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 Albuquerque:
Sample Travel Guide & Map
The following
are brief samples from the "Know before You Go" printable
guides & maps
included in the Albuquerque portion of our new "The Best of New Mexico"
Virtual Tour CD
 Vital, vibrant,
warmly friendly, Albuquerque offers the very best of New Mexico.
Highlights for
visitors include Old Town (the
city’s original settlement) with its beautiful Plaza, historic buildings,
quaint shops and restaurants; world-class museums (including the fabulous
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science; the Albuquerque Museum
of Art and History, the National Atomic Museum, and the new Anderson-Abruzzo
Albuquerque International Balloon Museum); a rich Pueblo heritage and the
fascinating Indian Pueblo Cultural Center; the Albuquerque Biological Park
(gorgeous botanic garden, aquarium, and zoo); neon-lit, historic Route
66/Central Avenue; the world’s longest tramway (to the 10,378’ summit of
Sandia Peak); the Petroglyph National Monument (thousands of ancient rock
carvings), plus art galleries, performance halls, restaurants, and all of
the many amenities of a big city.
Home
to the world's largest ballooning event (700+ of the world’s most glorious
balloons; 1 million+ spectators), Albuquerque welcomes participants from
all over the world to the 9-day Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
every October. Visitors thrill
to the exhilarating sights of the Fiesta, especially the glorious Mass
Ascension when all the balloons take flight in wave after wave of
spectacular colors and use the guiding winds of the famous “Albuquerque
Box" to float above Fiesta Field.
Albuquerque’s
setting is magnificent. Alongside the graceful, cottonwood-lined Rio Grande River, between the
broad plateau country and the towering Sandia Mountains, it’s one of the
nation’s highest (more than 5,000’) urban areas. High elevation and low
rainfall give the city sweeping vistas and a comfortable, high-desert
climate.
The state’s only
major metropolis (with nearly a half-million residents; one-third of the
state’s population) Albuquerque has always been in the center of things
and is the heart of New Mexico. Its location at the crossroads of the state’s main highways (I-25 and I-40, the Camino Real and Route 66) and
rail routes (including the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe) has contributed to
its complex and fascinating history.
(continued)
Old
Town: Quaint, Colorful,
Friendly
For easy access and generous parking spots, we suggest parking at the
nearby museums (See: “Old Town & Museums” map) to visit both the museums
and Old Town.
 OLD
TOWN
– Old Town Road & San
Pasquale Avenue (1/2 mile south of the I-40, exit 157/ Rio Grande
Boulevard exit; 1 block north of the 2000 block of Central Avenue NW (US
66/Route 66).
Visitor Center
– 303 Romero St. NW (Plaza Don Luis), Albuquerque, NM, 87104. Daily 9-5
April-October (November - March 9:30-4:30. Free maps & info. Public
restrooms, pay phones & ATM (ATM & restrooms open Monday-Saturday 9-9,
Sunday 9-6) Phone: 505/243-3215 Website:
www.albuquerqueoldtown.com
Free guided 1-hour
walking tours of Old Town: mid-March to mid-December; Tuesday - Sunday at
11 AM; departing from The Albuquerque Museum of Art & History.
A shopper's,
historian’s and photographer's dream, Old Town is the city's original
settlement and remains virtually intact.
Quaint streets and lovely 18th-century architecture surround a tranquil,
tree-shaded plaza that welcomes visitors with its grassy lawn, graceful
white gazebo, and wrought-iron benches. Its imposing San Felipe de Neri
Catholic Church, (beautifully preserved and restored) anchors the
community and its congregation, as it has for over 200 years.
Crowding into
enticing nooks among the small plazas (placitas) and narrow, brick byways
surrounding Old Town Plaza, are over 150 Southwestern specialty shops,
galleries, cultural sites and dining establishments --- all within a
ten-minute walk. Here you’ll
find artwork, jewelry, artisans’ items and fascinating miscellany that
reflect Albuquerque’s appealing mixture of Spanish, Native American, and
Anglo heritages.
(continued)
Old Town
& Museums Map
(Sample size is greatly reduced for the
internet.)
Printable Text Guides & Maps for Albuquerque include:
(in addition to
our Balloon Fiesta guide, plus special tips for enjoying and photographing
the Fiesta)
Albuquerque downtown
attractions & Old Town
Walking map of Old Town & the
Museums
Great Museums next to Old Town
The Albuquerque Biological Park:
Aquarium, Botanic Garden & Zoo
Route 66 & the KiMo Theatre
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
Albuquerque Area Attractions
International Balloon Museum
Sandia Tramway, Sandia Crest, &
Tinkertown
Coronado State Monument
Petroglyph National Monument
“Sky City”:
The Acoma Pueblo
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