DAY
3
|
Expansive
View from the Top of Acoma Pueblo |
One
of Albuquerque’s greatest blessings is that
just a few minutes of driving in any direction enables
you to leave the city behind and find yourself in
an otherworldly landscape. Plenty of awesome sightseeing
is within a half-day’s drive from town.
If
you head north up I-25, you can visit the historic
pueblos of Santo Domingo and San Felipe, or the less
historic but no less entertaining Casino Hollywood,
a gaming palace built by San Felipe Pueblo. (Get information
on any one of the nineteen pueblos in New Mexico by
starting at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque.)
Santo Domingo is famous throughout
the Southwest for the quality of its turquoise and
silver jewelry. During Labor Day weekend every year,
the pueblo holds an arts and crafts fair that gives
visitors a first-hand look at both traditional and
cutting-edge Indian jewelry at prices much lower than
you would find in galleries. There is also food, refreshments
and delicious bread baked in the traditional beehive-shaped
hornos, adobe ovens.
 |
| San
Esteban del Rey Church and Convent |
Head
west from Albuquerque on I-40 and you come to Acoma
Pueblo and the fabulous Sky City,
an ancient settlement built on a 376-foot-high mesa.
In 1599, Sky City was the scene of a desperate battle
between the Spaniards and the warriors of Acoma Pueblo.
Four hundred-plus years ago may seem like a long time,
but at Acoma, the present day is just another part
of history. From April through October, tourists can
take an hour-long guided walking tour that culminates
at the historic San Esteban del Rey Church
and Convent, one of the most significant
buildings in New Mexico.
Sky City has no running water or electricity, but
each Acoma family takes turns living there for a year
and considers the duty a great honor. Acoma is famous
for its intricately painted pots. The finer and smaller
the brushwork, the more expensive the pots will be.
Outstanding examples of Acoma pottery are housed in
museums around the world.
|
One
of the Famous Ladders at Acoma Pueblo |
If
you drive northwest from Albuquerque, through the
village of Bernalillo, you will eventually come to
the Jemez Mountains. This cool, verdant
oasis is a year-round destination for hiking, mountain
biking, fishing and cross-country skiing. The Valle
Grande, an immense caldera formed when an ancient
volcano erupted eons ago, became the Valles
Caldera National Preserve in 2000. With reservations,
the pristine 89,000-acre area is open for hiking and
fishing. Day visitors can also take the Valles Grande
Trail, an easy hiking trail through dense forests
with magnificent wide-open views.
Another great sight in the Jemez is Bandelier
National Monument, an ancient cliff dwelling
built by the Anasazi people in a narrow canyon. An
asphalt trail winds through the canyon, but visitors
can also climb narrow wooden ladders into some of
the restored dwellings and kivas, or ceremonial chambers.
 |
| Petroglyphs
Carved into the Volcanic Rock |
Visitors
who decide to head east from Albuquerque, through
Tijeras Canyon, can take North Highway 14, also called
the Turquoise Trail, a National Scenic
Byway. It wanders through some of New Mexico’s
most colorful areas and offers stunning vistas. If
you drive the two-lane road all the way to Santa Fe,
the trip will take about an hour, but half the fun
is the stops along the way. If you’re a golfer,
visit the award-winning Paa-Ko Ridge Golf
Club in Sandia Park. The 18-hole course offers
both challenges and stunning views. If you’re
hungry, the clubhouse also serves good sandwiches
and upscale salads.
A further drive takes you through the tiny towns of
Golden, Madrid and Cerrillos,
former coal-mining ghost towns that have become artist
colonies. Madrid, the largest of them, features the
historic Mine Shaft Tavern—known
for its thick, home-style burgers—plus galleries
and funky stores along Main Street.
One
of the world's most fascinating sites, Petroglyph
National Monument on Albuquerque’s
West Mesa offers an estimated 20,000 petroglyphs carved
into the escarpment of five extinct volcanoes. Some
of the carvings of animals, human figures and symbols
date as far back as 1000 BC. The Spanish also left
their marks in the form of crucifixes and other shapes.
The monument is easily explored on several short trails.
As you walk these ancient grounds, be aware that the
Pueblos consider the entire 17-mile-long stretch sacred.
There is no camping or lodging but you can bring a
picnic. Visit Las Imagines Visitor Center, located
at 6001 Unser NW at the junction of Western Trail,
for more information.
|
Winemaker Laurent Gruet is Proud of his Sparklers |
If
you love sparkling wines, visit Gruet Winery,
which produces six kinds, from a N.V. Brut to a Vintage
Grand Rosé. Their vineyards, at an altitude
of 4,300 feet, are among the highest in the United
States. The tasting room is open Monday to Friday
10 a.m.-5 p.m. and noon-5 p.m. on Saturdays. It's
easy to spend an afternoon enjoying "a touch
of Andalucia" at the scenic Casa Rondeña
Winery, whose portfolio
of handcrafted wines includes a Bordeaux-style Cabernet
Franc. Set amid ancient cottonwoods in Albuquerque's
North Valley, their tasting room is open Wednesday
through Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday, noon-6
p.m. They're known in the area for hosting philanthropic
events on their Arabic-style premises. Grapes
have been grown in the Rio Grande Valley since 1629—it's
America's oldest wine growing region.
We
cannot leave Albuquerque without mentioning one of
its favorite pastimes and festivals—ballooning
and the Albuquerque International Balloon
Fiesta, the world’s largest balloon
event, which every year in the first week of October
sends hundreds of colorful bubbles into the desert
sky.
 |
| Balloon
Fiesta |
This
event draws hundreds of thousands of visitors. Why
Albuquerque? It was here that the first modern hot
air balloon was launched by a Sid Cutter to celebrate
his mom’s birthday more than 30 years ago. In
fact, more than 100 years ago another local here flew
the first “gas bag.” The local weather
provides the best conditions in the world for ballooning,
especially the so-called “Albuquerque Box”
effect, which makes precision flying possible.
It
should be clear by now that what you may have thought
of as a dry desert is in fact thriving with culture,
color and creativity. As you bid farewell, soak up
the silence and beauty of the desert. Once it gets
under your skin, it will always beckon you back.
*
Balloon image courtesy of Ron Behrmann
