When I mention to people that our family took our summer vacation to Albuquerque, I get a lot of questioning looks. New Mexico in the summertime? Isn’t it just like Tucson? Why Albuquerque?
Why? Simply, we’d never been to Albuquerque, and it just seemed like a good time to visit this easy-to-drive-to, family-friendly city. Was it a good choice? Absolutely, YES! We had a wonderful time. Should you consider a trip to Albuquerque with your family? Absolutely, YES! And here are my top 10 reasons why:
1. You can drive there. Forget the expense and hassle of flying. Albuquerque is a relatively easy to drive from Tucson, and it’s an easy city to drive in. Google Maps says it’s a 6 hour, 28 minute trip. With two small bladders and a husband obsessed with roadside jerky and nut stands, it was closer to 8, door to door. Still totally doable.
2. It's Cool. As in the temperature. Yes, it’s still in the desert, but at over 5,000 feet elevation, Albuquerque's temps aren't quite as searing as those in Tucson. We were there in early June, and while Tucson was climbing into the 100s, Albuquerque was in the pleasant low 90s. Not once did my kids complain about being hot…and in fact, they complained about being COLD in the air conditioning and when we went to the top of Sandia Peak (see #8 below).
3. The BioPark is AMAZING! The Albuquerque Zoo, Aquarium and Botanic Gardens are all under the umbrella of the “BioPark”. Combo tickets get you into all three attractions and a train gets you easily from place to place. My family was provided with complimentary tickets to check out the Aquarium and Botanic Gardens, specifically, and both attractions exceeded our expectations.
- The Aquarium was absolutely wonderful, with freshwater exhibits near the entrance highlighting Rio Grande aquatic life, and sea life exhibits featuring both Atlantic and Pacific coral reefs, jellyfish, and an amazing shark tank with huge rays, sea turtles and of course, SHARKS. There were touch tanks and other hands-on exhibits throughout the aquarium also, and we spent nearly 2 hours enjoying every minute of our aquarium experience.
- We were particularly surprised by the beautiful Albuquerque Botanic Gardens. The Gardens featured native plants, greenhouses and a small, working Heritage Farm with crops, farm animals and preserved historical buildings. There was also a butterfly pavilion (open May-October) with native and tropical butterflies, and a model train exhibit of the train route along the Rio Grande. My girls’ favorite feature was the children’s garden, a magical experience that gives children the sensation of “shrinking” Alice in Wonderland style and exploring an oversized vegetable garden, complete with giant carrots, a pumpkin you can go inside, and encounters with huge insects. All of these exhibits are included with the price of admission. Albuquerque BioPark Combo: $20 adults, $6 children. A la carte: $12.50 adults, $4 children. Train rides $2/$1.
4. The Rio Grande is a fascinating river, and Albuquerque makes good use of it for family recreation. Tingly Beach is an area (actually part of the Biopark) with stocked catch and release fishing ponds, and a children’s pond where kids 12 and under can angle for rainbow trout and catfish. Model boats, paddle boats, picnics and hiking are also popular at Tingly Beach.
While we didn’t make it to Tingly Beach, we did spend a wonderful morning at the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park. The Visitor’s Center is built right onto an observation pond, ripe with wildlife which can be seen through the huge viewing windows. My girls were thrilled with sightings of birds, snapping turtles and bullfrogs, and we were able to learn more about each of these creatures in the children’s area of the Visitor’s Center which featured great hands-on displays. While the trails along the Bosque (the wooded area near the river) were all closed due to fire danger, there were a few open paths near the Visitor Center that meandered through gardens of native plants and made for a nice little walk.
For less than $1 per person ($3 per car), even with the trails closed, it was an Albuquerque morning well spent!
5. The Natural History Museum is heaven for wannabe paleontologists. (And who doesn’t secretly want to be a paleontologist?) The dinosaur exhibits at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science are awesome, in the most literal sense of the word…my family was in awe! The Timetracks exhibit takes you on a trip through billions of years of New Mexico’s natural history, with life-sized reconstructions of dinosaur skeletons that literally took our breath away. There are also hands-on displays and a viewing window into where paleontologists (and volunteers) work on excavating fossils. The woman working behind the glass saw my girls’ curiosity and came out to tell us what she was working on (a turtle fossil) and explained the tools and procedures she was using. Absolutely fascinating! Museum Admission: Adults $7, Kids 3-12 $4
6. Your children will want to move into the Explora Museum. Seriously. We planned two hours for this attraction, thinking that would be ample time for the Explora Museum. Boy, were we wrong! More than a children’s museum (it’s geared toward children from toddlers through middle school, but there are “adults only nights” so that grown-ups can explore the museum on their own), more than a science museum (science exhibits dominate, but art, music, and even theatre also figure prominently), this museum’s mission is to create opportunities for discovery and lifelong learning. With hundreds of hands-on exhibits, the children were engaged and excited from the moment we arrived. From experimenting with water cyclones and magnets, to blowing huge bubbles, to solving brain teasers in the Paradox Café (my favorite exhibit), every minute in Explora was filled with learning and fun. It was Mommy and Daddy who succumbed to hunger and dragged the children away (there is no “real” café in the museum, but families are encouraged to bring their lunches and eat at picnic tables atop the dome…we unfortunately didn’t know that). If you have children between the ages of 2 and 12, the Explora Museum is a MUST-see stop on your Albuquerque trip. Plan for at least a half day…and don’t miss taking the elevator (I won’t ruin the surprise by saying any more).
Admission: Adults $8, Children ages 1-11 $4.
7. The Sandia Peak Tram is a "high"light. Probably the most well-known Albuquerque attraction, The Sandia Peak Tram takes people a distance of 2.7 miles to the top of Sandia Peak-10,378 feet up. The views were breathtaking, and the cool air was a wonderful reprieve (my desert kiddos were “freezing” in the 78 degree temps up top). However, like the trails near the river, the forest trails at the top of Sandia Peak were closed due to fire danger, so we were not able to explore any more than the tram platform. This was the priciest of our Albuquerque outings, although we were extremely pleased to have the City provide us with complimentary tickets. If you go, I would recommend checking to see if the trails are open, first, so that you can do some hiking and stay up at the top for a while. There is a restaurant at the top as well, if you’d like to plan your visit around a mealtime. Trams make trips every 20-30 minutes, and are open from 9 am-9 pm daily during the summer. Cost is $20/adults, $12 for children 5-12. Children under 5 ride for free.
8. Balloons! Albuquerque is the home of the International Balloon Fiesta in October, and the International Balloon Museum year-round. The festival is officially on my bucket list, especially after this recent trip. I had hoped to make it to the museum this time around (I’m a bit of a sucker for esoteric museums), but alas, one must be flexible when traveling with children, and it was one thing we had to cross off of our list. The Museum is supposed to be very interesting, especially for older children, and they have a Wednesday Morning Stories in the Sky program for children under 6 years old, featuring songs, crafts and stories. During the summer there are also Friday Science in the Sky activities for 1st-6th graders, with such themes as “Rainbows, Bubbles & Balloons.” Admission: $4/adults, $1for children 4-12.
9. There is so much more! We could only fit so much into a 3-day trip, but there were so many things we didn't have a chance to do. Cliff’s Amusement Park has roller coasters and water features and looks like a great place to spend an afternoon of summer fun. Albuquerque still boasts an Ice Skating Rink, which was very tempting to check out on one of the warmer days. We’d love to go back and hike the Bosque Trails when the fire restrictions are lifted, and we’ve heard the Rattlesnake Museum is pretty cool…even for Tucsonans. Visit the Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau website for even more ideas about what your family can do on a visit!
10. Albuquerque: It's for grown-ups, too! We focused on the kid-friendly side of New Mexico’s largest city, but there is plenty for an adults-only trip, too. From “Breaking Bad” tours (the popular TV show is filmed in Albuquerque), to great shopping in Old Town, to amazing restaurants that we avoided due to squirrely children, Albuquerque seems like it would be just as fun for a romantic getaway or girls’ trip as it was with the kiddos!
We had a fabulous trip to Albuquerque, and despite the questioning looks, we'd do it again in a heartbeat!
Thanks to the City of Albuquerque’s Convention and Visitors Bureau for complimentary tickets to the Sandia Peak Tram, BioPark, Explora and Natural History Museum, as well as great guidance and suggestions. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
