Had a fun couple of days in Albuquerque
May 20th, 2009, 08:30 AM
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Had a fun couple of days in Albuquerque
I have been doing a lot of work in the last yr. in ABQ. Most times I have thrown in an extra day or two in Santa Fe. But on my trip this last weekend I had two half days off and decided to just stay in ABQ and see some of it. The weather was so great I wanted to do some outdoor things.
I usually stay at the fairly new Embassy Suites on these trips as it is close to the University where I meet w/a client. I like that hotel as it has a nice and quiet spa in the hotel w/great massages and steam rooms, facials, etc. Also nice free hot breakfast.
But this time I had business at a firm downtown and stayed at the Hyatt. I stayed there once 10 yrs ago and wasn't impressed but this time I enjoyed it a lot, esp. for the location as I didn't have a car, and the buses in ABQ around the Hyatt are great (taxis are hard to come by in ABQ). Plus there is a big nice multiscreen movie theater two blocks away at Central and 1st Sts. (And having Starbucks in the lobby was nice too.)
The first afternoon and evening I had off was Sunday. I decided to shop and dine in Nob Hill, the fun eclectic artsy and classic Route 66 area just to the east of downtown. I walked from the Hyatt two blocks down Central Ave (right behind the hotel) to 1st St. and caught the Rapid Ride bus going east on Central (a bargain at $1 each way). At about the 5th stop down I got off at Carlysle (the stops are announced on the bus) which is at the far end of Nob Hill's shopping area, and started walking back down Central Ave. (which is the old Rt. 66).
It went slow because I was stopping at all the cool shops. There is a great co-op grocery store, La Mantanita, right at Carlysle and Central in the well-preserved original art deco Nob Hill shopping center there. That shopping cneter was designed by noted architect Louis Hesselden (as I learned later, read on). I had appetizers and a wonderful Pear Gimlet cocktail at Scalo in that shopping center. Nice outdoor patios and lots of people watching. Scalo offers half price on all pastas and entrees on Sunday, which is a great deal.
The shopping is fun. My favorite store in Nob Hill was QUE CHULA! It is a very colorful store selling a wonderful assortment of Mexican handcrafted goods and furniture. This store will cheer you up! Their painted furniture from Michoacan was on sale and I bought a few pieces (more on that later) at prices that rival the ones I have seen while in Mexico. Also a great selection of Guatemalan textiles, including bedspreads and pillowcases made from wonderful old Huipil textiles. LOVED this store.
At about 2 pm I saw a group of people w/what seemed to be a tour guide on the street one off of Central, behind Nob Hill Center. I strolled over to listen and one of the people on the tour told me it was the spring walking tour called "ReDiscover Nob Hill" that was being offered that afternoon. This walk apparently commemorated the 10th anniversary of the listing of the Monte Vista and College View Historic District in the NM Register of Cultural Places in 1999. I quickly decided I had fallen into something good and quietly unofficially listened to the tour for a half hr or so. It was GREAT. The leader was an architectural historian. There is going to be fall walk like this also.
Here is their website. I want to go back for the fall tour!
http://www.rediscovernobhill.com/index.html
After that I continued shopping and walking and enjoying the scenery and architecture on Central Ave. There are several vintage clothing and jewelry stores. I esp. liked Off Broadway (where I got a cool old 1950s wicker purse w/flowers attached on the top for $15, a steal), and Buffalo Exchange (with it's cool neon "Reduce Recycle Reuse sign). So much of the architecture on Central is INCREDIBLY COOL! I esp. liked Kelly's Restaurant and Brew pub (good beer and HUGE outdoor patio dining right out on Central Ave.) This area is a photographer's dream.
About 6 pm I took the Rapid Ride bus back down to the stop at 1st St. and walked down Central, thinking I'd go back to the hotel. Wrong. as I walked down Central/Rt. 66, starting at 1st St. and going all the way down for many blocks there was what I can only call an Albuquerque-style classic car show. Drivers were out in their incredible cars parading up and down Rt. 66, bumper to bumper. It was SO COOL to stumble upon this. It seemed like it is probably an every Sunday afternoon deal. Low riders, high riders, and restored classic cars, definitely the best spontaneous classic car show I've ever seen. I got a drink and some wings at a cafe that had outdoor seating and watched this car parade for 2 hrs., it was amazing. What a colorful day!
On Monday afternoon I went back to Nob Hill to buy some children's furniture at Que Chula and I ended up eating dinner at ZINC wine bistro. It was very very good, some of the best food I've had in ABQ on my 7-8 trips there in the last yr. I had two appetizers, the lite portion duck confit rolls (amazing) and the tuna tartar (almost a meal in itself, on top of friend shoestring vegetables, another amazing dish). The woman who owns Que Chula wrapped up the chair and table I bought in bubble wrap and dropped them off at the restaurant when her shop closed, so I could carry them on the plane the next day. That is what I call exceptional service.
Other restaurants I have had great meals at in ABQ in the last yr are Artichoke Cafe and Seasons in Old Town area (Season's owners also own ZINC in Nob Hill).
If you are ever in ABQ on a Sunday, I highly suggest Nob Hill and the classic cars on Rt. 66!
http://rt66central.com/route66/route-66.html
I usually stay at the fairly new Embassy Suites on these trips as it is close to the University where I meet w/a client. I like that hotel as it has a nice and quiet spa in the hotel w/great massages and steam rooms, facials, etc. Also nice free hot breakfast.
But this time I had business at a firm downtown and stayed at the Hyatt. I stayed there once 10 yrs ago and wasn't impressed but this time I enjoyed it a lot, esp. for the location as I didn't have a car, and the buses in ABQ around the Hyatt are great (taxis are hard to come by in ABQ). Plus there is a big nice multiscreen movie theater two blocks away at Central and 1st Sts. (And having Starbucks in the lobby was nice too.)
The first afternoon and evening I had off was Sunday. I decided to shop and dine in Nob Hill, the fun eclectic artsy and classic Route 66 area just to the east of downtown. I walked from the Hyatt two blocks down Central Ave (right behind the hotel) to 1st St. and caught the Rapid Ride bus going east on Central (a bargain at $1 each way). At about the 5th stop down I got off at Carlysle (the stops are announced on the bus) which is at the far end of Nob Hill's shopping area, and started walking back down Central Ave. (which is the old Rt. 66).
It went slow because I was stopping at all the cool shops. There is a great co-op grocery store, La Mantanita, right at Carlysle and Central in the well-preserved original art deco Nob Hill shopping center there. That shopping cneter was designed by noted architect Louis Hesselden (as I learned later, read on). I had appetizers and a wonderful Pear Gimlet cocktail at Scalo in that shopping center. Nice outdoor patios and lots of people watching. Scalo offers half price on all pastas and entrees on Sunday, which is a great deal.
The shopping is fun. My favorite store in Nob Hill was QUE CHULA! It is a very colorful store selling a wonderful assortment of Mexican handcrafted goods and furniture. This store will cheer you up! Their painted furniture from Michoacan was on sale and I bought a few pieces (more on that later) at prices that rival the ones I have seen while in Mexico. Also a great selection of Guatemalan textiles, including bedspreads and pillowcases made from wonderful old Huipil textiles. LOVED this store.
At about 2 pm I saw a group of people w/what seemed to be a tour guide on the street one off of Central, behind Nob Hill Center. I strolled over to listen and one of the people on the tour told me it was the spring walking tour called "ReDiscover Nob Hill" that was being offered that afternoon. This walk apparently commemorated the 10th anniversary of the listing of the Monte Vista and College View Historic District in the NM Register of Cultural Places in 1999. I quickly decided I had fallen into something good and quietly unofficially listened to the tour for a half hr or so. It was GREAT. The leader was an architectural historian. There is going to be fall walk like this also.
Here is their website. I want to go back for the fall tour!
http://www.rediscovernobhill.com/index.html
After that I continued shopping and walking and enjoying the scenery and architecture on Central Ave. There are several vintage clothing and jewelry stores. I esp. liked Off Broadway (where I got a cool old 1950s wicker purse w/flowers attached on the top for $15, a steal), and Buffalo Exchange (with it's cool neon "Reduce Recycle Reuse sign). So much of the architecture on Central is INCREDIBLY COOL! I esp. liked Kelly's Restaurant and Brew pub (good beer and HUGE outdoor patio dining right out on Central Ave.) This area is a photographer's dream.
About 6 pm I took the Rapid Ride bus back down to the stop at 1st St. and walked down Central, thinking I'd go back to the hotel. Wrong. as I walked down Central/Rt. 66, starting at 1st St. and going all the way down for many blocks there was what I can only call an Albuquerque-style classic car show. Drivers were out in their incredible cars parading up and down Rt. 66, bumper to bumper. It was SO COOL to stumble upon this. It seemed like it is probably an every Sunday afternoon deal. Low riders, high riders, and restored classic cars, definitely the best spontaneous classic car show I've ever seen. I got a drink and some wings at a cafe that had outdoor seating and watched this car parade for 2 hrs., it was amazing. What a colorful day!
On Monday afternoon I went back to Nob Hill to buy some children's furniture at Que Chula and I ended up eating dinner at ZINC wine bistro. It was very very good, some of the best food I've had in ABQ on my 7-8 trips there in the last yr. I had two appetizers, the lite portion duck confit rolls (amazing) and the tuna tartar (almost a meal in itself, on top of friend shoestring vegetables, another amazing dish). The woman who owns Que Chula wrapped up the chair and table I bought in bubble wrap and dropped them off at the restaurant when her shop closed, so I could carry them on the plane the next day. That is what I call exceptional service.
Other restaurants I have had great meals at in ABQ in the last yr are Artichoke Cafe and Seasons in Old Town area (Season's owners also own ZINC in Nob Hill).
If you are ever in ABQ on a Sunday, I highly suggest Nob Hill and the classic cars on Rt. 66!
http://rt66central.com/route66/route-66.html
May 20th, 2009, 02:59 PM
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I was in Albuquerque last week and got home yesterday. I too enjoy hanging out on Central Ave in/near Nob Hill. I've found that the pub O'Neils (Central and Washington) has fantastic burgers - love the Black and Bleu burger, yum! Dining partners report the other meals there are good as well.
After numerous visits to ABQ in the last few years, I finally drove up the east side of Sandia Peak this last weekend. (A 14-mile windy detour off the Turquoise Trail FYI.) While the scenery is nice and it's a fun, easy hike along the ridge (you can hike about 1.5 miles to the top of the Tram), an unexpected bonus at the gift snack bar was two hummingbird feeders out on the porch. There are hummingbirds all over the place at the top of the peak; a dozen or more of them congregate at these feeders, and they are not that afraid of humans. In fact, you can stand a foot a way and they'll happily feed right in front of you. A few of us managed, with some patience, to get one of them to land on our fingers as they fed. Of course, you can also take great pictures at close range of a bunch of beautiful hummingbirds, which like many people I find adorable. Anyway, this was an unexpected treat at the top.
After numerous visits to ABQ in the last few years, I finally drove up the east side of Sandia Peak this last weekend. (A 14-mile windy detour off the Turquoise Trail FYI.) While the scenery is nice and it's a fun, easy hike along the ridge (you can hike about 1.5 miles to the top of the Tram), an unexpected bonus at the gift snack bar was two hummingbird feeders out on the porch. There are hummingbirds all over the place at the top of the peak; a dozen or more of them congregate at these feeders, and they are not that afraid of humans. In fact, you can stand a foot a way and they'll happily feed right in front of you. A few of us managed, with some patience, to get one of them to land on our fingers as they fed. Of course, you can also take great pictures at close range of a bunch of beautiful hummingbirds, which like many people I find adorable. Anyway, this was an unexpected treat at the top.
May 20th, 2009, 06:07 PM
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Thanks for that Andrew, I got quite the hummingbird visual from your post. I can't imagine a hummingbird actually landing on a finger and staying still that long, even just a few seconds on a finger.
The person I go to ABQ to work with lives somewhere out at the foothills of the Sadia, but I have never gotten out that close to the mountains. But I did like that I could see the mountains while walking around Central Ave in Nob Hill.
I have always run off to Santa Fe but ABQ is quite cool I think. BTW, that spa at the Embassy Suites is very good and I highly recommend it. That hotel is about 5 min. drive from the airport. You can get a private steam room w/special scent of your choice in the steam for an additional $15 for a half hr before your massage and that is a great deal.
The person I go to ABQ to work with lives somewhere out at the foothills of the Sadia, but I have never gotten out that close to the mountains. But I did like that I could see the mountains while walking around Central Ave in Nob Hill.
I have always run off to Santa Fe but ABQ is quite cool I think. BTW, that spa at the Embassy Suites is very good and I highly recommend it. That hotel is about 5 min. drive from the airport. You can get a private steam room w/special scent of your choice in the steam for an additional $15 for a half hr before your massage and that is a great deal.
May 20th, 2009, 08:56 PM
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Here's a link to my hummingbird pictures FYI:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...a&id=699320869
The fast shutter speed freezes their wings fairly well in some of the shots. In case you can't tell, I'm standing maybe 2-3 feet away from them while taking these pictures.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...a&id=699320869
The fast shutter speed freezes their wings fairly well in some of the shots. In case you can't tell, I'm standing maybe 2-3 feet away from them while taking these pictures.
May 21st, 2009, 01:20 PM
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Great pics, thanks for the link! I was at a hotel at the base of Machu Picchu a few wks ago that had acres of gardens. They also had hummingbird feeders there but I couldn't even react fast enough to click the camera and get a picture of them at the feeders, they were flitting away so fast.
May 21st, 2009, 02:20 PM
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elendilP., Sclao's has a Monday night wine special also- I beleive all the bottles of wine are 50% off. And the wines are reasonably priced to begin with so that is a really good deal.
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