I love to travel and see the sights that our spacious world has to offer. I like to visit anywhere from high populated cities to cozy and compact towns, the experience is still gained, and my thoughts expanded. No matter where I visit, I always try to indulge in tasty foods and treats; explore landscapes and recreations; and shop for cool trinkets or clothing. When going on a trip I usually plan every detail but there are times that “winging it,”is just as fun and exciting. Even though I have visited many different places, my recent visit was to Albuquerque.
Albuquerque is in the state of New Mexico, which is nestled in the southwestern part of America, between the states of Texas and Arizona. Albuquerque is New Mexico's most populous city, housing nearly 572,900 residents, which includes 70 different ethnicity groups. Albuquerque's landscape is breathtaking, the Sandia Mountains surround the city while displaying clear blue skies, and amazing parks that support and encourage wellness, and Albuquerque's parks and recreation have been ranked 23rd in the nation. Seeing how the city experiences over 300 days (about 10 months) of sunshine, this is an easy win for Albuquerque. Even when the Albuquerque is snowing during the winter months, you can enjoy outdoor recreation like skiing down Sandia Peak, a 10,678-foot snow-covered summit, during the winter months. There are so many exciting things to see and do in Albuquerque, I will detail a few here in my recent trip.
I have had the fortune of visiting New Mexico twice, with my most recent trip this August being to visit Albuquerque, New Mexico. Both visits were a wonderful experience, filled with good vibes and lasting memories. Visiting New Mexico was a delightful road trip weekend vacation, where I shared new adventures and saw beautiful views. The trip was an easy decision, since Albuquerque, New Mexico, is my neighboring state, Texas.
Our trip started as a purposeful visit which soon changed into a 2-day weekend mini girls vacay. The three of us decided to leave Friday night after work around 7 p.m. and drive straight through with stops for fuel and food. The traffic leaving Texas was light and filled with mostly 18-wheelers trying to reach their next destination. Overall, the drive was visually boring but smooth, with almost no issues. At last, we did run into one gigantic issue on the trip to New Mexico. We noticed the car we were driving started smoking from the engine under the hood, so we pulled over into a small gas station to find that the oil cap had popped off and engine oil was everywhere. The stop did set us back for over an hour so we could figure out a solution. The situation was rough, we were in the middle of "nowhere" and the only gas station opened that we had to stop at had no replacement caps on hand. To our prevail the nice clerks rigged us a temporary cap using coffee cups and electric tape, I was astounded. The clerk was also a vibe and gave me some insight about her city telling how they had to drive over 45 minutes to get to their closest grocery store. Now, coming from a large city where there are major grocery stores within 5 minutes each way of my house, this was a bit of a shock. After we thanked the lovely ladies and left the station, we continued to drive and to our surprise, we were able to drive through to Albuquerque with no fuss. Once we made it to Albuquerque, our first stop was to the nearest auto zone to buy a new cap.
As we entered the city, the landscape was beautiful, the mountains were around every corner, and you could see the peaks no matter where you were pointed. I noticed the streets were well kept and the city was thriving with diversity and culture. There were many authentic places to eat and a variety of places to shop, we didn't know where to begin since there were so many activities to keep us engaged and occupied. We saw all the hot air balloons floating gracefully above us. We later found that Albuquerque is known as the Hot Air Ballooning Capital of the World. The hot air balloon rides are a must and, they provide you with a 15-20 minute exploration to the top of the mountains for breathtaking views and an unforgettable experience. While I was there, I was able to visit one of my favorite exercise spots HotWorx, which I explained in my earlier blog. With that, here are the 5 adventures I think are a must-try.
1. Hot air balloon rides
2. Pick and roast your chiles (especially during chile roasting season)
3. Visit the Bosque Trail
4. Take the old town art tour, with wine and museum admission included!
5. Visit the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
Even if you want to visit beautiful Albuquerque, which lies in the Chihuahuan Desert, just for relaxation and free fun, the plants and geology are enough to keep anyone engaged. The land is fascinating because of the way the desert plants and vegetation grow, it supplies many sites in nature to discover. There were interesting plants and trees all around that kept my attention.
Now of course we had to grub, so we decided to try a local fast-food joint for lunch, that had delicious hot dogs, with all types of toppings. Then for dinner, we tried a Mexican-styled restaurant called "Cocina Azul", The restaurant had a casual setting, and the food was top tier. The food featured fresh ingredients and options that cater to everyone, including vegetarian dishes. My favorite item on the menu was their Creme brûlée cheesecake, the taste was out of this world. Here's a list of 5 restaurants I recommend you try on your trip.
1. Cocina Azul -Mexican cuisine
2. Farina pizzeria and wine bar
3. Antiquity Restaurant- steakhouse
4. Le Troquet- French cuisine
5. The Artichoke Cafe- American cuisine
Albuquerque was a trip I must take again. There are a few parks and events that I would love to try, but for now the experience is added to my everlasting memories.
Stay sweet
-Bre
