Travel

[coconut1818]

Going to Albuquerque the end of summer (not Balloon Fest) with my sister and brother-in-law.  My first time and they have been there before.  My sister likes Hotel Albuquerque (a little expensive for my budget), but I was wondering if anyone could recommend any alternatives, for places within walking distance of Old Town?  I thought it might be fun to rent a Home To Go place, but it is not letting me specifically search Old Town.  Plus pictures can be deceiving.  Anyone who lives there or has been recently I sure would appreciate you input!  Also, I have heard the cafe in the back of the Duran Central Pharmacy is really good!  Has anyone been there?  Thanks so much!!!  

[Lucky Charm]

When you mention a cafe in the back of a pharmacy, I think of Ethel Mertz's father's restaurant. 

It was supposed to be in Albuquerque, NM.

The slogan was 'you can lick our cones, but you can't beat our sodas'.

Sorry, I couldn't help myself!  Hope you and your family have a great time!

[Sooner]

For a hotel, La Fonda. 

[hanea]

To be right in Old Town, the Hotel Albuquerque is your best bet.  There is a hotel, a Best Western  about three blocks north of Hotel ABQ on Rio Grande Blvd.  It is right off I40.

Duran's is an excellent place for NM food.  They sell their red chile to several restauarnts around town.  Since I am not a red chile lover, it isn't my favorite but my best friend could eat there every day.

My favorite Old Town restaurant is Vinaigrette, all their produce is grown on their own farm between Santa Fe and ABQ.  Other good Old Town restaurants are:  Antiquity, St. Claire Winery, Church Street Cafe, Cocina Azul, and Little Anita's.  There are others but these can get you started.

Have a good time. 

[patbz]

La Fonda is in Santa Fe and for someone watching their budget, high.  In Santa Fe I recommend Garretts (easy walk from Plaza).  I don't know anyplace in Old Town Albuquerque (stay with my son).  Try Trip Advisor.  For shopping on Central, I recommend Skip Maisels, for food New York Pizza.  If you want a neat food, dining experience in Albuquerque try LosPoblanos.  Their accommodations are great and they are much less expensive than La Fonda.

[Kachina624]

If you want Mexican food in Old Town, my favorites are the Church Street Cafe for lunch and High Noon for dinner.  I believe the Church Street Cafe is one of,  if not the oldest,  buildings in the city.  It's in the alley behind the church. 

Do you just plan to stay in the city?  I have a wonderful day trip I take my visitors on that takes the old mountain road through Indian pueblos to Santa Fe and back.  You get a bit of everything the state has to offer.  Let me know if you're interested.  FIY:  I live here. 

[coconut1818]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

If you want Mexican food in Old Town, my favorites are the Church Street Cafe for lunch and High Noon for dinner.  I believe the Church Street Cafe is one of,  if not the oldest,  buildings in the city.  It's in the alley behind the church. 

Do you just plan to stay in the city?  I have a wonderful day trip I take my visitors on that takes the old mountain road through Indian pueblos to Santa Fe and back.  You get a bit of everything the state has to offer.  Let me know if you're interested.  FIY:  I live here. 

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[coconut1818]

Oops!  Kachina 624, thank you and I'm interested!

[debcakes]

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@patbz wrote:

La Fonda is in Santa Fe and for someone watching their budget, high.  In Santa Fe I recommend Garretts (easy walk from Plaza).  I don't know anyplace in Old Town Albuquerque (stay with my son).  Try Trip Advisor.  For shopping on Central, I recommend Skip Maisels, for food New York Pizza.  If you want a neat food, dining experience in Albuquerque try LosPoblanos.  Their accommodations are great and they are much less expensive than La Fonda.

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Patbz, I just stayed in Santa Fe a few weeks ago. We stayed at Pueblo Bonito. It was beautiful with a great breakfast. The owners were wonderful and were always there because they call it a Bed and Breakfast Inn.  It is a little more $ than Garrett's but so much more charm . The room we stayed in was built in 1880. 

When we have stayed in ABQ, we just stayed at a Hampton Inn which was fine but no local charm.  New Mexico food is the best. Enjoy whatever you decide. 

[Kachina624]

Okay, @coconut1818  here you go. 

Leave Albuquerque on IH-25 going North toward Santa Fe.  Exit at Bernalillo, go to stop light and turn left on Hwy 550.  Go through the town.  You'll come to Coronado State Park where the Conquistador Coronado had his encampment and is supposed to be the site of the first horse race run in America.  There are some interesting kivas but you must pace yourselves. 

Continue West about 15 miles (guess) passing the Santa Ana and Zia Pueblo on the right.   While it's not illegal for visitors to drive through the Pueblo, they really don't like gwakers, and never take pictures there.  Continue to Hwy 4 at San Ysidro and turn right.   You are now entering the Jemez Mountains.  One of the first things you'll come to is the Jemez State Monument, the ruins of missionary church from the early 1700s.  I find it very interesting but I like ruins.  It must have been a massive structure.

You'll continue on passing soda dam, an oddity where

the dam was formed by mineral deposits. 

This whole area was a hotbed of geothermal activity.  There are many hot spring and hot steam is "mined" today.  See if you can spot Battleship Rock on the right which rises up like the bow of a ship.   All this time you're ascending the mountains. 

You'll come to the Jemez Pueblo and drive through it.  They don't like visitors in the residential area.  Notice the hornos behind the houses.  These are "beehive" ovens are used for baking bread.   There will often be women selling bread across from the Visitor's Center, which is interesting and has nice restrooms. 

You'll come to the Valles Caldera National Preserve, which is a sunken volcanic caldera.  The entire preserve is 93,000 acres of the most beautiful land in the world but badly damaged by a forest fire about 5 years ago.   The US bought this ranch from a rich Texan about 15 years ago.  There is a huge elk herd there but in summer, they're usually at higher altitudes.  Stop on the road and look carefully just in case.  It's open for hunting, fishing, hiking, cross country skiing and horseback riding but no camping. 

Continue on to Bandolier National Monument which is early Indian ruins down in a Canyon.  These are beginner ruins and easily accessible.  It will be very hot there in summer.   Best to read a bit about it before visiting. 

Upon leaving Bandolier, continue down the highway following signs to US 285.   You'll see some fenced areas and white buildings.  These are outliers of Los Alamos National Labs where the A Bombs used to end WWII were built.  It's still in operation and you can visit the town, which looks sort of like WWII.  With all the high paid scientists, it's one of the wealthiest cities in the US.  Over 400 homes were lost to fires there in about 2000, which were ordered by the superintendent of Bandolier to burn off underbrush. Serious miscalculation.   White Rock is a suburb of Los Alamos. 

At this point, you'll begin descending the mountains,  North of Santa Fe.  As you go down, you'll see white cliffs pocked with holes.  This material is tufa, which is volcanic ash and is very soft.  It can be carved with a knife.  You can pick it up along the road.  The Indians at Bandolier carved caves in the canyon walls made of this stuff and lived in them.   I have a cast turquoise bracelet where the mold was made of tufa.  As you descend, you can look across and see the ski runs at the Santa Fe Ski Area. 

You'll enter US 285 and head South.  Along this way, I usually stop and eat at a place called Gabriel's on the left,  in a grove of trees.   It's a nice place with a lovely patio on which to eat.  Can't remember the exit #.   It's off the 285 frontage road. 

You might also want to stop and have a look at the Santa Fe Opera building.  It's semi-open and rather spectacular. 

When you get North of Santa Fe, you can either take the by-pass (hwy 599) back to IH-25, or go through the city which has horrendous traffic.  Stay on Hwy 285 to go through the city and turn right on Cerrillos Rd., when you get to it.  It will take you directly to IH-25.  I sometimes stop and eat at Tortilla Flats on this route or stop at one of my favorite stores for all things Southwestern, Jackalope. 

Once back on IH-25, head South back to Albuquerque.  You can shop in the plaza area in Santa Fe but you'll probably be too pooped.  Better to do that another day.   Is there anything in particular for which you want to shop, or see and do?  Lots of places to explore here.