Albuquerque, New Mexico Guide
Albuquerque, New Mexico’s largest city, Walter White’s hometown, the place Bugs Bunny always missed his left turn at, and the hot air balloon capital of the world. No, not the state capital--that’s Santa Fe, about an hour north east and also worth visiting. We decided to close out our New Mexico adventure with two nights spent here seeing what the city had to offer.
When to Visit
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We opted to visit near the end of January, which is not exactly high-tourist season. Temperatures peaked around 50 degrees fahrenheit, with some pretty cold nights. Expect more pleasant weather and busier attractions if you visit in any of the other seasons, but do note that summers get hot here.
How to Get There
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Via the Sunport of course, because airport just doesn't have the same ring to it. New Mexico is part of the four corner states, joined by Utah, Arizona, and Colorado; Albuquerque is located slightly northwest from the state's geographical center. A city of just over half a million people, it's not the bustling metropolis of other southwestern cities like Denver or Phoenix, but that doesn't mean it's lax on things to do.
Things to Do in Albuquerque
Sandia Peak Tramway
Time: 15 minutes each way.
Distance: Around 4,200 feet up.
Unless you’re blind (which I hope you’re not), you cannot miss the massive mountain range to the east of Albuquerque--the ones that look amazing with the light of the setting sun on them. Did you know there’s actually an easy way to the top too? The Sandia Peak tramway can get you there and back for $25.00, and it’s well worth the cost for one of the best views of Albuquerque there is. Enjoy some great hiking, skiing, and even dining from the top, while looking down on everyone else not experiencing this amazing view--bring a jacket just in case though, it can be cooler up here. Buy your tickets in advance here.
Just don't look down. Credit: Tim Menzies.
Petroglyph National Monument
Time: 1 - 3 hours.
Distance: 10 miles/20 minutes from downtown.
Wouldn’t you know, there’s a National Park site right within Albuquerque? True to it's name, Petroglyph National Monument has some glyphs dated as being over 3,000 years old, though the majority were made 400-600 years ago, carved mostly by Ancestral Pueblo people. I say mostly, because apparently some Spanish settlers decided to sneak some artwork of their own in too, those rascals!
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There’s only four, relatively short hiking trails in the park. Weaving through lava boulders and up and down the hill side, you’ll be sure to spot a number of interesting petroglyphs. Glancing further up the boulder fields, you’re likely to spot even more. Oddly enough, there’s warnings about damaging or even removing the petroglyphs. Not only do people sometimes like to draw over the glyphs, but there’s even been instances of people shooting them. Why would you shoot a rock? I’m not sure. Why would you feed an alligator pizza and name it Gwendolyn? I also don’t know, I guess it’s just the world we live in.
Oh, but when I draw birds on the rocks I get fined?
About Me
Hi there, I'm Dan: videographer, travel-addict, and beer-lover. I left corporate life behind to start my own video business and travel the world. Want to know more about me and Dan Treks?
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Breaking Bad Filming Locations
Time: 2 - 4 hours.
Distance: Varies.
Good for Breaking Bad for actually filming in the place it’s set in; as a Buffalo native, I’m still bitter that they only filmed about 2% of Bruce Almighty here. As one of the greatest dramatic television shows out there (it just is, okay? No debate right now) and also one of our favorites, we wanted to check out some of the more memorable locales from Breaking Bad. Albuquerque isn’t a huge city, so thankfully most of the places we wanted to check out weren’t more than 10 to 15 minutes away from each other. If you're not into Breaking Bad, probably best to skip ahead.
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The White Residence
If Twisters embraces the Breaking Bad connection, then there’s one location that not only despises it, but goes out of their way to actively discourage people from stopping by: the family home that served as the White Residence. Located at 3828 Piermont Drive NE, I’d be mad too if throngs of people were stopping by my house everyday, occasionally tossing a pizza on my roof. For a time, the owners would sit in their open garage and berate the eager tourist trying to snap a photo. Now, they’ve completely repainted the exterior and added a fence around the property. A sign asks you to stay away, snap your picture from across the street, and then leave. Fair enough!
The White Residence is looking different these days--mostly to dissuade visitors.
Los Pollos Hermanos (aka Twisters)
Twisters is a local fast food restaurant, and their location at 4257 Isleta Boulevard (you can actually just punch “Los Pollos Hermanos” into Google Maps and it will direct you) served as Gus Fring’s most famous restaurant. The Pollos logo can be found on the wall, and a bit further up, and entire counter devoted to Breaking Bad and the time the cast and crew spent filming at this location. As for the food, we each had a chorizo breakfast burrito, which might not have been the fried chicken the place is famous, but was still pretty good.
Serving more than just chicken.
A1 Car Wash
Alright, so it’s not the most exciting location, but still, if you wanna see where Walter spent Bogdan’s first dollar and laundered his filthy money, head to 9516 Snowheights Circle.
Have an A1 day?
The Candy Lady
Nestled in the heart of Old Town Albuquerque at 424 San Felipe Street, the Candy Lady’s shop is responsible for creating Walt’s famous blue-colored meth for the show. No, not actual meth, but rock candy! Buy a bag of it, get your photo taken in front of a tray of the famous blue stuff, and sample their other sweet offerings, some of them curiously risque. While you’re down there, be sure to check out some of the other shops around Old Town.
We need to cook?
Loyola's Family Restaurant
Featured more in Better Call Saul than Breaking Bad, this diner along historic Route 66 is frequented by Mike Ehrmantraut. Stop by for breakfast or lunch, since they’re only open until 2:00pm--you can’t go wrong with the eggs and chorizo.
11/10 Mike impression.
Albuquerque Zoo
Time: 2 - 3 hours.
Distance: N/A.
Is it strange we usually make a point of checking out a city’s zoo when we’re in town? I sure hope not, because that’s exactly what we did with the Albuquerque Zoo. Unfortunately (actually, fortunately), this isn’t a zoo-review blog, and I’m not sure any of those even exist (a simple Google search shows the answer to this question is “yes”), but we were greeted by some flamingoes upon entry so this zoo was off to a strong start. A trip through the reptile house and one-blepping polar bear later, and we were up to a solid 7.5/10 for the first entry to Dan’s Zoo Review. Could the ocelots have been a little more active? Maybe, but who am I to really judge? The best part was that since it was a weekday in January, the zoo was relatively empty, meaning we could explore without the usual crowds one would expect to find in a zoo--bump it up to an 8.5. While touring the penguin exhibit though, one chose to poop directly in front of us, so maybe knock it back down to an 8--still solid (the score, not the penguin crap). In all seriousness though, it was a pretty good zoo, definitely bigger than I expected, and all the animals I met seemed pretty content. So if you’re in town and you like zoos, why not check it out?
HOLY FLOCK! Look at these flamingoes!
World's deadliest blep.
Hot Air Balloon Ride
Time: 45 - 60 minutes.
Distance: N/A.
Albuquerque is practically the hot air balloon capital of the world, which is probably why they host the International Balloon Fiesta every October over the course of nine days. Hundreds of balloons take to the skies in celebration--it's actually a pretty cool sight. If you can't make it in October, don't worry, a number of balloon companies exist and offer private tours. Sunset from Sandia Peak might be great, but the one thing that might be better is from the basket of a hot air balloon with a champagne toast. My recommendation is to check Groupon to find the best company and price for you.
What's better, the International Balloon Fiesta or those flamingoes up above? Credit: Bill Johnson
Albuquerque Eats & Drinks
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New Mexican food is best described as a mix of traditional Pueblo and Mexican dishes, or, at least that's what I've been told. A staple of any New Mexican dish is choosing it red, green, or Christmas. What this means is smothering it in sauce from red hatch chile peppers, green hatch chile peppers, or a mixture of both. Red is mild, and green is spicy--something to keep in mind. Also, nearly every place that serves food also serves green chile stew, a mixture of beef, potatoes, and sometimes cheese in a green chile broth. I enjoyed trying the different takes on it at each restaurant we stopped at. On top of all this delicious food, there's a great beer scene too.
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Cantero Brewing
Always wanting to sample the local beer scene, we snagged a handy Groupon (two pints and an appetizer) for Cantero Brewing and promptly checked it out upon arriving in Albuquerque. A large, open tap room, appetizing food menu and a variety of delicious craft beers on tap greeted us. I treated myself to pints of their American Gold Ale and North Drain Lager, two beers I knew would match my palette (sorry IPA fans, just not for me). Paired with their smoked gouda cheese bites, Cantero was a perfect welcome to Albuquerque.
Sadie’s of New Mexico
Speaking of dinner, we were hoping for some redemption after missing the mark in Santa Fe. Indeed, I hadn’t had a truly spectacular New Mexican meal since Peppers in Roswell, and our time was beginning to run short. We decided to try Sadie’s of New Mexico, which actually has three locations in the area (we opted for the one on 4th Street, NW). We each started with a delicious margarita and, of course, a bowl of the green chile stew. It was easily the second best we had, at least in my opinion. I don’t know why, but that stew we had at Peppers just stuck with me. For my entree though, I went with the small portion of the burrito, filled with spicy beef and smothered in red sauce; the large portion just features a second burrito. Thank God I went with the small though, because this thing was HUGE. More importantly though, it was delicious, especially the spicy beef inside. I grew more and more ashamed, and larger, as I shoveled more and more into my mouth. I ate for what seemed like an eternity, finally glancing up to breathe and check on my progress, and discovered I had only eaten one quarter of this behemoth. I would only end up making it through half, but obviously took the other half back to the hotel with me.
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The Craftroom
Since Roswell, we had eaten New Mexican food nearly everyday, and it was time to switch things up a bit. If you haven’t guessed, and for better or for worse, we’re a part of that crowd that likes to sample the local brews--what a sneaky and innovative way to disguise alcoholism. Anyways, the Craftroom seemed like the perfect place for our final evening in Albuquerque, featuring a variety of local craft beers and hard ciders, as well as brewing their own cider. I opted to go with their very own OG hard cider, crisp and definitely on the sweeter side (my preference). They also have ciders featuring a smattering of different fruit flavors including peach, pineapple, and watermelon. For food, I had the BBQ brisket sandwich and the limitless chips and salsa, with a side of queso. If you’re looking for some tasty, simple bar food and a variety of local taps, look no further than the Craftroom.
Where to Stay in Albuquerque
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Hotels and Lodges
You'll find your normal smattering of chain hotels, motels, and Airbnbs in Albuquerque. On the advice of a friend though, we decided to stay in the locally and native-owned Nativo Lodge. For around $85.00 per night, we got a king room as well as a daily $15.00 voucher to use at the hotel’s bar. Not bad! An indoor/outdoor pool, but more importantly for January, indoor hot tub, gave us a great place to relax at night after a day of adventuring. The heart of the lodge though is it’s large, open foyer. True to it’s name, this rustic space is a blend of a wooden lodge mixed with native art--and the art is one of the biggest draws of the Nativo Lodge. While the majority of the hotel rooms could be described as standard, the Artist Rooms are truly unique. Normally a slight upcharge, we were generously upgraded for free! Each artist room is painted by a different, local Native American artist and features a unique theme. We stayed in the Gift of Life Room, painted by artist Felix Vigil. So if you're tired of chain hotels and want to try something local, unique, centrally located and reasonably priced, give the Nativo Lodge a look.
