Visiting Albuquerque, What To Do, Possible Relocation (Santa Fe, Rio Rancho: how much, homes)

[fufl]

I am from Tampa Bay, FL, born and raised, 23 years old, way over Florida. I was looking around on the net for a new city to live in and came across Albuquerque. I was intrigued by the weather, having FOUR seasons, the mild winter with a touch of SNOW, by the food, by the beauty of the desert, by the beauty of the Sandias, laid back attitude, the great outdoors, the city itself... everything sounds great there.

So I booked a little vacation for me and my partner to go check things out to see if we like it as much in person as on paper. We will be there 7/25 through 7/28.

What are some things we should definitely do while we are there to get the true ABQ experience?

Where/what should we eat ( love all kinds of food, want to try the NM cuisine, and some indian food for sure)

What are a few cool bars to drink at, (more dive-y, less fancy schmancy)

Any cool hiking trails near by? Or possibly a river/lake to swim in (can't do that here in FL or you get chomped on by a gator)

Historical sites, museums, specific areas of town to recommend a visit to?

Would it be too much for us to take the sandia peak tram on our third day there? (We are just about at sea level here in Tampa Bay)

Any info would be greatly appreciated, I need to get out of FL before I go crazy!!

[RobR73]

I can't help with most of your questions because I am in the same boat as yourself, living in TB and wanting too relocate to ABQ.
But I can help with one. Don't worry about the altitude problems by riding the tram. Iv'e lived at sea level for awhile longer than yourself and had no problems back when I visited in oct. 2010.
Enjoy your trip and if you can make it any longer it would be wise to do so. I spent a week there in oct. and am heading there for another week in two more days. Can't wait till that plane touches down.

[fufl]

Thanks for the tram info, have a blast on your trip!

[Design7]

Here are a few recommendations:

Elena Gallegos Picnic Area:
Located at the base of the Sandia Mountains, it has a number of easy to follow trails that provide a great introduction to the Sandias and some of the most beautiful open land in Albuquerque:


Follow the Turquoise Trail (by car) from Albuquerque to Santa Fe. There are two nice ghost towns worth stopping at Madrid and Cerillos.
http://stylepeterson.com/new-mexico/madrid-new-mexico-car.jpg (broken link)

If you are healthy and in good shape, The tram should not be an issue. You may feel a slight shortness of breath on exertion. Just don't drink alcohol at those altitudes.

If you really want to try so good local food, ask someone who has lived here all of their life where to find some good Menudo (the soup, not the boy band). If they know what you are talking about, they can probably direct you to some really good places known only by the locals. For Native American food, ask about fry bread places that the locals prefer.

[Poncho_NM]

Originally Posted by fufl

Where/what should we eat ( love all kinds of food, want to try the NM cuisine, and some indian food for sure)

From urbanspoon.com The best Albuquerque New Mexican Restaurants at:

1. Frontier Restaurant
2. Turtle Mountain...
3. Sadie's
4. Range Café
5. Sophia's Place
6. El Modelo Mexican Foods
7. El Patio de Albuquerque
8. Range Café
9. Yanni's Mediterranean...
10. Duran Central Pharmacy

My personal favorites, I have gone to these many times over the past 10 years or so:

La Casita Cafe
Bernalillo Mexican and New Mexican

Perea's Tijuana Bar
Corrales Mexican and New Mexican

Casa de Benavidez
North Valley Mexican and New Mexican

Range Café
Bernalillo American, Mexican and New Mexican

Mary & Tito's Cafe
North Valley Mexican, Southwestern and New Mexican

Monroe's
Northeast Heights Southwestern, Mexican and New Mexican

Cervantes Restaurant & Lounge
International District Mexican and New Mexican

Hot Tamales
Rio Rancho Mexican and New Mexican

Las Cazuelas
Rio Rancho Mexican, New Mexican and Seafood

Garcia's Kitchen
Martinez Town Mexican and New Mexican

El Pinto
North Valley Southwestern, Mexican and New Mexican

And for a good review blog: Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog | Follow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico's Sesquipedalian Sybarite. 628 Restaurant Reviews…And Counting!

Gil has never let me down.


Rich

[RamblinRoseRanch]

Absolutely The Range for good food.
Google Menudo before you order it anywhere. Besides, that's a Mexican food, not New Mexican.
The correct answer is ALWAYS green. There are folks that will disagree with me, but they don't know what they're talking about, lol!
Madrid may not be on the main drag, but it's far from a ghost town. Grab a bison burger at the Mine Shaft there, you'll thank me.
Not sure how much hiking is available due to the fires. Perhaps someone closer than I can comment.
Frybread rocks. The best I ever had was @ the Indian Cultural Center in Abq.

Enjoy your time in NM

[rwjoyak]

Originally Posted by fufl

What are some things we should definitely do while we are there to get the true ABQ experience?

See this recent C-D thread for some good ideas - http://www.city-data.com/forum/albuq...relatives.html.

Originally Posted by fufl

Where/what should we eat ( love all kinds of food, want to try the NM cuisine, and some indian food for sure)

Rich listed some great choices in his post. I also suggest you go through the drive-thru at Golden Pride (1830 Lomas NE, just east of University Blvd, website is Golden Pride ABQ, NM) as soon as you leave the airport and grab a couple of breakfast burritos to welcome yourselves to ABQ.

Originally Posted by fufl

What are a few cool bars to drink at, (more dive-y, less fancy schmancy)

Several good brew pubs with their own (and others) beers, including Turtle Mountain (in Rio Rancho), Marble Brewery (downtown), La Cumbre, etc. Kelly's Brew Pub on Central is a pretty popular place for its beer, food and patio to hang out on.

In Bernalillo about 12 miles north is the oldest bar in NM - Silva's Saloon. Not that big an attraction but it certainly qualifies as a dive type bar.

Originally Posted by fufl

Any cool hiking trails near by? Or possibly a river/lake to swim in (can't do that here in FL or you get chomped on by a gator)

Lots of cool hiking trails but they're just about all closed right now because of the drought we're in the midst of and the resulting high fire danger. Here's a thread about it - Bosque, Rio Grande Valley State Park, and Open Space Areas CLOSED.

We're just starting to get into monsoon season with afternoon thunderstorms so hopefully we'll get rain and they'll reopen a bunch of the trails by the time you arrive. (We get less than 10" of precipitation a year so the time when most of it falls is called the monsoon season.)

You can search this forum for threads on local ABQ hiking opportunities; here's one to get you started - Hiking Near ABQ?. But I'd check here on the forum just before you arrive and/or at the local REI store after you get in to find out what areas if any have been reopened.

Originally Posted by fufl

Historical sites, museums, specific areas of town to recommend a visit to?

Old Town; Nob Hill; Coronado State Monument in Bernalillo; ABQ Biopark (including the zoo, botanic garden and aquarium); ABQ Art Museum and NM Museum of National History and Science near Old Town; ABQ International Balloon Museum; Indian Pueblo Cultural Center; Santa Fe with several museums, the downtown plaza, lots of art galleries, etc.; Petroglyph National Monument; other places listed in the first thread I referenced above;....there is just an amazing amount of stuff to see and do.

Originally Posted by fufl

Would it be too much for us to take the sandia peak tram on our third day there? (We are just about at sea level here in Tampa Bay)

As already stated, you'll be fine at the top of the tram. just remember it can be quite a bit cooler up there.

[Stanrice]

Originally Posted by Design7

If you are healthy and in good shape, The tram should not be an issue. You may feel a slight shortness of breath on exertion. Just don't drink alcohol at those altitudes.

I would say be careful drinking if you aren't used to the altitude, but the altitude isn't a reason to completely abstain from drinking.

[lobo]

The Santa Ana Pueblo will be celebrating St. Anne Feast Day on July 26th. This pueblo is just outside of Albuquerque near the I-25/Bernalillo exit. Attending a feast day is an experience you should not miss. You're lucky that one will be going on during your visit. There will be lots of traditional pueblo dancers along with some traditional ceremonies. You can also take a stroll around the pueblo, and will most likely be invited into some of the homes for some traditional foods. While we may think it's strange to be invited into a stranger's home to eat, this is a custom on the pueblos during a feast day.

SANTA ANA PUEBLO

The above link will also give you links to directions and other questions you may have. Make sure to read the etiquette link before you visit. There are certain rules and things you'll need to be aware of. For example, picture taking is strictly prohibited on pueblo land.

[fufl]

Thank you so much everyone!! Much appreciated!