Visit Albuquerque provided us with free tickets to some of these attractions. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
On our epic road trip to the Grand Canyon, we spent about twenty-four hours {or maybe a little less} in Albuquerque. We packed in as much as we could, including some really amazing sights, and loved our time in this beautiful city. Since Albuquerque is a central stopping point for a lot of travel within the United States, I wanted to share some great ideas for what to do in Albuquerque in one day! {And if you live in Albuquerque or have spent time there, I’d love to hear your favorite spots … share with us in the comments!}
Musical Highway
As we drove into Albuquerque, we drove over the Musical Highway and it was a few minutes worth taking! The strip pops up quickly and we had to go back for a redo but it was so much fun! As you drive with your tires on a rumble strip, going 45 miles per hour {I set cruise control to make it easy}, the tires on the road play America the Beautiful! It’s crazy, fun, and a really memorable experience if you’re in the area!
Roll the windows down, set your phone on video, and enjoy this quirky bit of road trip fun!
{The Musical Highway is eastbound on Route 333 between mile markers 4 and 5.}
Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway
When I first started planning our road trip, the Sandia Peak Tramway was one of the places I wanted to visit. The Tramway covers a distance of 2.7 miles over deep canyons and beautiful, tree-covered terrain, and the view is spectacular and awe-inspiring.
The ride up the mountain is narrated by a guide who points out interesting features and shares fun facts.
You’ll see mountain peaks, deep valleys, interesting rock formations, the site of a plane crash, and even some wildlife, if you’re lucky. We spotted a black bear wandering through one canyon as we were riding on the Tram.
We wandered a few trails at the top of the mountain, but if you’re an avid hiker, you can actually hike all the way up {or all the way down, I suppose}. We rode the Tram back down the mountain with some hikers that had hiked all the way to the top. But be warned: it took them four or five hours, they had trained for the hike, and it was difficult. And don’t forget about that black bear {wink}.
As you travel up the mountain, you’ll experience much cooler temperatures so come prepared. We were there in June but it was quite chilly at the top and the kids were glad they had brought hoodies.
You also need to be prepared that certain conditions will cause the Tramway to close without warning. As we were boarding the Tram to travel back down the mountain, a thunderstorm was rolling in and all visitors were taken down. Check the weather before you go and be prepared for a delay if the weather is bad.
Coffee {Humble Coffee}
For me, no trip is complete without experiencing the coffee scene wherever I can {check out my favorite coffee shops in DFW and OKC if you’re planning a trip to either of those spots}. Albuquerque is home to lots of coffee shops and, while I would have loved to hit up a handful, we only had time for one. We stopped in at Humble Coffee and it was a great choice. The coffee was delicious, the atmosphere was fun …
… and the outside of the shop and surrounding area had a few great {instagrammable} photo spots.
Sadie’s
Sadie’s, a chain restaurant in Albuquerque, was recommended by a friend and that’s where we stopped for dinner. It reminded us a lot of a chain restaurant we have in our area but the salsa was delicious {and famous … you can even order it online}, the portions were large, and it was perfect for a tired, somewhat dirty family {smile} at the end of a busy travel day.
I Scream Ice Cream
We stopped for ice cream on the way back to our AirBnB and this stop was definitely a highlight. I Scream Ice Cream is the quirkiest little shop, filled with vintage toys and treasures, and the owner, Bill, is a delight. We loved the variety of flavors, the kids were thrilled with all the topping choices, and the owner dished out plenty of jokes along with the ice cream.
As were pulling out of the parking lot, Bill came out to our car and surprised the kids with some candy to snack on during our long road trip. It was one of the memorable highlights of our trip and we won’t ever be back in Albuquerque without revisiting this sweet spot!
AirBnB
There are plenty of hotels in Albuquerque but we spent the night at a local AirBnB with a beautiful view of the mountains. I shared my thoughts on hotels versus AirBnB’s in a road trip tips and tricks post but if you want to experience an area more fully and have a little more room to spread out, AirBnB’s are a great option.
Swiss Alps Bakery
We got up fairly early and popped into Swiss Alps Bakery, right around the corner from our AirBnB. Coffee and freshly baked ham and cheese croissants were a great way to start the day! The croissants are huge and can definitely be shared … and that’ll leave a little extra room for the other baked goods that looked so incredible!
ABQ BioPark
We made one final stop in Albuquerque before continuing on our road trip and that was a stop at ABQ BioPark to spend a few hours at the zoo {the BioPark also has an aquarium, botanical garden, and a beach area for fishing, boating, and hiking}.
We got there right as the zoo was opening and I would recommend waiting a little bit longer, maybe an hour. Many of the animals weren’t out, cages and habitats were still being cleaned, and we ended up wandering around for a little while until things got a bit more active. It was a beautiful place to walk but the kids got a bit restless.
Once the animals were out and about, it was a great visit. The zoo is a very manageable size, you can cover it in a few hours, and there are lots of amazing animals. We got to watch a baby giraffe in the cutest encounter with a chipmunk, saw a peacock wandering around the zoo, and spent a long time watching the antics of the orangutans. We’ve been to a lot of zoos in a lot of cities and loved being able to add ABQ BioPark to our list.
It was a packed twenty-four hour period in Albuquerque but we felt like we really got a taste of the area and experienced a little bit of everything: the geographical beauty of the area, the food, the coffee, and a few tourist attractions. I’d love to go back and explore a little more … and I’d love to hear what you love to do in Albuquerque!
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