We’d been debating between Montreal and New Mexico, and currently New Mexico is in the lead due to airfare prices being about half that of Montreal’s (despite it being only about a 2-hour flight from home, with Albuquerque being more like 6). We’d be looking to go in mid- or late September.
I’m thinking we’ll want to rent a car and take in some sights in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos.
So – what’s good to see? We like museums and art galleries, trains, oddball stuff, small-venue music, nature-y stuff (no strenuous hiking or climbing though - a walk through the Botanical Gardens in Albuquerque and Santa Fe is more our speed if they’re worth visiting). Not so big on ruins or ancient historical sites.
Would it be better to stay in Albuquerque or Santa Fe? Looks like it’s easier to fly into Albuquerque, and cheaper too.
The first Sat in Oct thru the following Sunday (9 days) is Fiesta. Hundreds of hot air balloons in the skies in the morning & glows at night, both round balloons & more special shapes than you’ll see anywhere else. I would highly recommend going then, but of course, hotel rates will be higher & restaurants & museums will be busier.
Make sure you take pics of the rental car, with the lot in the background before you pull out...& then save them. That's where we got scammed with the 'you returned a damaged rental car' letter months later. Luckily, I still had the time-stamped original pics to prove the damage was there before we left the lot. The NM AG was useless, too. Instead of looking into a larger fraud case, they got the rental company to drop the claim; something I was already able to do on my own. :enraged_face:
You can still get plenty of rooms now & even for a while. You’re preferred hotel might be sold out but they are used to housing everyone that week & can accommodate the crowds, just at a higher nightly rate than a couple of weeks before/after.
The “Sandia peak tramway” aerial tramway that runs from northeastern Albuquerque up to the top of (surprise!) Sandia Peak is a zero effort sightseeing thing. The views are amazing both on the way up and down, and also at the top. You can take a short nature walk up at the top. Be aware that due to the elevation difference it’s a lot colder up top than down in the valley.
If you want a museum you’ll see nowhere else, try this: Nuclear Museum.
We saw the balloon festival thing and love the idea, but yes, the crowds give us hesitation. I’m surprised the tickets to the festival itself aren’t more expensive.
The tramway looks awesome, thanks! Exactly the kind of thing we like to do.
I’m planning a trip for next April, and we’re hitting lots of national parks and monuments. I’d recommend looking at the shorter hikes in Petroglyph National Monument, just outside of Albuquerque. There are walks for every level and it’s right outside the city. There’s also the Sandia Peak tramway to get you up into the mountains without stress. (Beaten to the punch)
Are you interested in railroads? The Sky Railway has several options.There’s also the Cumbres and Toltec RR a bit further north.
I’ll second the recommendation for the Cumbres and Toltec. Great scenery! If you want to go from ABQ to Santa Fe for a quick day, you can also take the Rail Runner Express commuter train if you prefer that over driving.
If you like art galleries and museums, I would recommend the Georgia O’Keeffe museum in Santa Fe, and if you roam a little farther her home to the north in Abiquiu is open to the public (or was when we were there last). Santa Fe also has some buildings that date back to the New Spain era, as well as the state history museum. There are also some restaurants and shops around Old Town Plaza in Albuquerque itself.
The Turquoise Trail is a nice alternative to I-25 between Santa Fe and ABQ. And If you like to take selfies, there’s no better place than Connie’s Photo Park in Madrid.
We’ve been there for the balloon festival. We had no problem securing lodging via AirBNB; we had four couples so splitting the cost was very doable. The city is used to crowds during the festival, and each day they run school buses from various locations to Balloon Park starting early in the morning. IIRC, you buy a ticket for the bus ride which also includes admission to the park itself. Easy-peasy.
We did a day-long side trip to Santa Fe and also did the Sandia tramway. Both worthwhile excursions, although we waited a long time in line for the tramway.
Albuquerque is much more of a regular city rather than a great tourist destination. Santa Fe and Taos will probably be much more enjoyable. Some fun things are:
Downtown Santa Fe is very walkable. It’s worth getting a place to stay that’s close to town so you can walk to where you want to go. The hotel La Fonda is right on the plaza, and there are lots of airbnb rentals all over as well.
I haven’t spent a whole lot of time in Taos. It’s somewhat similar to Santa Fe with the plaza and art shops. The ski basin has activities and concerts in the summer.
The thing about the balloons is that the traffic is terrible, the temperature often cold, the facilities non-existent except for port-a-potties, and the view often worse from the field itself. Getting there is better by park and ride, the balloons are generally done by 8 or 9 (though there are other events in the day), and there are plenty of places in the city to go where they can be seen better from a vacant lot or parking lot. Expect a very early day (like up at 4 AM early) if you really want to make the field, especially on the weekend and especially if you are going to drive.
Now, the field itself is a lot nicer than it was 25 years ago, having moved to something the city actually grows grass on and not the bare dirt on top of the old landfill. And the museum they built is nice.
I’d add that New Mexico is big. I know it’s not like you’re coming from Europe, but it’s big and often empty with lots of two lane highway in the middle of nowhere if you’re off the interstates. If you have any interest in Carlsbad, White Sands, the Gila, or frankly anything south of about Socorro you might be better off flying into El Paso and driving north from there to hit those first. Your timeline is close to when the Trinity Site historically opens for one day as well, but that’s only October 17 this year.
Hiking is still generally good in late September and early October but the weather can still be unpredictable. Elevation and low humidity catch a lot of tourists out as well with altitude sickness and extreme dehydration.
If you’re interested in native culture there are several pueblos that are open and the Chacos Culture National Historical Park.
I like taking a food tour when visiting an area with cuisine that I’m not familiar with. We’ve done this in Europe but this may be the first place in the US that we’ll do this.
How much time will you be there? As mentioned, distances are vast in the desert southwest. Keeping your travels to Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Taos is a good idea that will eliminate some days with nothing but driving.