New Mexico, U.S.A. – Friday, August 20th, 2021
New Mexico had been on my radar for an extended Memorial Day or Labor Day weekend trip since at least 2017, by which point Meow Wolf’s debut had been the talk of my entire profession. Existing travel plans pushed it back to 2018; challenging work schedules pushed it to 2019; finding better holiday weekend airfare to Portland pushed it to 2020; and then you-know-what pushed it to 2021. Work obligations that made the original plan of Labor Day weekend unworkable, and worrisome news about the emergent Delta variant very nearly made my New Mexico hopes into a 2022 excursion, but after checking the local case rates (New Mexico had one of the highest vaccination rates in the country) and wanting to avoid the specter of becoming trapped in eternal recurrence, we decided to make it work over a regular weekend in mid-August.
After getting into Albuquerque late the night before and having to sort out some issues with the car rental, our first stop was at the Indian Pueblo Kitchen inside the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, which features a brunch menu consisting of local ingredients and techniques both pre- and post-European contact. The localized honey tasting plate with soft, pillowy fry bread was a particular highlight.
From there it was a quick visit to Petroglyph National Monument. Despite the high temps keeping the visit short, this was an incredibly unique connection to both natural and cultural history still practically within Albuquerque city limits. Petroglyphs are designs and symbols carves into volcanic rocks, removing the darker outer layer to expose the lighter colored mineral underneath, most made between 300 to 700 years ago.
Along the short Boca Negra Canyon trails, one particular highlight was this carving of a macaw, which, despite being tropical birds, would have still been known to native peoples living in the deserts of the southwest due to the advanced trade networks the tribes maintained.
Roughly 100 petroglyphs can be found along these trails. Petroglyph National Memorial was well worth the visit, which took us less than an hour to complete the Boca Negra Canyon area, although longer trails are available.
Next, we spend much of the afternoon exploring Old Town Albuquerque. While it’s a little bit touristic, it still had a very relaxed atmosphere with plenty of nicely shaded courtyards and cozy shops to explore.
San Felipe de Neri Church stands over the central plaza of Old Town.
These Civil War-era Howitzer cannons standing guard at the corners of the plaza may beckon a familiarity to Disneyland.
Speaking of touristic stuff, the Breaking Bad Store ABQ offers a mix of souvenirs and novelties, museum prop displays, and selfie photo spots all crammed together into a tight space. Despite the kind of tackiness of the place, being a casual enjoyer of the show (who even once got to meet Vince Gilligan), it’s still a bit of a thrill to see. The combination of cult following and city-specific nature of the show obviously give it a big appeal to tourists.
Our favorite part of Albuquerque might have been the American International Rattlesnake Museum. Tucked into a narrow, labyrinthine space, for a small fee you can view what is billed to be the most diverse collection of live rattlesnake species in the world.
This big beautiful Eastern Diamondback Rattler was especially active and mesmerizing to watch.
In addition to the live snakes, the museum is packed floor to ceiling with rattlesnake and herpetological ephemera, both scientific and cultural.
In chatting with the museum’s director and owner at the end of our visit, he expressed hope to eventually move to a bigger location to display his full rattlesnake collection, of which this is only a small fraction.
After a quick break back at the hotel, we headed to the Sandia Peak Tramway.
The cable car takes passengers up to the 10,378-foot crest of the Sandia Mountains that loom over Albuquerque. This cable car route is the longest in the Americas and includes the world’s third-longest span. Traversing such rugged vertical terrain so quickly and smoothly is certainly a unique experience.
At the top are some spectacular if not slightly hazy views over Albuquerque.
Apart from the overlooks, there are several long hiking and biking trails that lead down from the mountain, as well as a restaurant, Ten 3. While reservations are required to the fine dining side of the restaurant, there’s a more casual bar area that accepts walk-ups and features nearly just as good of views. The menu offers a selection of “New” New Mexican dishes that were perfectly satisfying. We had to be cautious with ordering any alcohol, as the altitude could result in a much stronger affect.
By the time we had finished, the sun had already set over Albuquerque.
In all the previous iterations of my trip itinerary, I hadn’t given as much time to Albuquerque beyond doing the amusement park and maybe getting a meal somewhere, but I’m actually very glad I ended up allotting a full day just to see the city itself. While Santa Fe is better known for its beautiful setting, the mountains and petroglyphs around Albuquerque are just as, if not more compelling experiences, and each neighborhood we visited has its own unique character. (And we didn’t even have time for the Nob Hill district, which looks like a funky mid-century timewarp). With just a couple of days in New Mexico, the next morning we’d spend at Cliff’s Amusement Park, before moving on to Santa Fe and Meow Wolf for the remaining two days.
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