Metro Weekly

Albuquerque: Up, up and away

ABQ_RainbowRyders.jpgDAY 4

There is no better way to experience Albuquerque than to be soaring over it on the winds.

As I started my trip to Albuquerque with a visit to the balloon museum, it seemed fitting that on my last day I should actually take a balloon ride. So that is exactly what I did — I hitched a ride with the team from Rainbow Ryders, one of Albuquerque’s largest and most popular ballooning companies.

The flight last about one hour, and the captain flew the balloon right over the beautiful Rio Grande before landing perfectly in Balloon Fiesta Park. It was one of those bucket list experiences.

With my feet planted firmly back on the ground, I took a tour of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of the Pueblo Indian culture, history and art. There are 19 active pueblos in New Mexico.

After the cultural center, I took a drive about one hour west of Albuquerque to visit the Acoma Pueblo. Known as Sky City and perched on a 70-acre massive mesa that is 367 feet above the valley floor, the pueblo provides stunning panoramic views.

ABQ_SkyCity.jpgAfter registering and having lunch at the pueblo’s visitors center, I boarded a bus to the top of the mesa to explore the historic pueblo with an official guide. Many of the pueblo’s residents have pottery and other native crafts on display and sale. The tour ended with a visit to the San Esteban del Rey Mission and Convento, built in 1629. 

To conclude my trip to Albuquerque, I had a toast to the “Duke City” (Albuquerque was named after the Spanish Duke of Alburquerque, Viceroy Francisco Fernandez de la Cueva) at its oldest gay bar, the Albuquerque Social Club. Technically a private club, visitors can buy a membership for a small fee. It is located in the trending Nob Hill neighborhood and is known for its cheap cocktails.

For more information on Albuquerque, please visit www.itsatrip.org or call (800) 284-2282.

Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism

These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!