IRA regional conference

[Susan/IN]

Is anyone out there from the Albuquerque NM area? I'm getting ready to fly out there at the end of the month for a regional IRA conference. I will be doing a 90 minute workshop on vocabulary activities. I've never been to Albuquerque (or anywhere close by) and would like to know of some things I should check out. My husband will be going too; he will need to find ways to occupy himself while I'm at meetings. This is never too difficult for him, but if anyone has any ideas we'd love to hear them. I'm excited (and a little nervous) to be doing this presentation. Thanks in advance for your ideas.

 

[SC]

Albuquerque

I'm not from New Mexico, but my husband and I went to Albuquerque for vacation one year. Here are some of the things we did and enjoyed:

- Museums
- Visit the downtown area that has old shops, churches, restaurants, etc.
- Drive up Sandia Peak and look over the city. We saw bear cubs as we drove up.
- Bandalier National Park is nearby. If I remember correctly, it's the one that has old cliffside dwellings from Native Americans.
- There's another national park that has ancient writings on old rocks, and it's a nice hiking area.
- There's a trolley that goes up Sandia Peak.
- There are different trails you can drive along; they're actually highways. You can see different famous landforms and old churches.

 

[Andy]

Things to do in Albuquerque

I'm not sure what types of activities you are interested in doing, so I'll give you some varous ideas. By the Convention Center, which is probably where the conference will be held, there is a movie theather. Next to the movie theater there is a great Brazilian restaurant. Downtown has some nice stores and boutiques. Downtown at night is mostly for college students, if you know what I mean. If you go to Old Town there are a lot of great little stores you can visit. There is a beautiful Church and many great restaurants. I recommend La Hacienda Restaurant. The food is excellent, and you might even find somebody famous eating there (look at all the pictures on the walls). Other good restaurants are High Noon and Little Anita's. I've heard that Seasons is good too, but I've never eaten there. Old Town also has several museums, such as: The Natural History Museum, The Albuquerque Museum, The National Atomic Museum (it is not as negative as it sounds), and the Explora Children's Museum.
Another great place to drive to is Santa Fe. It's like Old Town but bigger. There are some amazing museums, though make sure you have a map as some of them are a bit hard to get to. There is the Indian Arts Museum, the Folk Art Museum, the Palace of Governors, the Fine Arts Museum, and many more. There are many galleries to visit, as well as sellers along the Portal (most sell Native American jewelry and crafts). You could go skiing (Angelfire, Sandia, Taos...). If your husband is into fishing, there is a "catch and release" site called Shady Lakes on the Sandia Reservation. He will be able to catch some trout, but he'll have to let them go...lucky for you!
There is an outlet mall on the way to Santa Fe. Between San Felipe Pueblo and Santa Fe there is a nice strip mall called Traditions you might visit.
A lot of people like to go to the Casinos. I've heard that the Sandia Casino is very nice and that they have live music in the evenings.
If you let me know what kinds of things you'd be interrested in, I can give you more ideas.

 

[Susan/IN]

Thanks!

Thanks for the great ideas. We will be without a car and yes, Andy, we will be downtown at the convention center. Old Town sounds like fun.
Are there buses going there? There may even be some tours scheduled. I'm looking forward to our trip. Thanks for the tips on the night life and restaurants.

 

[Garnetbug]

What to do in ABQ

I'm going to the reading conference on Feb. 3, so I'll be looking forward to your presentation. There's lots to do in Abq. If you don't have a car, the Rapid Ride bus system is pretty good (the big red "bendy" buses) Tucanos Grill downtown is good, and you can go to the movies too. Old Town is great if you're into art or Native American items. La Placita Restaurant is great in Old Town. It used to be a home, so there's a tree growing in one dining room (that used to be the courtyard a few hundred years ago.) Don't be afraid to try the green chile! The Melting Pot north of Old Town is so yummy (fondue), but if you want to treat yourself, go to the St. James Tearoom for a bit (on Rio Grande north of Old Town.) You can take the Rapid Ride bus to Uptown and shop at the mall, and then eat at Garduno's or some of the other restaurants nearby. For something fancier, go to Nob Hill (east of Downtown) to shop a bit, and eat at Gruet Steakhouse. I've never eaten at Jennifer James there, but I hear it's good. Yanni's is great if you like Greek food. Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any specific questions.

 

[Andy]

More ABQ activities

Okay, so since you'll have to ride the bus, here are a few other things you can do while in Albuquerque: take a ride on the tram to Sandia Peak; hike the trails; eat at the base of the mountain (Sandiago's); there is the Rattlesnake Museum, in Old Town--not too fancy, but entertaining. Finally, try to catch the Native American dances at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. There is also a museum at the Cultural Center and a pretty good restaurant too (the pueblo sandwich, and the pueblo taco are my favorites). You can also hike to the volcanoes and the Petroglyph National Monument. Hope this helps. Let us know how it all went. Enjoy Albuquerque!