My Nomad Journey – Albuquerque, New Mexico

[Week of February 8] After Texas, my journey takes me into the western US. My long drive from Fort Worth to Albuquerque took me through the north Texas prairies, into the high plains of the Texas panhandle and over into the emerging high desert of New Mexico. I enjoyed seeing the geography and terrain change along the way. Driving into Albuquerque from the east means passing through a mountain range that the city lies against. Winding my way down out of the mountains and directly into the city reminded me of the approach into Salt Lake City. I love cities that are nestled directly up against mountains. That visual variety and ability to change your environment so quickly is just awesome to me.

Here’s what I did:

I arrived in Albuquerque during rush hour, so had to contend with traffic as I crossed town to where my hotel is. Albuquerque has grown into a large city, with just under 1 million people. As with so many cities and towns I have traveled through, the road infrastructure can’t keep up with the growth. This means that their “small city” traffic is just as unbearable as the traffic in much larger cities. Nonetheless, I was able to arrive safely at my hotel, check in and get the car unloaded. Another great Extended Stay property, with a comfortable property and the room was one of the larger ones I’ve had so far. I set up my room for the rest of the week’s work and then it was time to head out for dinner.

The hotel in Albuquerque was adjacent to a shopping area. Nothing interesting, mostly suburban chain stores and such. However, there was an asian restaurant within a 15 minute walk, so I was able to bundle up for the cold temperatures and get some exercise to earn my dinner. Asian restaurants are a lifesaver on the road, because I eat vegetarian AND have sources of plant protein, like tofu and sometimes other high-protein foods. I enjoyed my dinner and may walk. The hotel was up on a hillside, overlooking the city. One thing that is cool about Albuquerque (among many) is that it lies in a valley between mountains and hills. It is mostly flat, but actually slopes up on each side, like a bowl. So the panorama of the city lights was neat to look at, due to the curving on each horizon.

The next few days were busy with work, but after work hours, I was able to get out a little bit. One night, I ran to the gym after work. Then I drove to check out downtown. Albuquerque has a large downtown area and city center. However, due to the hour, the weather and my roaring stomach, I didn’t have the patience to park and get out to explore. I didn’t see any areas of concentration of restaurants and attractions, though this may have just been the luck of where I was driving. From there, I drove through a few neighborhoods and landed in a busy commercial district, where I ended up eating at a chain restaurant that I remembered from Texas. I had not seen any locations outside of Texas. This french chain offers crepes and such, so I had a crepe, croissant and potato galette. (That’s french for hash browns – LOL!).

The Friday before I was leaving, I ended my day around 4:00. I had booked a reservation to take the tram up to the top of Sandia Peak. This is a main tourist attraction in Albuquerque. The tram takes you from ground level in the valley, about 6,500’ish feet above seal level, up to the Sandia Peak, which is at 10,000+ feet above sea level. The tram ride is a swift 15 minutes to travel that amount of altitude. The weather on the ground that day was rainy, cloudy and cold. I almost skipped the trip and forfeited my tickets. But then I said, good or bad, this is what the adventure is all about. So despite the poor visibility and crappy weather, I drove to the site and boarded the tram. The weather changes by as much as 15-25 degrees in that 15 minute ride. So we went from rain and cold to snow, whiteout and temperatures in the 20s!!! Above a certain altitude, we were unable to see out the windows of the tram. Also, the tram has vents that allow the cold air and snow into the cabin. This is necessary to ensure pressure equalization due to the altitude change. So it wasn’t the most comfortable of rides in that weather. Regardless, we arrived at the top and it was like taking a flight to another world. It was freezing cold, high winds and thick snow everywhere. I walked around for a few minutes, go some good pictures, checked it off as an amazing experience, and quickly boarded the same tram to head back down the mountain! By the way, there is a restaurant at the top, and many of the others on the tram had reservations. There were only 3 of us going back down. It was an amazing experience and I definitely want to go back in warmer months to experience the great views.

After that experience, I felt really satisfied with my Albuquerque visit. I stopped at a local mexican restaurant for some tostadas and sopapillas. I ended up getting it to go (para llevar), since the restaurant was closing soon. I finished the night with my Mexican food, packing up, pre-loading some bags in the trunk of the car, and settling in for an early departure the next day.

Here’s what I learned:

I don’t know that I had any epiphanies during these few days in Albuquerque. I allowed myself to focus on my work and podcast recordings. I stayed present in the moment and spent time preparing for the class that I was teaching in Las Vegas in the upcoming week. I normally have performance anxiety before these big teaching/training gigs, but I felt calm and prepared during the days leading up to the Vegas session. I definitely enjoyed getting to know Albuquerque a little bit and would like to come back to spend some more time. I was enthused enough to consider coming back for the annual Hot Air Balloon Festival in October! I looked at the reservation options for the same hotel, but sadly it was already sold out. I figured if this location was already booked, then it was likely that the rest of the city would be booked, as well. It’s a big damn deal every year!

Here’s what’s next:

From here I am headed over to Las Vegas. This has been a destination for a while, since I have a work gig there. Also, I’m continuing west for the Spring, so all of the stops I’ve made along the way have been about driving my way west for this gig and many more to follow, as well as some business back home in Sacramento. Before that, I will stop to visit cousins in southwest Colorado and my friend Shelly in Phoenix.

As always, please interact with this post. I love getting your questions, your thoughts, and your comments. I’ll reply when I’m able.

Please enjoy yourselves in this week ahead and look for another update from me about the adventures of the journey. Be well my friends!

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