If you find yourself in Albuquerque, NM there are a lot of fun things to check out.
1. Albuquerque is known for it’s Balloon Fiesta every October. There are also plenty of companies that give hot air balloon rides year round. Even though I have never been there for the fiesta or gone on a hot air balloon ride; I got to see hot air balloons almost every morning when I looked out the window:
hot air balloon over my mother in law’s house
2. Albuquerque Aquarium/Botanical Garden is awesome! It is a fairly small aquarium but it has many of the large sea creatures that you would find at bigger aquariums. It is also connected to a really fantastic botanical garden that my kids really enjoyed. You can get into both features for one very fair price. A must see!
Albuquerque Aquarium
Albuquerque Botanical Garden
Lots of fun statues at the botanical garden!
The kids enjoyed the big critters in the garden!
3. Tingley Beach was pretty fun. However, I’m not sure why they call it a beach. It is really just a man made pond and there is no sand. I actually would have called it the Land of Misfit Ducks. We brought bags of old bread to feed all of the ducks and geese there and we saw some of the craziest birds! You can also rent paddle boats here but we opted not to do this because it was 109 degrees and I forgot the sunscreen and water for the kids!
Here I am with the kids at Tingley Beach
This duck appeared to be born without any wings
This duck either swallowed a tennis ball or he has a goiter
This duck looked just like Elvis! Look at that hairdo!
4. The Sandia Peak Tramway is highly recommended. It is the 2nd largest tram in the world and goes 2 1/2 miles up to the top of the Sandia Mountains or 10,000 feet. The view and experience is absolutely spectacular!
Sandia Peak Tram
5. Tinkertown Museum is one of my favorites! It took Ross Ward 40 years to create this place of art and eccentric collections. Around every corner is something that delights the eye and provokes a jaw drop or a giggle. He began his life carving wood figures for circuses I found out from his wife while I was there. Ross passed away in 2002 but his wife still keeps the museum running. I talked to her after our visit and told her the place reminded me of a place I went to as a child in Wisconsin called the House on the Rock. Her eyes lit up and she said, “That was one of Ross’s inspirations when he created this place!” I don’t think she told me where Ross grew up but she told me she lived only a short way from where I live in Wisconsin! What a small world it is!
The kids and I at Tinkertown Museum
The walls are all made out of bottle and there are so many cool things around every corner!
My husband and kids in front of Otto and the one man band
The kids and I with the creator’s wife
My favorite bottle on the wall!
If this didn’t make you want to visit Albuquerque, New Mexico; maybe this will: They have some of the cheapest gas prices in the nation!
Gas prices June 2013
Motherhood Is An Art 
Oh, do you know if that sign is for sale…. Route 66 ? !! he he, I would just love that sign. Looks like a fab time and lots to do ! ….Love the tram, walls out of bottles? Gas prices relatively same, but, good catch when you have look back here… š
Ellie, we really do have similar taste! I would love to have that sign as well! Look at the sign I did end up getting in New Mexico though! You might appreciate it: http://motherhoodisanart.com/2013/07/03/bull-head-a-highway-in-the-house-and-so-much-blue/
The gas is cheaper here, Melissa. So visit me on your next vacation, pleeeeeeease!!!!!!
Will do! When we left Wisconsin gas was over $4.00 and when we got there seeing that $3.13 was a nice surprise!
I definitely loved the botanical garden watering can. That looked like a lot of fun. Oh, and the gas prices too.
It really was a cool place! It had caves, lots of mazes and tons of oversized statue fixtures! I may have enjoyed it more than the kids!
I WANT TO GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Colleen, I didn’t see very many bike riders there…possibly because it’s too hot? Also, we had a hard time finding an ice cream shop one day. We had to settle for a McDonald’s ice cream cone. Two possible business ventures await you in Albuquerque!
Well….doesn’t that just intrigue me even more? We always contemplate moving to “warmer” where biking is year round. š
Sounds awesome! Our kids would love the statues at the gardens. Thanks for sharing. Cheers, Alison
Thanks Alison! The statues definitely were awesome! There was even a vegetable garden and all of the vegetables were HUGE!!!
The botanical gardens look especially cool. I like the dinosaur and so would my children.
It really was amazing the amount of big, towering statues they had in that place. I wonder what it would have cost to construct something of that magnitude. It was definitely worth the price to get in and see it!
It’s funny you are thinking about the cost to construct it – I always wonder that sort of thing.
Looks like you had a great trip! Thanks for sharing. Those ducks were quite odd, but I love the Elvis duckā¦hilarious!
Thanks Leah! I kept picturing him saying…”I ain’t nothing but a hound duck, a cryin’ all the time!”
Ha ha ha! Thanks for my morning laugh!
Your fuel is twice the cost of ours š¦ the pics are great except for
poor Mr. Quack
the one that is black
as he waddles without his wings
he’d love to fly, but instead he gets by
just walking on thin skinny things
haha!! That’s it! I’m moving to Australia if gas prices are that low! Gas is killing us here! And yes, that poor little duck! We gave him extra bread!
come on down š Good he would have liked that xx š
Were glad you enjoyed our state. Tinker Town, the tram, and the amazing food are just some of the amazing things to do. Last week gas dropped to $3.03 a gallon. Loved it.. When you visited it was pretty hot, now we finally got a well needed rain. It’s been over cast in the high 80s this week. We wish you lived here, but we understand. Our chili is world famous, red of green can’t decide order Christmas, a combo of both, just delicious. We can ship you some… Just let us know. Happy to hear you had an amazing time…
Thanks Pamela! It was a great time! Alex’s mom stocked us up on green chili to bring home so we have a freezer full! It’s good to hear that you finally got some rain. The whole time we were there everyone kept talking about how much you guys needed the rain.
Oh yeah forgot to say, your Elvis duck was quack-up!!!
Your making me home sick! Next time you find yourself in New Mexico be sure to check out Madrid (Pronounced Mad-rid, say it fancy and they’ll know your an out of towner). It is an awesome little artsy town with lots of fun electric things to see and a rich motorcycle/hippie history. Also the Chocolate Maven in Santa Fe is fun because you can watch the bakers at work while you eat.
Where is Tinker Town located? I have never been there and would love to go.
~Pisces
Thanks for the tips! My husband grew up in Albuquerque so he has lots of family that we go there to visit! I never heard of Madrid and as for Santa Fe I love it there but this time around we only drove through and ate at a restaurant on the outskirts because I didn’t want to deal with bringing my 3 small kids into all of the art galleries! Tinker Town was located on the other side of the mountain on Turquoise Trail. It was about a 20 minute drive from my mother-in-law’s house on the west side! What part of New Mexico did you grow up in?
We grew up in Albuquerque. Definitely love getting to visit when we get the chance:)
What fun! (and we just got back from San Francisco where the gas was almost $5 a gallon so the NM gas prices look really fantastic! haha)
Glad to see you back! I can’t wait to hear all about your trip and the plane ride!!
oh, the lovely plane rides. (aka AWFULNESS) Right now I am trying to figure out how to walk through our downstairs because it’s covered with luggage and 3 years worth of clothes, but I hope to catch up very soon!!!
Poor duckie without the wings! Looks like you guys had a wonderful time Melissa.
We did have a great time! What have you been up to? Did you get that job? Also, I wanted to let you know that I made the maple syrup cookies the other day and put the maple syrup frosting on them that you sent with the recipes you emailed me! Now I have to get around to making that cake!
I shall put it on the list! Also, you look just fabulous in that photo with your kids. Just glowing! I cannot even believe how cheap gas is ANYWHERE in the US compared to Canada. Buckets cheaper!