New Mexico, Part 4

Full circle to Albuquerque, one of the largest cities in New Mexico.

We contacted Follow the Sun Tours and arranged a pick-up for a half-day tour of the city. Our guide drove us to various parts of the city and surrounding area and talked about everything from local history to architecture to cultural interests.

For example, at right is the Balloon Museum, which hosts a number of displays on the history and technique of hot ballooning. Behind the museum is a large field for balloon launches; people come from all over the world to participate in the annual event, held in late September. We had enough time to look at the public area displays and the gift shop. If you follow the above link, it will take you to the museum website.

From the modern to the historical: at left is the San Felipe di Niri Church in the Old Town section of Albuqurque, the oldest part of the city. Many of the buildings in Old Town house gift shops and restaurants.

We spent some time on Route 66, a well-known highway in American history. The route begins in Chicago and ends in Los Angeles, with Albuquerque as one of the stops along the way. Another well-known landmark in Albuquerque is the Rio Grande River, which forms part of the border between the United States and Mexico.

As in Santa Fe, various kinds of sculptures and art are found everywhere. At left is a piece found near an interstate exit.

One of our stops included a vineyard and winery. Many times, grapes were brought to the area and grown by monks, who made their own wine so they wouldn't have to pay the high rates charged for wine imported through the church. We walked around the grounds and heard a brief presentation on wine making and storage. The owners offer samples, and you can pay for wine-tasting, but we just settled for pictures like the one below.

One other place we visited in Albuquerque was the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, which included several rooms of displays on the Pueblo Indians and their history. Each pueblo also had a display case showcasing their crafts and handiwork. We spent a couple of hours walking through and reading the notices, trying some of the hands-on techniques, and watching a video on Pueblo crafters.

I'm kind of short-changing people with this entry -- we saw more than I'm showing. But I'm going to wrap this up, as I will be starting a new entry on the family trip to Idaho. (What's in Idaho, you ask? Stay tuned....)