In August of 2019, I went to Albuquerque on a short solo trip primarily because of my love for Breaking Bad. To be honest, I didn't know much about the city and did not do a lot of research before I showed up but I had a really good time. My ticket from New Jersey cost $148 and due to poor planning, the ticket to Austin cost me $423. However, I stayed with a Couchsurfer and she drove me around so I spent almost nothing on local transportation.
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| Twisters AKA Los Pollos in Breaking Bad |
As soon as I landed, I took an Uber straight to Sandia Crest. It is the highest point of The Sandia Mountains at 10,678 ft in elevation and it stands east of Albuquerque.
To enjoy the view, I took the Sandia Peak Tramway up the mountain for $25 and it was definitely worth it because you get an 11,000 square mile panoramic view of the city and the mountains.
***Insert video from tram
I had an Albitha Purple Haze and Brussels Sprouts for $8 each at Ten 3, the restaurant at the top of the mountain. I don't remember enjoying my meal or drink so... take that for what it is.
***Insert photo of food?
Afterwards, I met up with my Couchsurfing host and we went to explore the charming shopping plaza called Old Town.
Old Town was built in the 1700s and has Spanish Adobe homes that have since been converted to galleries, stores and restaurants.
We got there later in the evening so most stores were already closed but I really enjoyed walking the narrow streets, discovering local treats, and cacti gardens. I got lime apples drenched with chamoy and tajin.
Day 2
The next morning, we started the day with breakfast at Blake's Lotaburger. It's an Alburquerque favorite - like Texas' Whataburger. I got a Bacon Burrito and per recommendations from a friend in Texas, ordered for them "make it Christmas" - local lingo for mix of red and spicy green Chile. It was delicious!
*** insert photo
Afterwards, we drove up to Albuquerque Biological Park (ABQ BioPark) and it was one of my favorite experiences with wildlife. The park has a giant aquarium, a botanic garden, a zoo and beach with a fishing lake, picnic areas and railroad. Tickets are available for just the zoo, the garden and the aquarium or full access to all 3. We got full access tickets and spent most of the day there.
After that, we went to the main attraction... Twisters, known as Los Pollos Hermanos in Breaking Bad.
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| Gustavo! |
I had the Famous Twister Burrito: choice of meat (ground beef in my case), with beans, topped with Twister fries, smothered with Xmas Chile (I chose to have mine on the side), cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomato. It doesn't look like much but it was divine and this platter cost me $8. 10/10 recommend!
Meow Wolf, Santa Fe
After lunch, we went to Meow Wolf's House of Eternal Return in Santa Fe. Meow Wolf is an immersive art experience that features non-linear story telling to help find a missing girl. Tickets were $18, we spent 4 hours there and definitely did not cover all the grounds nor did we solve the mystery. Did the girl get tricked into the portal through the refrigerator? Is she floating in the toilet, Get Out style? Has she been origamied into a dog? Were her eyes plucked out for an experiment? We'll never know because I was too busy having a good time to find out. I went to Meow Wolf again for a bachelorette party in 2022 and had a blast, yet again.
The next day, she dropped me at the airport at about 6am for an early flight to Austin because I had a flight to catch with a group of friends to Minneapolis later that evening. Did I mention I did this during my month of funemployment travel before heading off to Morocco for 27months of Peace Corps Service? Anyhoo, a good time was had. My favorite thing about Albuquerque was definitely the architecture. If I get the chance to go back to Albuquerque, I'll definitely make time to spend at least a full day Santa Fe. Even if I don't, I will be more intentional about favoring local spots over touristy locations.