city.  They have been extinct for thousands of years.                                                                                                                                                               

25.  The Petroglyph National Monument border the west side of ABQ.  The rocks there contain over 20,000 carved images dating from a few hundred years old to at least a few millennia. 

The Truth About Santa

What age do we tell our children the truth about Santa?  Do we let them find out from friends or some mean kid that wants to ruin everyone else’s Christmas like the Grinch?

Our moment all happened because of Wyatt, our Elf on the Shelf.  For seven or eight years he came to our home the day after Thanksgiving.  For a month or more in between my wife and I had to put on our thinking caps to be creative and make him do something differently every day.  Yeah, we cheated sometimes by ‘borrowing’ ideas from friends, Pinterest, or Facebook.  Sometimes it was fun.  Other times it was a pain in the ass. 

Why do kids believe in some things and not others?  Why do they believe an elf made from plastic can be real and fly back and forth from the North Pole every night, yet there is no such thing as a zombie?  To me, zombies seem a lot more believable!  Do kids (and people in general) believe what they want, what makes them feel good?

 

All parents want to shield their children from uncomfortable situations.  Before my daughter was born, I remember telling my mother that I would never ever tell my child the ‘lies’ about Santa.  It made her sad, but I remembered how deep it cut when she told me the truth.  My mother read a book which explained the ‘magic of Santa’.  Afterwards, I went to my room and cried and vowed never to lie to my own children.

Never say never.  Fast forward to the present.  Somehow, I rationalized the joys of Santa and the several years my daughters believed were wonderful.  Christmas mornings were magical as their faces lit up.  The best part though was the build up to Christmas during the holiday season.  My girls maintained an almost constant level of excitement.  They even seemed to behave better to make sure Santa brought what they wanted!

When we talked about telling our kids the truth our hearts sank.  Is it just that parents don’t want their children to grow up?  The ‘talk’ seemed so difficult and we were so worried about the right way to do it.  We used Santa as an ‘idea’ that had evolved over time.  We talked about the history of St. Nick and how he secretly gave to the poor.  We explained how other cultures do not use Santa but have similar ideas about giving during the holidays.

“It’s about sharing and being selfless.  You all can be Santas too, not just during the holidays, but the entire year.”

In our minds our spiel sounded great as we presented it, but I don’t think my daughters really accepted the truth.  In fact, my youngest flat out did not get what we were trying to say.  She just started sharing amusing stories about the elves her teachers had used in the classroom.

Nevertheless, my oldest, Sofiah, still cried when Wyatt was not there the next morning.  Again, we tried to explain the concept of ‘Santa’, this time being more forward.  She cried hard in momma’s arms for at least ten minutes.  Then she locked herself in her room for another twenty.  Had we screwed up?  Was there a better way to break the news?  Should I have gone with my first instinct and never started the ‘Santa escapade’ in the first place?

Half an hour later Sofiah came out of her room and seemed fine.  Her Christmas spirit had not been vanquished.  In fact, she helped Kaia make an entire bedroom suite for our new elf.  Every day since, the girls have looked for the elf first thing in the morning. They have barely mentioned Wyatt.

And so I realize that discovering ‘truth’ is all part of growing up.  I think we as parents worry too much.  Probably we want our kids to stay innocent forever.  No doubt the world is a crazy place and we want to shield them from the harmful stuff as long as possible.  But there are tougher issues to deal with in life than finding out that the jolly fat man who gives gifts is not a real person. 

Kids deal with the truth in their own way.  Our goal should be to make them resilient and strong enough to deal with the good and bad aspects of reality.  We should also stimulate their imagination. Maybe the years of believing in an old fat man coming down the chimney are over, but what we told our girls still rings true.  Santa is an idea, a time of year to reflect on how we should be year-round; selfless, compassionate, and sharing.