Albuquerque

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There are many times when our destination is determined by where we can get to without too much trouble. For this quick weekend trip, that was Albuquerque. Besides the flights being cooperative, it was close and that allowed us to get back home in time for the NFC Championship Game (although that did not end well for us!!!).

We started out our day by visiting the Petroglyph National Monument. There are two choices for seeing the petroglyphs - Boca Negra Canyon and Rinconada Canyon. We opted for the trail in Rinconada Canyon. The trail is 2 1/2 miles round trip and I thought it was pretty easy. I believe they told us there were over 600 petroglyphs there. Jay speculated that some of the petroglyphs were drawn last weekend by area kids. However, according the the NPS, it takes a long time to create each image with stone tools. These were not the first petroglyphs we've seen, but were interesting nonetheless and it was especially lovely to get outside in the middle of winter.

Next stop was the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway. This is the world's longest tramway and takes visitors to the top of Sandia Peak. It takes 14 minutes each way, but of course, it felt like an eternity to me as I am not a big fan of the tram / gondola / etc. The temperature at the top was quite a bit colder than in town, so we quickly looked over Albuquerque and watched the skiers and snowboarders for a few minutes on the other side of the peak. We happened to be there with a group of potential football recruits for The University of New Mexico.

We ended our tour of Albuquerque by visiting Old Town. Old Town is a historic district dating back to the founding of the city in 1706. It is now a quaint shopping and eating area and was quite charming. Included in our tour of Old Town was a statue of Don Francisco Cuervo y Valdes, the founder of Albuquerque and the San Felipe de Neri Church, the oldest building in town built in 1793.

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Photos

Sandia Peak Tramway
The pathway of the Sandia Peak Tramway.

Sandia Peak
At the top

Old Town
Don Francisco Cuervo y Valdes, Founder of Albuquerque, April 23, 1706

Old Town
San Felipe de Neri Church, the oldest building in the city, built in 1793.