Albuquerque Travel Forum

I will be in Albuquerque in late June of 2006. I would like to see the mountains and other things associated with nature. Hiking and sightseeing.

My plan is to continue to the Grand Canyon and then into Utah form there. I will only have about 2 days or so in New Mexico.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated!

Mike in Iowa

If your only here for two days, then you don't have a lot of time. Of course, Old Town if your into the Colonial/Native merger of cultures.

Personally, I would send you up to Acoma Pueblo. A single day trip --Sky city on the top of a mesa--great views of the high desert plains and an old pueblo too. Your into archeology(stopped by your page) so this is a perfect place for seeing traditional pueblo culture.

There is hiking in the Sandia Mountains, perhaps the tram and nothing like seeing Albuquerque lit up at night from up high-- it's a bowl of diamonds.

Best of luck.

Misha

There is a walk just outside the city limits ... the Ojito Wilderness Area ... great walks, beautiful desert scenery ... and so unknown you may not see another person out there! Oh, you'll see their cars in the staging areas ... but the drivers won't reappear until the end of the day :) The excavation site for the seismosaurus is easily found, some ruins, amazing petroglyphs, I wandered across an old hunting blind during one of my gaunts (sp?), petrified trees and stuff I;m certain I wouldn't even recognize the significance of :)

If you are planning on trekking in Utah and such, the high altitude and a short walk in our desert climate just might give you an idea of what you can handle ... July is ... well .. hot.

Whatever you decide, have fun :)

Good shoes .... lots of water ... blah, blah, blah .....
:)

Mike, the end of June is usually our hottest time of year. If I were you, I would head for the mountains. The extra elevation drops the temperature (rule of thumb...one degree F per 300 feet elevation). Specifically, I would explore the Jemez Springs area (http://www.jemezsprings.org/). See the Guadalupe Gorge. Visit the Jemez Pueblo. Taste wine in Ponderosa. Hike back to McCaughley Spring via Battleship Rock. Take some of the trails in the Valles Caldera. There are many options.

I agree with everyone, especially with Misha and her Acoma recommendation. It's a wonderful place. If you feel like going North, go to Taos for art and to see beautiful Taos Pueblo, the Gorge, maybe do a bit of rafting. Santa Fe is beautiful and crowded and full of art and people looking at art and spending too much. Albuquerque has Old Town, the Rio Grande Nature Center and the Bosque River Bike Trail, as well as the lovely foothills, Elena Gallegos State Park and the Sandias. A nice road to Abq from Santa Fe is the Turquoise Trail instead of I-25.

On your way to the Grand Canyon, be sure to stop in Gallup, even if you hear otherwise. Great food, tons of art, both tourist art and fine art, and a real multicultural experience (Navajo; Zuni; Hispanic; Anglo and more... ). Red Rock State Park is gorgeous.

Have fun!

Thanks to all who responded to my question.

Mike in Iowa

Mike,
Let us know how your trip works out!

I just found out that my meeting in Albuquerque has been changed to September 17 - 19th.

I don't know if that timing changes any advise from you folks.

Thanks again for your support.

Mike

The heat will be MUCH less intense, so you might actually enjoy your time hear ..... most of the advice still stands from what I can see ;) Have fun!

Actually, that is State Fair time. If you want to go to a State Fair with all the competitions of canned tomatoes, rubarb pies, grown vegetables, sheep and cows, then this is a treat. It's as good as the one in Charlotte's Web!

Just in case your into Americana experiences.

Misha

Mike, you are now visiting at a much nicer time of year. All of the suggestions you have gotten here will be good. Your problem will be having too many choices and not enough time. Just to exacerbate that I'll e-mail you my list of things to do in the Albuquerque area.

If you're into this kind of stuff also try the National Petroglyph Park there. I still got pretty crispy in September though.hehe :) Have FUN !!! You made the same trip we did while heading to the Grand Canyon!!