Albuquerque Along the Rio Grande

Albuquerque is the largest city in New Mexico sitting in the high desert. It is right in the center of the state by the Rio Grande.

Sandia Peak Tramway over the Sandia Mountains offers great views of Albuquerque. The tramway offers you an amazing ride along a 2.7-mile suspended cable from the eastern edge of the city to the summit. Hikers can climb the 7.5-mile La Luz Trail that takes them to the top. In the wintertime, the tramway services the Sandia Peak Ski Resort.

The Old Town is the site of the original Spanish settlement as well as Native Americans. The Old Town is centered on a large plaza and has giant old cottonwood trees, cobblestone streets, and adobe structures. There are art galleries, souvenir shops, little museums, and restaurants.

In the Old Town, you can see the San Felipe de Neri Church a Catholic church with a rectory, convent, school, museum, and historic religious artifacts.

ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden has acres of exhibits and plants from the American Southwest and around the world.

Among the many gardens on display are:

The Spanish-Moorish Garden was designed in the Moorish style that originated in the deserts of North Africa. It is a cool retreat with walls and trees providing shade.

Sasebo Japanese Garden has a majestic waterfall, a koi pond, and a mixture of Japanese and local plants. It was built to honor Sasebo, one of Albuquerque's Sister cities. You'll see pagoda sculptures and stone and wooden bridges stretching across small streams.

ABQ BioPark Aquarium is the place to see all kinds of creatures of the deep as well as polar bears.

At the Shark Tank, you can see sharks, eels, Southern stingrays, and sea turtles.

ABQ BioPark Zoo has a great variety of birds like the wrinkled hornbill. See the big cats among them bobcats, jaguars, and Mayan tigers. There are many primates and many other kinds of animals.

The high desert environment makes Alberquerque one of the best places in the world for hot air ballooning. Many people come to the city for the International Balloon Fiesta. At sunset, the balloons are inflated again for evening "balloon glows" when the burners get fired up and make them shine against the dark sky. You can take a breathtaking balloon ride. The main place the fiesta takes place is at Balloon Fiesta Park.

You can enjoy the Anderson-Abruzzo International Balloon Museum to learn about ballooning history and see interesting exhibits, Permanent installations at the museum are a Balloon School, the Weather Lab, and an experimental 4-D theater. The museum has various children's programs focusing on science and creativity.

Albuquerque Museum of Art and History informs visitors about the history of the city. It is located at the edge of Old Town and has an amazing collection of cultural items from the past 400 years. You can see suits of Spanish armor, historic wood carvings, and the artwork of Georgia O'Keefe. The museum also hosts traveling and temporary exhibits.

The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, two miles north of the Old Town celebrates the living cultures and histories of Native Americans and offers cultural events, lectures, workshops, and tours. It is interesting to attend the traditional dances. You can enjoy the Pueblo Harvest Cafe which is a restaurant serving New Native American Cuisine and has a bakery.

The Unser Racing Museum features a wide range of vehicles from throughout the last century. Most of the cars and motorcycles on display come from the Unser family history and timeline. Visitors can learn about the exciting history of racing and a racing simulator lets visitors get behind the wheel.

The KiMo Theater is one of Alburquerque's best-known architectural landmarks built in 1927. It was built in the Pueblo-Revival-Art Deco style. The theater was renovated in 2000 and has become on of the city's premier venues.

Paseo del Bosque is a walking and biking path. It is one of the most important environmental corridors in the southwestern US. The path traces the forested Rio Grande for 16 miles through the center of town. It also offers great wildlife viewing opportunities. You'll find Tinely Beach and the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park along the path. The path can be accessed via multiple points along the river.

The Rio Grande Nature Center State Park is located on the east bank of the Rio Grande just north of downtown. At the Education Center, you can see exhibits of ecology, geology, and the history of the Rio Grande Valley. Among the outdoor exhibits include gardens, ponds, and wetlands. There is a great blind for bird watching along the Rio Grande Flyway. There are hiking trails.

Elena Gallegos Open Space is a park at the foothills of the Sandia Mountains. It is a popular destination for hikers, bikers, and horseback riders. There is a network of trails throughout the area. Some of them connect with other trails leading into the Cibola National Forest. There are wonderful picnic areas and a wildlife blind.

Petroglyph National Monument is located on the western edge of the city. This national monument has nearly 20,000 ancient images hewn into the volcanic rock by some of the continent's earliest inhabitants. This outdoor museum offers numerous hiking trails to access. A popular park area is the Boca Negra Canyon day-use area with restroom facilities and a drinking fountain. There are three self-guided trails and more than 100 petroglyphs to see. The visitor center has interpretive exhibits and educational programs.