Best day trip from ABQ? (Albuquerque, Grants: condo, neighborhood, casino)

[Devin Bent]

Santa Fe has lots of things to see and it depends upon your taste. The Palace of the Governors is an authentic building from the really old days -- 1600s -- and if you go to the plaza you shouldn't miss it -- in fact, it is hard to miss. Most of the other buildings in the area date from the 20th century.

If you like the old murals from the 1930s -- two I can think of from off the top of my head in the plaza area. The old County Courthouse -- now the County Administrative Offices and the old Public Library -- sorry, but I forget what that building is now -- some sort of specialized library.

Also consider in the plaza area -- the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, particularly if you don't have time to get out to Ghost Ranch.

The 19th century Loretto Chapel is famous -- but they have put up barriers to keep the tourists off its famous staircase and in the process have made it less beautiful.

La Fonda Hotel, someone mentioned. Right on the plaza. It's current architecture dates from the early 20th century but it was very important during the period when Santa Fe became a center for the arts. They have resisted the temptation to modernize -- it has a lot of genuine touches from the 1930's. It is an old Harvey House (if you are a Judy Garland fan, you will recognize Harvey Houses from one of her movies-the AT&SF.).

Have fun.

[thirdtimesacharm]

Towanda askes, "Do we need a new thread? This is pretty off topic"

I was thinking the same thing. I think I will make a new thread on this

[EnjoyEP]

Hey jrod -

So many awesome, lengthy, detailed, and info-packed posts! Amazing sources of knowledge here and great, great information for sure.

So, please...I hope none of you are angry with me for this advice, as you all know how much I absolutely love and adore New Mexico and really like all of you superb posters, however, I just have a different take / advice - and jrod, certainly you can take it with a grain of salt and take it or leave it.

Here is my advice:

-Do one half-day daytrip to Santa Fe. And that's it.

Otherwise, spend the rest of the 4.5 days in Albuquerque/Rio Rancho/Corrales, etc.

Here is where I am coming from:

I am only a few years older than you. I, like you, am a married male. I, like you, was interested in ABQ as a relocation destination from the Midwest. I remember my first "exploratory' trip to ABQ - so similar to what you are planning!! - and it was 4 days (not 5). In those 4 days - the first four I ever spent in NM - I did not once leave ABQ's borders (excpet to hit Rio Rancho / Corrales) and I am glad I didn't. It was in that time that I grew to know ABQ, grew to fall in love with the city, and grew to appreciate just how perfect a fit ABQ would be for me.

I did Old Town. I did the Golden Crown Panaderia. I ran a run every day - some by the foothills on Tramway Blvd. and one along the bosque / Rio Grande and on near the Albuquerque Academy. I did the Sandia Peak Tram. I went to an ABQ Isotopes baseball game in the amazing Isotopes Stadium. I drank some margaritas. I ate some incredible New Mexican cuisine, including inspirational stops at the Frontier and Barrela's. I soaked up sunshine/sunrises/sunsets/Sandia Mountain views. I looked at neighborhoods and houses. I saw some awe-inspiring monsoonal New Mexican nighttime lightning shows (my "first time" was in August! ). I saw the UNM campus. I saw the Nob Hill area. I walked (and got some photos of my wife and I!) some of the awesome homes well into the foothills of the Sandias with all of ABQ in its glory behind me. Heck, I stopped in and saw the Pit - the arena I grew up watching legendarily on TV! - and after shopping at the Pit merchandise shop, even got to go down near the bball floor in the actual arena. I ate, I drank, I lived Albuquerque.

That isn't to say that any of these other suggested day-trips or weekend trips wouldn't be worthwhile. They assuredly would be. And they would be amazing. Fantastic. My my opinion? Do them - all of them - but do them once you've decided ABQ is the place for you, and you've moved there. Then, once you are in ABQ and have "started anew" with your wife, since you guys will be without the friends/family, etc., of the Midwest, you'll have more recreational time - and these trips will be perfect for then.

For now, I say, get to know ABQ - if you REALLY get to know it, I think you'll fall in love with it. Then you can "branch out" to these other day trips (most of them too cooler, mountainous areas great as "cool down" getaways from the sizzling ABQ days of June, etc.) as time moves on as a resident.

But I do think in 5 days that a 1/2 day sworray up to Santa Fe is worthwhile. SF is a historic, world-class city obviously, and get up there, see some sights (even though locals don't think so, for a Midwesterner, the drive up I-25 from ABQ to SF is breathtaking) have a great meal...that is all good.

But otherwise, that 5 days in ABQ is precious as gold. Don't spend too much of it in a car in places that aren't ABQ.

[GregW]

Has anyone tried a day trip up the road on the East side of the Sandia's to the Tram station on the top of the ridge? On the atlas it looks like a great road in a car and even more fun on a motorcycle. After coffee on the mountain you could head the rest of the way up the Turquoise Trail.

[ziaAirmac]

The blast up the freeway canyon on I-40 is curvy, driven too fast and loaded with rigs, so although there's some interesting geology and a giant yucca made of old F-16 extended range fuel tanks, it's pretty underwhelming. After that you get off the interstate and start up the back side through Cedar Crest. Then it's a left up to the crest. That road is everything it promises to be on the map. Nice mix of tight and large radius turns and switch backs, but the best part is all the elevation change makes for some turns with some bank and rise. It's not the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca, but it feels like as much fun. For some reason rolling on the throttle to straighten out of a decending, banked turn like that is one of my favorite feelings on a bike. If you take enough time to look out your visor, you're passing through some beautiful mountain forest. At the end is a short hop to the top of the hill and one of the best views available in New Mexico. You can see the old volcanoes and the escarpment and on clear days you can see Mt. Taylor on the western horizon. To the East it's billiard table flat out to Texas. You're at the point the Tram (mentioned in other posts) ends at. You go back down the road to pick up 14 and head north on the Turquoise Trail.

[GregW]

zia - Just about what I expected. When I relocate a motorcycle is a must have.

[mortimer]

GregW asks:

> ... day trip up the road on the East side of the Sandia's to the
> Tram station on the top of the ridge?

I'd call that a few hours diversion, but less than a day trip.

Just so you know; the road goes to the Crest, not to the Tram station.

The road runs *by* the downhill side of the ski area where you can ride the chairlifts most of the year to the Tram station about 1,800 ft above.

> ... more fun on a motorcycle.

If you're a real stud, you would do it on a bicycle like so many (not me) do daily.

> After ... could head the rest of the way up the Turquoise Trail.

If your motorcycle was capable of dirt road riding (good dirt road that you can also take in a passenger car) you could alternatively take Rt 165 which continues along the back side of the Sandias to Placitas where it magically becomes paved and takes you to the highway.

If you are going to get a motorcycle, know that there are many ghost towns and secret places North of the Sandias to the Cerrillos Hills that are accessible via dirt road that is *not* suitable for a family car.

Although it looks like just a broad flat expanse of desert, it is full of hidden stream beds, and topography that is only evident when at ground level. You could p1ss away months and months of time there and still be discovering new things each time you go out.

I'm guessing that some of the places in the Rio Puerco valley W of Albuquerque would be fun for you too. There are ghost towns there and then there are ghost towns dating back to Chaco culture that are not part of the National Historic Park.

ziaAirmac also said:

> ... To the East it's billiard table flat out to Texas.

Again, there is more than meets the eye. It appears that way from the crest, but if you have ever made the drive in on I-40, it's flat in Texas, but becomes table-top mesa country just a few miles into New Mexico.

It's flat between Springer and Clayton, but you usually have to get close to the Texas border to see "flat" in New Mexico. (I'm talking about flat to the horizon. It's flat in the Plains of St. Augustine, but it's ringed by 10,000-footers.)

[GregW]

Looks like the old BMW R-75 will come with me. Not a disasterous bike on gravel but not real fast because the suspension travel is a not so great. Yeah. I am looking forward to many, many dirt miles.

[mortimer]

GregW, biker dude exclaimed:

> ... BMW R-75 ... suspension travel is a not so great.

Can you tweak that with higher profile tires? Depending on the rest of the suspension, that might be a nice compromise.

BTW, just curious; what parts of NM have you been to? Since you 'axed' that question about the back road up Sandia Crest, it sounds like you have some holes to fill.

[ziaAirmac]

Definitely bring the R-75. It's nice counter-point to the sea of stock Harleys and the relaxed seating and reliability are perfect for the 'tourist in your own state' runs. I'm hunting for a MotoGuzzi Eldorado myself, but it's in the same vein.