Northwest Airlines Flights from Houston (IAH) to Albuquerque (ABQ)
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Northwest Airlines, which operates 2 non-stop flights from Houston (IAH) to Albuquerque (ABQ) departing between 12:54pm and 9:10pm on select days of the week. Usually a Boeing 737-500 or Embraer RJ is flown for this route. The average travel time from Houston, TX to Albuquerque, NM is 2 hours and 13 minutes.*
* Some flights must connect with additional service on this airline.
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During your Albuquerque vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Rio Grande Zoo
More than 1,200 animals from 300 species live on 60 acres of riverside bosque among ancient cottonwoods. Open-moat exhibits with animals in naturalized habitats are a treat for zoo-goers. Major exhibits include polar bears, giraffes, sea lions (with underwater viewing), the cat walk, the bird show, and ape country, with gorillas and orangutans. The zoo has an especially fine collection of elephants, mountain lions, koalas, reptiles, and native Southwestern species. A children's petting zoo is open during the summer. There are numerous snack bars on the zoo grounds, and La Ventana Gift Shop carries film and souvenirs. Also check out the seal and sea lion feeding at 10:30am and 3:30pm daily and the summer Zoo Music Concert Series.
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument
These rarely visited ruins provide a unique glimpse into history. The Spanish conquistadors' Salinas Jurisdiction, on the east side of the Manzano Mountains (southeast of Albuquerque), was an important 17th-century trade center because of the salt extracted by the Native Americans from the salt lakes. Franciscan priests, utilizing native labor, constructed missions of Abo red sandstone and blue-gray limestone for the native converts. The ruins of some of the most durable missions -- along with evidence of preexisting Anasazi and Mogollon cultures -- are the highlights of a visit to Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument. The monument consists of three separate units: the ruins of Abo, Quarai, and Gran Quivira. They are situated around the quiet town of Mountainair, 75 miles southeast of Albuquerque at the junction of US 60 and NM 55.Abo (tel. 505/847-2400) boasts the 40-foot-high ruins of the Mission of San Gregorio de Abo, a rare example of medieval architecture in the United States. Quarai (tel. 505/847-2290) preserves the largely intact remains of the Mission of La Purísima Concepción de Cuarac (1630). Its vast size, 100 feet long and 40 feet high, contrasts with the modest size of the pueblo mounds. A small museum in the visitor center has a scale model of the original church, along with a selection of artifacts found at the site. Gran Quivira (tel. 505/847-2770) once had a population of 1,500. The pueblo has 300 rooms and seven kivas. Rooms dating back to 1300 can be seen. There are indications that an older village, dating to 800, may have previously stood here. Ruins of two churches (one almost 140 ft. long) and a convento (convent) have been preserved. The visitor center includes a museum with many artifacts from the site and shows a 40-minute movie about the excavation of some 200 rooms, plus a short history video of the pueblo.All three pueblos and the churches that were constructed above them are believed to have been abandoned in the 1670s. Self-guided tour pamphlets can be obtained at the units' respective visitor centers and at the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument Visitor Center in Mountainair, on US 60, 1 block west of the intersection of US 60 and NM 55. The visitor center offers an audiovisual presentation on the region's history, a bookstore, and an art exhibit.
Turquoise Museum
Don't be put off by the setting of this little gem of a museum in a strip mall west of Old Town. For those with curiosity, it's a real find that's been featured in Smithsonian Magazine and on 60 Minutes. The passion of father and son Joe P. Lowry and Joe Dan Lowry, it contains "the world's largest collection of turquoise" -- from 60 mines around the world. You start through a tunnel, where turquoise is embedded in the walls, and move on to exhibits that present the blue stone's geology, history, and mythology. You'll see maps showing where turquoise is mined, ranging from Egypt to Kingman, Arizona, and find out how to determine whether the turquoise you're hoping to buy is quality or not. Lowry, Sr., will fill in any details and even tell you more about turquoise you're wearing. There's also a real lapidary shop; jewelry made there is sold in a gift shop that's open until 5pm. If you're lucky, one of Lowry's grandkids will tell a joke like this one she told me: What do you call a sleeping bull? A bulldozer. Plan to spend about 1 hour here.
Los Poblanos Inn
Lushness in the desert city of Albuquerque? It's no mirage. Nestled among century-old cottonwoods, this bed-and-breakfast sits on 25 acres of European-style gardens and peasantlike vegetable and lavender fields. Notable architect John Gaw Meem built the structure in the 1930s. Each of the six guest rooms, most arranged around a poetically planted courtyard, has unique touches such as hand-carved doors, traditional tin fixtures, fireplaces, and views across the lushly landscaped grounds. At breakfast, you might feast on walnut-topped French toast and bacon while watching peacocks preen outside the windows of the very Mexican-feeling, boldly decorated cantina. Light sleepers be aware that the peacocks can be noisy at night.
Palisades RV Park
Sitting out on the barren west mesa, this RV park has nice views of the Sandia Mountains and is the closest RV park to Old Town and the Biological Park (10-min. drive); however, it is also in a fairly desolate setting, with only a few trees about. In midsummer it is hot.
The Böttger Mansion of Old Town
This Victorian inn situated right in Old Town offers a sweet taste of a past era. Decorated with antiques but not overdone with chintz, it's an excellent choice. My favorite room is the Carole Rose, with a canopy bed and lots of sun; also lovely is the Rebecca Leah, with pink marble tile and a Jacuzzi tub. All rooms are medium-size and have excellent beds; most have small bathrooms. The rooms facing south let in the most sun but pick up a bit of street noise from nearby Central Avenue and a nearby elementary school (both quiet down at night). Breakfast (such as green-chile quiche) is elaborate enough to keep you going through the day, at the end of which you can enjoy treats from the guest snack bar (try the chocolate cookies with a little chile in them). During warm months the patio is lovely.
