Within the last month, I’ve hosted a friend and my brother in Albuquerque meaning I had to think of things to take them to do. This was my list that doesn’t include climbing around the state (which warants a post on its own one day), and my opinions:
- Meow Wolf: a must do. Unique, fun and modern. Truly an art museum that is worth every dime. One can easily take the opportunity while up in Santa Fe to eat some better food, and visit their downtown (which is better than ABQ’s Old Town)… speaking of…
- Sandia Tramway and ABQ oldtown: I honestly don’t think ABQ as a city is very worthwhile to visit. The Sandia Tramway is nice for an overview of the city and to get mountain air, but it’s fairly expensive for the experience. I think La Luz might be the better option for those who are young and fit. Old Town is really just a shopping area and pales in comparison to the Santa Fe’s corresponding area. The only thing that I liked was the BioPark and Explora (but this zoo/garden/aquarium and museum are not unique to ABQ).
- Petroglyph National Monument: I took both people to Piedras Marcadas canyon trail for the petroglyphs. It’s honestly not that spectacular of a hike, considering the flatness and the fact that it’s by a suburb. It is useful as a first day visit to acclimate to the altitude.
- Bisti Badlands/Valley of Dreams: for the outdoorsy-type, I thought this was a fantastic place (one of the pictures on the top of my banner is from there). The one draw back is that it is a full day trip, and summer is brutal there. But for geologists or other just curious types, definitely worth a visit.
- Ten Thousand Waves Spa: I brough my friend there to let him relax. It wasn’t too expensive once we split the cost, and I did enjoy my time there. The caveat is that there are closer spas nearby in ABQ, but non had the Japanese aesthestic that I wanted. I personally really enjoyed my time there.
- Tinkertown Museum: a hidden gem. I loved the little place. It’s filled with tchotchkes, figurines and models which one person collected over his lifetime. On the surface, this may sound mundane, but the craftsmanship and themes really brings the exhibits together. Truly great. This is on the Turqoise road which allows one to visit Madrid, NM on the way.
- Mount Wheeler Hike: hard one. Do not attempt if not fit. The payoff is great though, and it’s a very nice trip up to Taos (visit Chokola, unrelated to Dracula, for great choclate) to escape the heat. One can make this a quick weekend trip by camping in the valley, then hiking to Lake Williams rather than the summit (only 4 miles and much less strenous).
