The Views in ABQ

Or why we went west …

When we shared our relocation plans with friends, neighbors, and the like back home, we received the following comments:

“Who does that?” “You have family there?” (because why
else would you leave this incredible metroplex…) and… “ABQ is a
shithole town full of illegals.” (To be fair, we also received plenty of
positive feedback. But for the purpose of this post, the negative comments fit better.)

And so we did that (moved here). Without family here. Despite the threat of dangerous illegals.

We’ve never been the types to go where the crowd goes. To do what everyone else is doing. In DFW the unspoken rules are: buy the biggest house, drive the most expensive car, live in house that looks like every other house on the street. Drive to school, drive to work, drive to retail and restaurants. Never take public transit (even if you wanted to, which most DFW residents don’t, it’s not available) Never, never, never walk anywhere. Unless you run out of gas, in which case, you can probably call an Uber.

Why Albuquerque? Proximity to mountains. Waking up and seeing peaks covered with snow in the distance. Breathing clean air. Public transit: free buses, trains that take a traveler to Santa Fe and Los Lunas. Bike trails which allow a cyclist access to almost all parts of the city. Hiking trails – you don’t even need to leave ABQ to find challenging hikes and spectacular views. Breweries on every corner instead of various versions of southern Baptist churches.

There have been challenges, of course – locating public bathrooms, for one. Turning left out of our neighborhood. The average temperature is warmer than we’d like. There is not quite enough snow. There’s still some traffic and excessive vehicle noise.

But whether we’re out running errands, cycling through the city, headed out to explore the mountains, or searching for local breweries, we’re enjoying the scenery here. It’s a nice change from Texas.

Even when you must get in your vehicle and travel on the highways, there’s an amazing view in front of you.

Cottonwoods surround the backroads on both sides, shedding their leaves as winter moves in.

Sandia Peak is visible from almost every spot in Albuquerque.

There’s hiking spots tucked into residential areas throughout the city. We appreciate the preservation of land.

Petroglyphs are everywhere: A reminder that this land has been occupied for thousands of years. Long before the creators of the suburban sprawls existed. Long before Walgreens and Speedway and mom-and-pop shops and blacksmith shops on dirt roads…. there were people here. Expressing themselves through carvings on these rocks.

There’s an intricate system of trails that winds along the Rio Grande, from the south end of the city to the north. Curious travelers can bike on paved trails, mountain bike on dirt trails or walk on both.

Part of the same trail system mentioned above – this was a bike ride from our house, north seven miles along the river’s open space, then south 8 miles along Rio Grande Blvd, where cars are required to travel no more than 25 miles per hour.

Tingley Beach is around the corner from our house. It’s a system of ponds that are home to local wildlife and quite a few migratory birds. The sunset here is perfect.

View of the city from a hiking trail on the west side.

The morning view from inside the Kia Maria. There is a garage, but it’s currently full of bikes and boats and only has room for one vehicle.

ABQ is known for its annual hot air balloon festival. As it turns out, balloons are a frequent sight here all year around. We caught this from an upstairs window one morning.