Things to Do – Emma and Andrew 2025

Things To Do in ABQ

New Mexican: Try El Modelo, Tomasita’s, or El Patio. Emma’s favorite dishes include enchiladas (+1 w/ blue corn tortillas & a fried egg) and stuffed sopapillas smothered in red or green chile.
Fancy night out: Foodies will love Los Poblanos, Farm and Table, or Ten 3 (on top of Sandia Peak at 10,300′ above sea level).
Quick bites: Dion’s is a cult classic for pizza, subs & salads (+1 w/ pepperoni & green chile).
Breakfast: Can’t go wrong with a Golden Pride breakfast burrito (or 3, if you’re Andrew) and a pinion coffee.
Drinks: Breweries are big in ABQ. Try La Cumbre, Bosque, or Santa Fe. For cocktails, check out the Apothecary Lounge or the Zinc Cellar Bar.
Vegan: You’ve gotta try Annapurna’s World Vegetarian Cafe.

Learn

Albuquerque Museum: A crash course in ABQ’s rich history and culture.
National Museum of Nuclear Science and History: Learn about New Mexico’s pivotal role in the Atomic Age. Emma & Andrew’s favorite – we highly recommend!
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center: Acquaint yourself with the history of New Mexico’s 19 sovereign pueblos – from ancient times to present day.
Anderson-Abruzzo International Balloon Museum: Find out what’s up with all those hot air balloons during the first week of October!
Petroglyph National Monument: View hundreds of ancient symbols carved onto volcanic rocks.
Amazon Fulfillment Center: Amazon’s ABQ warehouse is one of the few locations offering guided tours (book in advance!).

Adventure

Rio Grande Nature Center: View the native species of the Rio Grande Bosque and walk or ride a bicycle (rentals available) along the many riverside trails.
Sandia Peak Tramway: Ride the longest aerial tram in the Americas all the way to the top of the Sandia Mountains (10,679 ft).
La Luz Trail: For the adventurous and physically fit, the La Luz Trail runs 7.5 miles and 3,200 vertical feet from the foothills of the Sandia Mountains all the way to the Crest.
Stone Age Climbing Gym: Looking to beat the heat indoors? You can always get pumped at Stone Age!
ABQ BioPark: Especially fun for little ones, the ABQ BioPark contains an excellent zoo, aquarium, and botanic garden.

Mountains | Turquoise | Pueblos

Drive north on I-25 and make a brief stop at the Coronado Historic Site.
Continue onwards towards Santa Fe and stop at Meow Wolf – just trust us on this one.
Once in Santa Fe proper, spend the afternoon exploring the historic Plaza and visit the New Mexico History Museum and the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.
Spend the night in Santa Fe and be sure to eat at The Shed – the best New Mexican restaurant in the state!
The next day, continue driving north on Rt. 84 and stop at Bandelier National Monument to hike the Pueblo Loop Trail (a true NM gem!!).
Head south through the Valles Caldera to Jemez Springs (+1 if you hop in a hot spring!).
Finish your loop back towards ABQ as you drive through the Pueblos of Jemez, Zia, Santa Ana, and Sandia.

Hot Springs | Sand Dunes | Green Chile

Rise before dawn and head south to watch the migratory birds lift off at the Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge.
Continue on the Jornada del Muerto until you reach Truth or Consequences, where you’ll hop aboard a van for a guided tour of SpacePort America.
Spend the afternoon exploring Elephant Butte Lake or relax in one of T or C’s many natural hot springs.
Grab a green chile cheeseburger to-go in Hatch and have a picnic dinner as you watch the sun set over the dunes in White Sands National Park.
Camp at White Sands or head back to T or C for the night (we love the Sierra Grande Lodge).
The next day, take a slow, scenic drive through the Gila National Forest, stopping in Silver City for some arts and culture.
See the massive radio telescopes at the Very Large Array before heading back to ABQ (stop at the Capitol Bar & Brewery in Soccorro if you need dinner).

Desert Plains | Caverns | UFOs

Head east on I-40 (historic Route 66) through Tijeras Canyon towards Clines Corners.
At Clines Corners, head south towards Roswell where you can see a real alien at the International UFO Museum (when in Rome…).
Continue onwards to Carlsbad Caverns National Park (be sure to pre-book your timed entry to explore the other-worldly caves).
Reverse back north. At Artesia, head west into the Sacramento Mountains and spend the night cooling off at high altitude in Cloudcroft (we love The Lodge).
The next morning, explore White Sands National Park (+1 if you rent a saucer and slide down the dunes).
On your way back to ABQ stop for a bite of authentic New Mexican green or red chile in Las Cruces, Hatch, or Truth or Consequences.