Albuquerque
Albuquerque New Mexico NM
- Country Code
- USA
- State Code
- NM
- Day Trips
- Head east out of town on I-40 (the modern incarnation of the famous Route 66), and hang a left onto the Turquoise Trail, which begins in the dusty town of Tijeras. Ancient Pueblo dwellings, ghost mining towns, and cultural treasures from New Mexico's rich past await you on this 52-mile road to Santa Fe. If you don't have time for the drive, at least take the Sandia Peak Tramway up to the top of Sandia Peak, where you will be amazed by the awesome, hundred-mile vistas. For more info, visit www.turquoisetrail.org.
- Local Food
- More than just Southwestern, New Mexican cuisine is actually a delicious hybrid of Mexican and Native American cultures, with a nod to the Spanish for the vegetables they brought from Europe. Corn, pinto beans, and of course the versatile chile pepper are the basics for a wide range of hearty, tasty fare. The chile pepper grows in some 2,000 varieties, and can be prepared in almost as many ways. Color, size, and spiciness vary, so go slow if you are a beginner. Note: If you find your tongue burning from the heat of a pepper, dairy products are the quickest remedy to quash the flames, so heap on the sour cream!
- Gay Info
- Common Bond Info Line 505/891-3647, www.commonbondnm.org.
- Aids Group
- 505/938-7100, www.nmas.net.
- Gay Aa
- AA Gay/Lesbian 505/266-1900 (AA#).
- Gay Pride
- June. 505/873-8084, www.abqpride.com.
- Annual Events
- September - Closet Cinema, LGBT film festival 505/243-1870, www.closetcinema.org.
- October - Albuquerque Int'l Balloon Fiesta 505/821-1000 or 888/422-7277, www.balloonfiesta.com.
- Tourist Attraction
- Albuquerque Museum 505/842-0111, www.albuquerquemuseum.com.
- Indian Pueblo Cultural Center 505/843-7270 or 866/855-7902 (outside NM), www.indianpueblo.org.
- New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science 505/841-2800, www.nmnaturalhistory.org.
- Old Town.
- Petroglyph National Monument 505/899-0205 x331, www.nps.gov/petr/.
- Rattlesnake Museum 505/242-6569, www.rattlesnakes.com.
- Sandia Peak Tramway 505/856-7325, www.sandiapeak.com.
- Wildlife West Nature Park 505/281-7655, www.wildlifewest.org
- Visitors Bureau
- 800/284-2282, www.itsatrip.org.
- Weather
- Sunny and temperate. Warm days and cool nights in summer, with average temperatures from 65° to 95°. Winter is cooler, from 28° to 57°.
- Best Views
- Sandia Peak Tramway (505/856-7325) at sunset.