On the western slope, the Sandia Mountains are craggy, rocky and brown. At sunset it becomes clear why the name is Sandia, Spanish for watermelon: as the sun sets, the western face of the mountain turns watermelon pink and is dotted with piñon trees resembling the melon's black seeds. The eastern side of the mountains is covered with deciduous and evergreen trees, making way for ski slopes and shady groves for picnics. Best of all, you can walk along the ridge of the Sandias . . . from the top of the Tramway to Sandia Peak and then along a trail that overlooks all of Albuquerque and west towards Mount Taylor and Acoma Pueblo . (An incredible journey back in time, Acoma is a 12th century Indian Pueblo located atop a mesa 65 miles west of Albuquerque a few miles off I-40).

Access to the Sandia Mountain walk-on-top-of-the-world is via the "World's Longest Tram" (call 505-856-7325 for the Tram's running schedule) or follow the Turquoise Trail 1.5 miles west of Highway 14 on the Sandia Crest Road.

Along the road is the Tinkertown Museum , an amazing animated, miniature wood-carved western town and circus, bottle glass rooms and delightful oddities.

Speaking of oddities, Albuquerque's Old Town boasts the American International Rattlesnake Museum at 2021-2 San Felipe NW. According to Bob, the biologist who owns and runs the place, the Museum has the planet's largest collection of different species of rattlers. You'll also find snake-related artifacts and art, including Audubon prints and a snake photograph taken by Alexander Graham Bell!

Also in Old Town is The Albuquerque Museum which contains the art and history of New Mexico and the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science with its billions of years of natural history, a thrilling Dynamax Theater and the new Lodestar Planetarium.

Albuquerque locals and visitors have enjoyed our monthly gallery tour, ArtsCrawl , since 1990. ArtsCrawl takes place in a different quarter of the city on the third Friday (usually) of each month. It's a festive evening during which the galleries offer new art shows and demonstrations together with refreshments and a celebratory atmosphere.

For a glimpse of prehistory, a visit to Petroglyph National Monument Park will take you through a basaltic escarpment where more than 15,000 ancient Indian petroglyphs (rock drawings) are preserved on 7200 acres. Call the US Park Service (505-839-4429) or City Parks (505-897-8814) for a park status update; and if you go, wear sturdy walking shoes and a hat.

Nature lovers and walkers delight in the bosque of the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park on the east bank of the Rio Grande at 290l Candelaria NW and the Elena Gallegos Picnic Area in the foothills, just east of Tramway.

The Albuquerque Bio Park includes the lush, sprawling Rio Grande Zoo, the Albuquerque Aquarium with sea life from the Gulf of Mexico and the Botanic Gardens showcasing plants of the southwest and Mediterranean climates.

There are vineyards in New Mexico! In Albuquerque there are several wineries (and more coming) open to the public for tastings of our delectable NM wines.

We hope you'll take some of these detours in Albuquerque!

Originally appeared in
The Collector’s Guide to Santa Fe, Taos and Albuquerque - Volume 14