Weekend in New Mexico!
This weekend has seriously been such a blast! Our trip to Albuquerque was a much needed break and I’m glad we booked it. It was a bit last minute for a neurotic planner like me but we did it!
Jordan and I hadn’t been on an airplane together before this trip even thought we’ve been together for seven years! Luckily I’ve been to Albuquerque before for work so I knew my way around the airports. We flew out of Houston Thursday morning and left Albuquerque on Sunday.
Thursday
We had an early flight and I was EXCITED. Having Jordan with me made me virtually stress free. Going through security was a breeze even though it was on the busier side. We arrived in New Mexico at 10am so we had some time to kill before heading to our hotel room. One thing I really wanted to do for this trip was to avoid any food we had at home. We wanted to eat what the locals eat! By the time we got our luggage and our rental car, we were ready for an early lunch. We found a local Southwest restaurant. Here’s where I learned that the “Mexican” food in New Mexico is NOTHING like what’s in Texas. It was different but DELICIOUS!
We found Rude Boy Cookies on the tour!
After lunch, we found a trolley tour around Albuquerque. It was super touristy but the weather was so nice and we had time to kill so we did it! New Mexico weather was nice and dry in the low 60s so the open trolley felt amazing. I’m really glad we did this tour because we ended up finding some spots we would visit later in the weekend. Not only did we learn about the area but there was so much history of the city that was shared. Our tour guide Mike was awesome. If you’re in town, I would definitely recommend ABQ Trolley Tours. He pointed out where many movies and shows were filmed around the city. I thought Jordan’s eyes were going to pop out when he found out that The Avengers was filmed just a few blocks from our hotel! They also offer a tour just for Breaking Bad filming locations since it was filmed and set in the city.
After our tour, we went to the hotel to take a break and relax a bit. Naps were a major part of our trip! During our tour, Mike told us about a summer music festival held at the Pueblo Cultural Center called Party on the Patio. For only $10 you can have unlimited tacos and pizza while listening to live music. We couldn’t resist! Here’s where I got my first taste of the green chili phenomenon of New Mexico. I had some on my pizza and it was SO GOOD. It was also a fun way to see the sunset on the Sandia Mountain and watch the mountains light up bright red when the sun shone on them. Our first day was a success!
Friday
One thing my body never got used to was sleeping in. Without fail, I would always wake up around 4:30 before the alarm would go off. You win some, you lose some! We definitely rolled around and watched some TV before going out for the day.
Our morning was spent at the ABQ Bio Park. Albuquerque’s zoo, aquarium, and botanical gardens are all close together and connected by train. We chose to start our day in the zoo and check out all the other parks of the park afterwards. Jordan loved the weather because even though it did get to the low 80s, there was a nice breeze and no humidity. I wore a long sleeve (dri-fit) all day and he was surprised that I didn’t complain once about being hot, haha! It’s all about layering when the weather is in the 50s in the morning.
There were so many baby animals at the zoo, I was obsessed! The twin chimps were so full of energy and jumping all over their enclosure. The baby orangutan was just as cute! They currently have three giraffes that are pregnant. After following April’s pregnancy, it was neat to see these in real life!
The Bio Park also had a Bug-arium. While I’m not the biggest fan of bugs (who is?), it was neat to see their Leaf Cutter Ants traveling throughout the building. If you’ve never seen those up close, it’s a really interesting sight!
By the afternoon, we were exhausted! After wandering all around the Bio Park, my fitbit left me know we had walked over 12,000 steps. We were off to the hotel room yet again for a nap!
Our evening was spent at the Sandia Resort and Casino. It was a beautiful resort that we got to walk around and get a beautiful view of the mountain. We tried our luck at the penny slots. Jordan really likes one type of slot machine so once he found it, he was set. We aren’t really the gambling type but it’s still fun to play the penny slots. We broke even for the night!
Saturday
Yet another early wake up call thanks to my body! When we arrived, my husband was obsessed with the Sandia Mountains. They are absolutely beautiful and they just so happen to have a gift shop at the peak. Of course, my husband wanted to drive up there so off we went!
On our drive up the mountain, there were so many cyclists! I’ve heard so many awesome benefits about training in altitude but riding a bike up a mountain that step is not something I can just pick up and do. Those people are tough!
Once we reached the top, I definitely felt the different in the air. We hiked a bit and I was so winded that it was ridiculous. Two miles above sea level is hard for this girl! However, it was worth it for the view of the city below us. There were patches of snow that hadn’t melted so it was cool to see. Needless to say, it was quite a bit cooler at the peak than the city below.
After our adventure on the mountain, we were off to the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History. This stop was mostly for me since I recently became enthralled with The Manhattan Project and the creation of the Atomic Bomb. New Mexico played such a major role in our nation’s history and it was so cool to learn about it!
Another nap was taken before trying our luck again at the penny slots! It was such a pretty evening and I’m glad we got to see another sunset on the mountains.
Sunday
We flew back home on Sunday and got ready for the week! Our trip was such a blast and we will definitely be back. It was great to learn so much about New Mexico and it’s rich cultural history.
Now Jordan and I are looking forward to our weekend getaway in June to the hill country for our anniversary!
Have you ever been to New Mexico?
