Leaving the impressive Grand Canyon behind, we pulled the New Mexico map out of the glove box and set our sights on Albuquerque. Our route consisted mostly of long stretches of desert scenery broken up only by a few small communities acknowledged barely noted on the map. As we drove, we kept passing signs depicting deer, cattle or elk, that read, “Watch for animals crossing the road”. In spite of the warnings, the only living creature we encountered was a roadrunner crossing the highway, meep, meep (go on you were thinking it, and shortly thereafter, a coyote skittered hurriedly across our path. For those of you familiar with the Roadrunner cartoon series, I kept looking for the Acme crate, but if it was out there I missed it.
I made note as the scenery passed my window, if New Mexico house painters ever ran out of earth-tone stucco, all building in the state would immediately come to a grinding halt. Rarely did we see in either the more expensive, or less affluent, neighborhoods any variation from this color theme. Most dwellings were built in the same Pueblo style with the identical colored exteriors. I noticed as well, most were sparsely landscaped. This would be due, I would guess, to the steamy temperatures and dry conditions prevailing in this part of New Mexico most of the year.
Albuquerque is a large, sprawling city of 572,864 citizens, according to the 2023 census. Spreading along the land like waffle batter across a hot griddle it oozes over a large basin, making it the largest city in New Mexico. The basin is sandwiched in between two mountain ranges, one rising to the east, the other to the west. Located high atop the Sandia Mountain peak to the east, at an oxygen depriving 10,378 feet above sea level, sits the restaurant Richard had made reservations for us to dine at our second night in the city. Obviously, we were not taking out our pic axes and crampons and scaling the wall in our Sunday best. Instead, we boarded the tram with the other thrill seekers and up, up, up we went. As we ascended, our guide provided us with the history of the tram plus some interesting facts about the mountain itself. The city, becoming smaller and smaller as we ascended, began to look like a picture out of a child’s story book bathed in the pinkish hues of the impending sunset. I thought of my mother right at that moment. I do miss that little woman every day. My mama was terrified of heights. Never, no matter what the inducement, would she ever have been convinced to step foot on such a conveyance, and would be equally horrified if she’d known I’d made the poor choice to do so.
At two points during the tram ride the guide instructed us to hold on as we were coming to a docking station which would likely cause the car to rock. Oh baby. That was a bit unsettling, but we made it to the top unscathed with all of Albuquerque stretched out below us.
We were told there were hiking paths for those so inclined. Our guide said to be sure if you were going to hike, to mind the altitude and stay hydrated because the air is much thinner at high altitudes. Another cautionary thought he shared with us all, was to be mindful of the wildlife indigenous to the area such as black, brown and even grizzly bears and mountain lions. During the ride up he had pointed out a shack perched high atop the uppermost point of the mountain that was barely visible from our vantage point. At one time or another some sort of research had been conducted from up there and someone had actually lived in the shack while it was being done. Whoa. I hope he wasn’t a sleepwalker.
The temperature had dropped considerably, and the wind had picked up. After getting some good photos of the panoramic view we decided to go inside the lodge where the restaurant was located. Our reservations weren’t for another hour, so we decided to wait in the bar for our table to be called. Adding our name to the other “bar waiters”, in about twenty minutes we were happily seated on two bar stools perusing the drink menu. At $42 without tip for two cocktails, we talked and sipped slowly for the next sixty minutes until the hostess called our name. What a lively bar. If you were hoping to have a quiet conversation, this would not be the place to choose. However, I rather liked it. Everyone was having fun and it was contagious. People were dressed in everything from hiking boots and lederhosen to dresses and heels, depending on whether their intention be hiking or dining in the restaurant.
The restaurant, exactly the opposite of the atmosphere in the bar, was elegant and understated. I ordered halibut which arrived perfectly cooked nestled on a bed of crispy red potatoes topped with a haystack of delicate asparagus spears. I ate everything but the pattern on the plate. Our table sat at a front window overlooking the scene below us. We enjoyed a bit of total chocolate decadence while watching the sun disappear beyond the horizon taking with it gorgeous long bands of red and pink clouds. As dark wrapped itself around the city, lights began to twinkle and it made for all and all a magical setting for a fabulous meal.
Richard paid the bill. After looking at it initially, he told the waiter he would send me back to do the dishes as soon as I finished my coffee. Funny man. We bundled up and headed back down to the tram and headed to our car. I was tired at that point. Traveling is wonderful, and going here and going there, but sometimes it feels good to just put your feet up and pick up your book.
In the morning, I took a long walk around the park we were staying in. The RV park we booked there was a nice one, perhaps my favorite of the trip. The only concern I had while there was keeping one eye on my surroundings. On a walk one morning I came across a dead rattlesnake lying in the road. This gave more emphasis to the signs posted in most areas of the park telling patrons to keep an eye out for the sidewinders. I’m not a bug girl, but I’m emphatically not a snake girl. While in the small store inside the office there, I struck up a conversation with the clerk about the snake situation. She said she and her husband had been sitting on their patio recently and were joined by their cat. Suddenly, they heard a rattle, turning to find the cat walking in the direction of a coiled reptile now poised to attack. Next thing she said she heard was her husbands handgun discharging. Cat 1, rattlesnake 0. Ewwwww. The only thing I would see if I lived in the area would be the laces in my shoes.
So, it’s on to Taos. Always I have wanted to visit there so I am most excited to see what it has to offer.
Talk soon.
I visited Albuquerque in 2009 for a meeting. It coincided with the balloon festival. It was a good week. Every meal I saw on any menu came with cheese.
Gary, I bought a tee shirt with balloons floating across it. Would love to be there during that time. Understand you have to book a room a year in advance. The Mexican food there is out of this world. Yup, say cheese for sure.