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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.
National Hispanic Cultural Center
Located in the historic Barelas neighborhood on the Camino Real, this gem of Albuquerque museums offers a rich cultural journey through hundreds of years of history and across the globe. It explores Hispanic arts and lifeways with visual arts, drama, music, dance, and other programs. I most enjoyed the 11,000-square-foot gallery space, which exhibits exciting contemporary and traditional works. Look for photographs by Miguel Gandert. An exciting 2004 exhibit was Corridos Sin Fronteras, which re-creates the historical development of the corrida (a song portraying an adventure) in Mexico and the southwestern U.S. A restaurant offers New Mexican and American food. It's a good spot to sample authentic regional dishes such as tacos and enchiladas either from a buffet or by ordering from the menu. My favorite is the tortilla burger (a burger served in a flour tortilla, with all the fixin's). Plans are to incorporate a cultural cooking component into the center, which would allow visitors to sample Hispanic foods from all over the world.
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.
Candlewood Suites ALBUQUERQUE
Candlewood Suites Albuquerque Hotel is located in the heart of Albuquerque New Mexico and only a one hour drive to Santa Fe. We are near the city's major highways and just 3 miles from downtown. Just a few minutes away from the Albuquerque International Airport, the Kirtland Airforce Base, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Park and the mid-town business district. Minutes away from Kirtland Air Force Base, Sandia Labs, University of New Mexico, Cardinal Health, Qwest ...
Best Western Executive Suites
'From: Interstate 25. (Southbound) Take Exit 228, turn east on Montgomery, make a left on Pan American Freeway just past Interstate 25 overpass. The Best Western Executive Suites is located on the right ' block. 'From: Interstate 25. (Northbound) Take Exit 228, then go across Montgomery. The Best Western Executive Suites is located on the right ' ...
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