A MUST visit. The facilities are well cared for and the grounds are beautiful…read more Pro-Tip: You can buy a beer at their drink park and walk around enjoying the refreshing drink as you tour vast facility.

An adventure park for the family that includes a botanical garden, an aquarium, and a zoo. A…read moretrifecta in my opinion. My visit the other day was just for the botanical garden and the aquarium. I'm looking forward to return to go to the zoo on my next visit soon.

12/19/21: As a military veteran I am proud to have visited this powerful and sacred place to honor…read morethose who have served before and after me. Outstanding customer service from the volunteers who staff the Visitor's Center and Museum. From the moment you enter the parking lot you know you're entering a sacred place. It was very quiet and I didn't hear any traffic or noise while walking the grounds.. If you know of anyone or business with a torn or tattered flag. please kindly ask that they remove the flag. place it in the flag mailbox here and replace with a new flag. THANK YOU.. I learned more about service and sacrifice to country. Bless each of you and please make an effort to visit.

It's a cool and neat place, however there is nothing for the war on terror, desert storm, desert…read moreshield, the war in Iraq or Afghanistan. I went there for the Veterans Day celebration, first time and nothing in the modern area. I asked a couple of the volunteers about it they simply said we don't have anything like that sweetheart. I know honoring history is important, but a 20 year war doesn't have a memorial? No place for us to go and remember what we went through, the people that didn't and did make it back. I'm sorry that just seems a little wrong to me. Kind of makes me feel as though the city, the state, this country in large doesn't care much about our modern-day veterans. That sentiment is carried over to the staff that showed a general disdain for my A simple question. it made a huge impact on my Veterans Day going there to remember, and honor my late friends and Saud nothing, no plaques, no awards, no decorations in the visitor center, nothing after The Cold War. You get more remembrance of modern day veterans at the nuclear science museum. I think that's kind of messed up myself.

Out on a morning Atlas Obscura hunt to find Albuquircky. A roadside collection of art from an…read moreimaginative human being lurking behind the walls. Your car pull up right outside off the road and do your pose. The Tin Man was my favorite. The aforementioned telephone box had gone. It's a 5 minute stop.

I saw this on the list of oddities here in Albuquerque. I few weeks ago I started a photography…read moreproject creating a series of photos of these unique beauties. This one is in Los Ranchos but I still consider Los Ranchos to be part of Albuquerque cuz it's part of our city whether they agree or not it's my opinion take it with a grain of salt. Anyways I was so fascinated by the Tin man online that when I arrived the other art just felt like bonuses! Oh it was a treat. I made sure to be respectful to the owners property by not trespassing but staying on the other side of the fence. Above it was not only the tin man but also an person in a telephone booth beside him. Across the driveway on the other side there was a soldier sitting in a booth with a weapon it kind of reminded of the Eddie from the band Iron Maiden. Sides that was a lovely train with a crossroads sign. It was a such a spectacle to see from El Pueblo. It definitely deserves some recognition!

#60 for 2019 Rio…read moreGrande River As I begin to write this review I start to wonder how many New Mexican songs are out there that mention The Rio Grande River. I'm thinking this mostly because every time I'm walking at the river I have music blasting in my ears whether its country, rap, rock or Christian tunes. Today I think I'll do a google search for songs about this Grande River so that next time I'm walking I can jam to tunes from back in the day when peeps adored this mighty body of water. I love walking along the bosque at the river especially now that the weather is getting nice and warm and the flowers are blooming. There are trails throughout the different areas and are on both the east and west side of the river that take you right up to the water, so be careful because at times (not a lot but there are times) when the river is running pretty darn fast! Here is a bit of Rio Grande River trivia for all you folks visiting the beautiful Land of Enchantment: Did you know that the Rio Grande River runs all the way from Colorado to Texas? It flows out to the Gulf of Mexico! Now that's some fun info! Did you know that Brian Wilson sings a song called: Rio Grande here are a few lyrics: Oh the great big river Rolls on and on Oh the great big river Makes my heart beat strong Yeah the great big river Rolls on and on And the great big river Makes my heart beat strong Rollin' rollin' rollin' on Personally I prefer New Mexican songs about the RG River over this song, sooooo I'm off to do some research with my handy dandy friend named: Google!

Always ready for wherever the River leads us! I mean other states may enjoy their lush rivers, but…read morethere's nothing like a desert river to water the day. I remember floating down on swimming pool mattresses when I was just a kid, to fishing and petting the slippery algae in its waters. It has been a friend and solace and anew Mexico is grateful!

Albuquerque Autobahn! This north/south expressway is the…read morefastest way to get around Albuquerque. Most of the way into town, you'll see big empty spaces, warehouses and industrial buildings. It's not exactly a scenic route, but it does take you parallel to the Rio Grande, which is a nice drive. You take this road up to Santa Fe, or down to Las Cruces. The highlight of the whole road is the "Big Eye" where it intersects with I-40 near the center of town. I gotta give a shout-out to San Antonio Blvd! Woot! It's arguably the best-named exit on this roadway. Pro tips: Don't bother using your turn indicators, because you won't want anyone to know what you're thinking. Floor it all the time, like you stole that car, and tailgating seems to be the local common practice. Be a forward thinker, and don't use your rear view mirrors, because that's only focusing on the past, when you should be looking forward. Speed limit signs are merely decorative suggestions. Gawking at balloons from the shoulder is supposedly prohibited, but an acceptable way to take in the view. Be sure to check out the cool designs on the overpasses and exits- you gotta look fast, since you should be driving at maximum speed. Braking is for the weak. Braking = bad.

There are only a few interstates running through New Mexico. Interstate 25 runs through the state…read moregoing north-south from Texas to Colorado. My 5-srar rating is simply this: the long asphalt freeway takes me to where I need to be in a short amount if time. As I drive south to Albuquerque from Bernalillo I adore the majestic views of the Sandia Mountains a view I cannot put a price tag on. Admiring the eastern view of the snow capped mountain tops in the winter to the beautiful bountiful greenery in the summertime along my route I love the drive on I-25!

I don't want to offend the artist as I do not know the story or background on this sculpture so if…read moreit's thats you please don't be offended by my opinion. So here it is, I can't be the only one who thinks it looks like a toilet paper roll between two chopsticks. I love the detail of the roll part but again I when no background story on this so I have no idea what it's supposed to be. If you know please educate me and fill me in on the details. Anyways its on the median separating eastbound and westbound Osuna near Jefferson. I found out about this from a friend and decided to add it to my series of oddities in Albuquerque project I'm working on.

I was born in Albuquerque in 1969 and lived in Albuquerque for 30 years (my mother was also born in…read moreAlbuquerque and still lives in Albuquerque). I attended public schools in Albuquerque through high school and also graduate school at UNM. Since leaving, I've visited Albuquerque at least once a year over the last 15 years. As such, I am in a good position to evaluate the City of Albuquerque. Albuquerque is the best of cities, Albuquerque is the worst of cities, it is a city of beauty, it is a city of ulgy, it is a city with wealth, it is a city of crime and poverty, it is a city of mountains, it is a city of valleys, it is a city of red, it is a city of green, it is a city of science, it is a city of superstition, there are too many people living in this desert, and there are not enough people living in this oasis, there are an infinite number of good restaurants, there are no good places to eat, it is a great place to raise a family, it is the worst place for a kid to grow up, it is a city of hot air balloons, it is a city of cold water rivers, it is a city of hot and dry days, it is a city of dark and stormy afternoons - in short, I believe that Albuquerque has only one face: that of a violent contradiction. Call me The Duke of Alburquerque.

I'm a big fan of infrastructure. Pretty much all of it. I figure it's gotta be important to…read moremaintain our roads and bridges, improve public transportation, make the city a bike-friendly town. During the construction of this pedestrian and cycle-friendly bridge that connects Albuquerque's Westside with the Paseo del Bosque via I-40, there were plenty of whiners around here, bitching about the $6.9 million price tag. (Correct me if I'm wrong, but I do believe this project was approved by voters, yes?) They're the same folks who continue to rail about the Rail Runner, and claim that incentives and rebates for filmmakers are breaking the state bank. I look at it the other way around: How many people, the world over, are seeing our gorgeous state on their movie and television screens and, intrigued, come visit, biking our extensive system of trails, investing in our economy, riding the train to Santa Fe? We can't measure that impact. When I see this bridge, or simply think about it, my calves instantaneously ache. For good reason. When my kid was a toddler, for one solid year, I took advantage of our access to the trail by the river by popping her in a bike trailer and pulling her all over town. We avoided our car at all costs, riding to the zoo, aquarium, parks and open spaces. We also shopped via bike trailer, and that's where this bridge comes in. I was so thrilled when it was finished, and my first ride absolutely tore my calves to shreds. My little girl had the time of her life. I could barely walk the next day. But we sho'nuff got ourselves some toilet paper at Walmart, dammit. A little research told me the basics about this bridge. Its namesake, Gail Ryba, was a PhD fuel cell researcher at Sandia National Labs and a Seattle transplant, who strongly advocated for local cyclists and founded Bike ABQ. Tragically, she died of cancer while this bridge was under construction. I've heard cyclists complain about the uneven spots that interrupt the arc of this bridge, level overlooks that allow us to marvel at the majesty of the Rio Grande -- the murky brown waters and discarded shoreline tires, not to mention the delightful ambient melodies of traffic and choking exhaust fumes. I actually like these spots, they help me keep my sanity when I'm flying downhill eastward, with my clueless kiddo in the sidecar, howling with joy. I love the cement engravings and colorful art along the ground and walls, trout and cottonwood leaves, coyote paws. Evenings, I like the soft lights that halo these overlooks. It's a fitting and unique memorial to a terrific person. I'd love to leave this world with a bridge. Can't put a price on that.