Albuquerque
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Albuquerque’s recent claim to fame was serving as the setting for Breaking Bad, but it has a rich cultural history that extends well beyond Walter White. The skyline is framed by the Sandia Mountains in the east (their name comes from how they look a little like “sandias”—watermelons in Spanish—during sunset) and the Albuquerque Volcanoes in the west. There are many museums and galleries to learn more about this desert city, as well as plenty of places to hike and explore the outdoors.
Travel tip #1: As of October 2019, there are still organized tours for Breaking Bad fans that hit some of the famous spots in the show. Old Town has a few or check-out Lonely Planet’s suggestions for a self-guided tour.
Places of Interest
International Balloon Fiesta: The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta began in 1972 in a mall parking lot with just 13 balloons. Today the festival lasts nine days in October, has over 600 balloons, and draws a crowd of more than 800,000 people. It’s one of Albuquerque’s major annual events that should definitely be experienced.
Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum: Learn about hot air balloons, the science behind ballooning, and the role New Mexico continues to play in all of it. A unique museum with a solid combination of interactive, visual, and historical pieces. Admission is free on Sundays from 9 am – 1 pm. Read more about the museum here.
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center: This museum is owned and operated by the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico. It explores the history, culture, and art of the 19 Pueblos and the people of these communities. There are thousands of artifacts, works of art, Pueblo pottery, baskets, weaving, paintings, murals, jewelry, and photographs. You can also watch traditional dance performances. I learned so much while here and feel it is one of the more important museums to visit in Albuquerque.
Old Town: Known as “The Heart of Albuquerque,” Old Town is the historic district of the city. It extends about ten blocks and the buildings reflect Spanish Pueblo-style architecture. There are plenty of shops, restaurants, and galleries to explore in Old Town.
San Felipe de Neri Church: On the north side of the plaza in Old Town is the San Felipe de Neri Church. Re-built in 1793, it’s the oldest building in Albuquerque and the city’s first Roman Catholic Church. Although I don’t support what Spanish colonists did to the native people of New Mexico and other native populations in the United States, this church’s history is still quite interesting.
KiMo Theater: In the heart of Downtown Albuquerque stands a historic landmark that opened in 1927. It was commissioned by entrepreneur Oreste Bachechi, who envisioned a Southwestern-style theater for Albuquerque. Its architecture is uniquely “Pueblo Deco,” which fuses southwestern Native American cultures with Art Deco. The KiMo is home to film, theater, and musical performances.
Albuquerque Museum: Formerly known as the Albuquerque Museum of Art & History, this museum combines Albuquerque history, art, and culture. It can be found in Old Town off famous Route 66.
516 Arts: 516 ARTS is a nonprofit, contemporary art museum in Downtown Albuquerque. The organization’s mission is to connect contemporary artists and diverse audiences. It presents exhibitions and public programs that “inspire curiosity, risk-taking, and creative experimentation.” A neat spot to pop into when in Downtown.
Nob Hill: A main shopping, dining and entertainment district in the city’s center. The housing is diverse, there’s eclectic architecture, and you can see some Route 66-style signage. Nob Hill is considered one of the most walkable parts of Albuquerque and is a great place to hang out for younger people.
Travel tip #2: The Sandia Peak Tramway is one of ABQ’s most popular tourist attractions. It’s one of the longest trams in the world and boasts spectacular views from over 10,000 feet above sea level. In addition to the tram, there are also a few hiking trails.
Food
Blackbird Coffee House: In a little space in Old Town is this hip little coffee shop. They serve special teas and coffees, as well as baked goods. The drink with lavender in it was really yummy—love how they reference desert plants in their drink names.
Golden Crown Panaderia: A cozy and cute neighborhood bakery with delicious cookies, cakes, and breads. They specialize in regionally inspired breads, such as their New Mexico green chile loaf. I loved their Tres Leches cakes, as well as wedding cookies.
Coda Bakery: When I search this place, it also comes up as “Banh Mi Coda.” Whatever it’s official name is, I really enjoyed their barbecue pork banh mi sandwich (the #6). The bread was fresh and tasty while the filling was very flavorful. I would love to return and try other menu items, like the noodle bowls or drinks.
Tia Betty Blue’s: Tia Betty Blue’s serves really delicious New Mexican cuisine. You order first, then take a seat and wait for your food. The line can get lengthy during peak times and on weekends, but it’s definitely worth the wait. Their Blue Corn Waffles are awesome, as is the Frito Pie. The green and red chile here are both quite flavorful and tasted spicier than other chiles I tried in New Mexico.
Standard Diner: This diner is a refurbished Texaco gas station that serves traditional American diner food with a twist. They were featured on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives for their meatloaf, but the other dishes are all supposedly pretty decent, too. Definitely go for breakfast or lunch.
Frontier Restaurant: Located across from the University of New Mexico, Frontier is a local favorite. The chicken enchiladas with green chile are really good here, yet almost everything that came out looked tasty.
Pueblo Harvest: Inside of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is their restaurant, Pueblo Harvest. They take traditional Pueblo dishes and combine them with contemporary flavors. The Tewa Taco was phenomenal, especially the handcrafted frybread its made on.
Marble Brewery: Albuquerque has some of the best breweries in the country. One of the city’s best microbreweries is Marble, which was also a favorite drinking spot of the cast and crew of Breaking Bad during filming.
Travel tip #3: If you’re asked, “red or green?” while eating out in New Mexico, that’s referring to red or green chile. Order “Christmas” if you can’t decide—it’s a combination of the two.
Transportation and Accommodation
Having a car is best to access attractions and natural sights within and around Albuquerque. Renting a car is typically quite easy, but during peak seasons—summer and the annual Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta in October—prices can spike and cars can be difficult to rent short notice, so plan ahead. If you don’t have access to a car, ride share services (Uber and Lyft) are very common and can easily be hailed at most times of the day.
Albuquerque also has a pretty effective bus system that can connect you to different parts of the city. A one-day pass for the ABQ Ride transit system is only $2 USD, a single-ride ticket for adults being $1 USD. From my experience, there are many people from different walks of life riding the buses in Albuquerque. Be smart and aware when taking the buses.
If you’re looking to get between Albuquerque and Santa Fe without driving, the Rail Runner train runs multiple times throughout the day. One-way tickets were $9 USD the last time I checked, but roundtrip was only $10 USD. More information on the Rail Runner times, schedules, and ticket discounts can be found here.
Old Town is a great place to stay while in Albuquerque, but Airbnb is a solid choice as well, especially during the International Balloon Fiesta as hotel prices can skyrocket. Although Albuquerque is generally safe, definitely do background research on the area you’re considering staying in—petty theft and car break-ins are common due to the debilitating effects of the ongoing opioid crisis and the rampant levels of poverty and homelessness in the city.
Travel tip #4: Albuquerque is split into quadrants by two interstate highways, the I-25 from north to south and the I-40 from east to west. All of the city’s addresses are assigned a quadrant—like in Portland, Oregon—such as NE (northeast) or SW (southwest) to indicate where in the city they are located.
Climate
Albuquerque is one of the sunniest cities in America, with approximately 310 days of sunshine each year. As a southwestern desert city, its quite dry throughout the year and it has low humidity. Even though precipitation levels are relatively low compared to the rest of the United States, July is the wettest and also the hottest. It gets cold during the winter months, but there is usually no snow. September through November is a great time to visit due to comfortable temperatures, mild weather, and fun festivals.
