We just stopped in Albuquerque for a night on our southwest road trip but we found some real gems to see if you are ever there. We were quite surprised by the drive through New Mexico; I did not know it would look so much like the drive through the red canyons of Utah. There were some drab looking sections of drive but also so much beauty in the red rocks and canyons we drove through. After settling in our hotel room we headed out for dinner.
This fun wall of old signs is just outside Route 66 Diner, a must stop in Albuquerque. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was so fun and the service was fantastic.
This picture makes it seem empty but it was actually very busy although the wait wasn’t too long which was good because we were so hungry. They had a great variety of classics and New Mexico dishes and you have to get a milkshake! It was pricey but we did way over order…we waited too long to eat and our eyes were WAY bigger than our stomachs! If we ever end up back in that neck of the woods in NM we would probably eat there again but split more dishes.
If you want something educational to do with kids while in Albuquerque the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is a great choice. You will learn all about the history of the natives of New Mexico through art, videos, displays and hands on exhibits. I love that the museum starts off with this gorgeous art on the horse with a story that explains their belief that if one of them lives on, they all do. We all carry with us pieces of our ancestors that help to keep them alive.
The museum has several exhibits to walk through and my favorite part about each of them is that they are FULL of hands on interactions for the kids. They also have many videos throughout that allow the children to learn more about the dances, food, and environment of the natives. I didn’t take any pics of the displays but they were amazing as well. So much pottery, art, tools, kitchens, baskets and more. And SO many stories told and legends to be passed on….I could go on and on. If you can’t tell, we really enjoyed this place!
If you are there on the weekend you get to watch some natives talk about their history, their traditions and watch them perform some of their ceremonial dances. At the end they invited you to come in the circle and perform a dance with them that represents acceptance, peace and friendship. It truly is beautiful!
We probably could’ve spent an additional hour there taking our time with some of the exhibits we had rushed through to get to the performance. We also probably could’ve spent more time looking at the stands throughout the courtyard where locals sale their gorgeous art and jewelry. As tempting as that was, we had to get on the road to head to our next destination. We left feeling like we got our money’s worth and glad we had made the stop.
There are so many options of places to see in Albuquerque with, or without kids, but we’re happy with the couple stops we made. We’re glad we went and experienced something new, happy with what we saw and now we feel we can move on to seeing more of the US and if we end up back in that part of NM again one day we wouldn’t be mad, but we’re also not disappointed that we didn’t see more or dying to go back. It was a great place to stop on our way to somewhere else. 🙂
xo,
Jenny
Homestead Creations 