We were just wandering through Albuquerque, no particular plan, when we turned the corner onto Coal…read moreAvenue and stumbled across it--Mario, Princess Peach, and Donkey Kong, all pixelated and proud, stretched across the side of a building like they had punched their way straight out of 1985. At first, I thought maybe my childhood was hallucinating. But no, there was Mario mid-jump, fists in the air. Peach standing tall like the 8-bit queen she is. And Donkey Kong looming off to the side, barrels and all. The colors popped against the weathered brick, and even though you could tell the wall had seen better days, that just made it cooler--like the mural had leveled up after a few boss fights with graffiti and sun damage. Turns out it used to be a Pac-Man wall, but somebody tagged it, and the original artist came back to give it a Nintendo makeover. Respect. The vibe is pure throwback joy. Cars zipped past without noticing, but we stood there for a while, grinning like we'd just found a secret warp pipe in real life. We snapped a few pics, and some random guy yelled, "It's-a me, Mario!" from across the street. I don't know if he was drunk or just having a good time--but honestly, same. In a city full of hidden gems, this mural felt like a one-up mushroom: small, unexpected, and absolutely worth finding.

Soooo no more is Donkey Kong but Mushroom. Looks pretty new. Sucks tagging F's it all up. Like,…read morecome on, respect the art ! It's a cute surprise for the family. We pulled over & it was cool. I am soooo in love with New Mexico. We are full time RV peeps & have traveled 8 states now & New Mexico has my heart.

Driving through Albuquerque, I glanced up and did a double take--was that... a Chevy on a stick?…read moreYep. A full-sized, blue-tiled 1954 Chevrolet hoisted high on a turquoise pedestal like some kind of sacred offering to the gods of roadside Americana. I couldn't not stop. It felt like stumbling across a monument from a world where hot rods are holy and kitsch is king. Locals apparently just roll with it, casually calling it "Chevy on a Stick" like that's a normal thing to have in your neighborhood. There's no big sign, no plaque explaining why a car is levitating above the median--just this glorious piece of public art floating above the traffic like a weird dream. I took a few pics, laughed to myself, and got back on the road feeling like I'd been let in on one of Albuquerque's best little secrets.

I recently came up with this idea I wanted to visit the cities oddities and roadshow attractions…read moreand capture a photo for a small series of photos in Albuquerque. I'm a freelance photographer on my spare time and I am always interested in finding something that catches my eye. I started my voyage at the Spaceship house a couple weeks ago and since then I've been searching for another oddity to capture. When I looked online I found a page dedicated to the different oddity landmarks in Albuquerque and this one was one of the sites I wanted to see in person. I sure am glad I got to see it. Of course the side of town I was a bit nervous since it's near Zuni and unfortunately Zuni has carried a bad reputation for the last few years but I didn't want to let it discourage me. The area for the most part is relatively safe and the monument you'll find at the corner of San Mateo and Gibson next to a restaurant with orange color paint just past the McDonald's. I personally love the colors of the tiles they used for it. It has a nice shine with the sunlight hitting it!

Go Isotopes! This giant public work of art is in a little…read morepark by Tramway & Central and the I-40 ramp. It's sometimes surrounded by bushes. It looks like a giant hand reaching up into a mess of Zia symbol and atomic electrons. To me, it looks like a baseball mitt catching a radioactive fly ball. I believe that there used to be an eternal flame in the globe in the center of the hand. I don't know how that thing stayed lit, but I suspect it's been blown out long ago. I wouldn't recommend coming and hanging out at this sculpture, but rather admired from afar. There can be homeless encampments along here. It is a friendship park after all, and doesn't everyone need a hand of friendship every now and then? The sculptor was Ted Egri, and it was built in 1984.

Welcome to Albuquerque! This public work of art sits at the…read moreentrance to the Duke City along I-40. Keep an eye out for it, because it can be easy to miss with all the scenery. The work of art was created by artist Gordon Huether in 2003. He made the sculpture out of salvaged F-16 fuel tanks! The yucca is the state flower of New Mexico, and they really get about this big out here! The yucca is a shiny metal, from such highly buffed aluminum aircraft parts. At night, it's lit up with changing colored lights, so it looks otherworldly. It makes a cool statement of the part that the Air Force has played in Albuquerque's history. Kirtland Air Force Base and Sandia National Laboratories are just a few miles from this sculpture. The sculpture is part of the 1% Art initiative of the City of Albuquerque, where they pledged a single percentile of the city's budget to big public works of art like this one. The U.S. Department of Transportation, and the State of New Mexico also chipped in on this one. It's a great work of public art!

It was a little hard to find, but we finally found it. Pretty cool to see in person and the story…read moreof how it is made is really cool too!

Cruising through Albuquerque, I stumbled on a giant Roadrunner statue that looked like it sprinted…read moreright off a Looney Tunes episode and plopped itself in front of a roofing shop. This thing is massive -- like, "Beep beep!" sized for a giant who's really into spray foam insulation. It's got those cartoonishly big eyes and that cheeky grin, standing proud like it's daring Wile E. Coyote to show up for a rematch. The best part? You don't even have to trespass to snap a pic -- just wave at the roofers and pretend you're part of some zany desert race. It's not exactly a theme park ride, but this oversized feathered speedster brings a little chuckle to your road trip and reminds you that sometimes, roadside art just wants to have fun. Beep beep, indeed!

So this was my final stop for the day during my scavenger hunt for my Oddities in Albuquerque…read moreseries. I actually thought it was further down past the casino but I was completely off. This guys right off Isleta Blvd in the driveway of a greenhouse! I guess first hearing about this road runner I pictured it to be much smaller like human sized, and was completely surprised when I saw how much taller it was. He's pretty tall I'd say over 10 feet easy! This roadrunner has some character and you can tell he or she's been around for awhile now but hasn't shown any signs of age other than through the paint. It's a unique site to see in the south valley especially since there already is so much character down Isleta Blvd as it is. There's a Blue Castle shaped mechanic shop just a block away from there along with a large strip mall called Mexico Accessories. So this guy keeps that area lively! I love it! If your in the south valley on Rio Bravo go north on Isleta and you'll see all the things I just mentioned along with this beautiful large roadrunner!

At first glance, it's just a series of bright red arches along a sidewalk in Albuquerque--but walk…read moreunder them, and suddenly you're part of something sculptural, almost sacred. The repeating serpent-like shapes cast shifting shadows, and the further you go, the more it feels like a portal or procession. It's oddly immersive for a piece of public art that doesn't say much--because it doesn't have to. You feel it. The name "Kolowisi" refers to the Zuni water serpent, and once you know that, the entire piece ripples with deeper meaning. A tribute to movement, spirit, and story. Definitely worth a stop, even if it's just for a short walk that feels strangely important.

Kolowisi! This giant steel serpentine sculpture sits along…read moreLomas in Albuquerque. It straddles the sidewalk, making the pedestrian walk along inside the coils of the snake. It's reminiscent of Quetzalcoatl, the Mayan water god. Kolowisi is the water sperpent god of the Zuni Indians. The god Kolowisi saved the Zuni Indians from the giant flood and led them to the top of their sacred mountain. When the Indians were on top of the mountain, the water serpent god gave them gifts of food and water and seeds. The water god lives in lakes, reservoirs, wells, puddles and any body of water. He's kind of like the Loch Ness Monster that lives in Cochiti Lake or the Rio Grande. The water snake can change forms, like water into any shape it wants to. The City of Albuquerque relies heavily upon the water spirits, so it's an appropriate sculpture. This snake is painted what I would call 'enchilada red,' it matches the red sauce that makes Albuquerque food so great. You can't miss it. The artist is Andrew Shows. The city does a grand job of keeping it in good condition, free of graffiti and grime.

This is a very cool museum depicting interesting facts about the history and science of nuclear…read moreenergy in the US. It's a one of a kind too as the historical details are centered around the energy labs and testing sites in New Mexico. The museum is partitioned into three sections - history, medicine and technology. The missiles and jets are realistic replicas giving us an idea about the scale of these war weapons. The science and technological overview of energy generation and interactive stations were quite engaging.

Great place to go and check out the cool nuclear stuff they have! Military is $12! Everything was…read morecool to look at and take some pics. Got some pins and some nice souvenirs

The views and people watching here were top tier. New Mexico really is the land of enchantment. We…read morehad fun driving & walking around here. You really have a good time, get your steps in & find some gems. My biggest takeaway was the traditional native touches everywhere & how friendly the natives are. ABQ has a special place in my heart. Also there's live music nightly here & it's DOPE. The performances from native blues & rock artists really blew me away.

I see two Block by Block cleaning crews cleaning the graffiti off the glass and buildings and light…read morepoles are being painted green. Doing what they can to revive the builds in the hopes the downtown comes bald alive one day. It's sad to see any downtown with boarded up windows to avoid folks breaking them down. No idea what the downtown area looked like before the pandemic or if the mass exit and vacancy occurred before Covid. Even the Jimmy John's is closed.

There is a huge selection of art, clothing, ornaments, jewelry and anything else you can think of…read more I was in search of a few marigolds for our alter and found them for $1 each. I would have expected more costumes and shirts for Dia de los Muertos. The owner was kind and friendly. Fun to wander around if you are not even looking to buy. There was a steady flow of people. Small business at its best.

Stopped in for a visit! What a crazy shop! The shop features so much Day of the day style stuff…read morefrom figures to art. It's all very cool and the shop is quite large. A cool place to visit!