Month: February 2018
Last February I had gone to Arizona and now it was time for
its neighboring state. As I was planning
my visit, I saw that there was a place called “Old Town”, which I have found to be a charming place in most cities
– well, except Chicago. Plus, they were
offering a “walking tour” of the
place and so I got a ticket for that. The
weather looked like it would be better than what I had encountered in
Birmingham and considering that it was cold and wintry in Chicago, I was glad
to get away. So, I took the Friday off
and boarded a morning flight to Albuquerque. As
we prepared for landing, I saw the city under the backdrop of ‘Sandia Mountains’ and it all looked
very brown, like most of the architecture I had seen in Arizona. I took a ride into town and saw that besides
the houses, the pastel shade was even used on the bridges and every other piece of architecture. I mentioned that to my driver and
he said that it was the “Adobe Bricks”
that gave the city its unique look.
We arrived where the “GPS”
stated my hotel was supposed to be and it was just an empty parking lot. We asked the attendant and were directed to a
building across the street. It was at
the corner of 2 busy streets and apart from the sign; there was no foyer or
other indication of this being a hotel.
But as soon as I entered inside ‘Hotel
Andaluz’, I was immediately impressed.
It had a central fountain and an interior courtyard with the layout
of a lounge. There were even alcoves with
cushion laden sitting areas for groups.
The “Reservation Desk” was a
small room where you sat down across a person as they registered you. It was unlike other hotels and I liked it a
lot. What I did not like was when they
tried to sell me an expensive water bottle that I could fill up if I needed water. I refused
that and said that I would try my luck elsewhere.
After depositing my luggage in my room, I called a ride and
had to make sure I picked the right entrance, since the hotel had 2 on either
street. Even though I had done that, my
driver was waiting on the other one, but we sorted it out soon and were on our
way. My driver welcomed me to
Albuquerque and when he learned that I was going to ‘Cocina Azul’ for brunch, gave me some pointers on the food. The restaurant was between the downtown and 'Old Town' and like other places, was brown colored. The interior was busy and looked like a
perfect "Mexican restaurant". I got a seat
at the bar and with some advice and encouragement from my server, got some “enchiladas” that came smothered in
cheese and a red chilies sauce. Plus,
there were 2 sides! It was a lot of food
that was good, but looked better than it tasted.
I started walking towards ‘The Albuquerque Museum of Art & History’, which was located
just outside of 'Old Town'. As I passed by
one brown structure after next and arrived at the museum, which was a single
floor building with some bronze exhibits outside. I got my ticket and learned that there was a
guided tour in 45 minutes. I decided to
go and walk about in the 'Old Town' prior to the start and as soon as I turned on
one of the streets, I could see artisanal shops all around me. Plus, the architecture was meant to resemble
an era from long ago and this truly adhered to the term “Old Town”. As I came up to
the central square – which was a small park with businesses on all sides – I
saw the main attraction of this place, ‘San
Felipe de Neri Church’. On the “National Register of Historic Places",
this was built in 1793 during the “Spanish
Colonial era” and the only surviving building from that time.
Unlike other famous cathedrals, this was a very simple
building made of adobe bricks and had a small courtyard which led into the
actual church. I went inside, and it was
a small interior and very much like an old church. There were a few people in there and I walked
over to the altar, and then as I tried going to an adjacent chapel, a gentleman
came over and told me that it was closed.
I came outside and prior to heading back to the museum for my tour, stopped
over at a store which was selling ice cream – and “Birthday Cake” flavor too!
You can do the rest of the Math.
I was going to get a tour of this place tomorrow, but I walked through
some of the shops and alleys, and it was quite impressive. But for now, I had another tour time to make.
I came back to the Art Museum and went up to the tour guide,
who was chatting with another couple who would be on the tour with me. We would be walking through a special exhibit
on “African Art” and that included
several things – paintings, sculptures, music, film, clothing, furniture,
photography, architecture and even comic books.
It was very well done, and our guide covered several pieces from each
category. There was a picture where the
artist wanted to show the scale of the African continent and hence had arranged
most of the countries – including big ones like USA, China and India – inside
Africa like a jigsaw puzzle. People
think of Africa like poverty stricken and desolate place. What this exhibit showed was that it was vibrant,
with rich culture and people who were right up with the best when it came to fashion, and knew how to have fun. There were
some reminders of the problems, but for most parts, this exhibit celebrated
Africa.
After the tour I explore the rest of the museum and it was
quite big, and delved into a lot of history of Albuquerque and New Mexico –
after all this was also a “History
Museums”. The galleries had been
designed very well for a self-guided tour and I continue to be amazed by how
many good museums I have come across during my travels. I could have spent a lot of time here but had
to make it to another place before its closing. So, I walked through the galleries
rapidly and then called a car. One of
things Albuquerque is known for is the annual “International Balloon Fiesta”, where people come from all over the
world to fly their “hot air balloons”. Held in October every year, it attracts close
to a million visitors. In fact, I had
considered coming here for that, but would perhaps have been quite
expensive. The best I would be able to
do was visit ‘Anderson Abruzzo International
Balloon Museum’, which is where I was headed.
It was a few miles outside downtown and on the way there I
chatted with my driver about the festival, and he told me about how incredible
it is to see that, especially to look up in the skies and see all these
colorful balloons. The museum was
located as a solitary building in what appeared to be middle of nowhere. I got a ticket and entered inside, and almost all
the attractions were above me. There
were hot air balloons, blimps and dirigibles - both models, and in some cases,
the real things. Plus, they were ranging
from simple balloons, to ornately colored and decorated ones. I was by far the only person in there and I
walked through the various galleries which told the story of evolution of hot
air balloons and their use in various cultures and across various eras. There was a huge hall where visitors could
walk through the various balloons and a back door leading to a field from where
balloons could be launched. It was a
comprehensive look at the world of balloons and a good one too.
I requested a car to come pick me up and it took over 20
minutes for that. Yes, this really was
middle of nowhere. Every city has at
least one bar that can be classified as a “speakeasy”
and the one here was called, well, ‘Vernon’s Speakeasy’. The driver dropped me off in what looked like
a “Strip Mall”, but one where all
places were closed. I walked around and
couldn’t locate the place or even any numbers.
There was a store called ‘Los
Ranchos Liquors’ and it looked to be closed. So, I went to a nearby bar and asked
them. The guy told me that there was a
black door below the liquor store sign and there was a red light on top of the
door. I saw it then and so I went there and knocked. A guy wearing what looked like "20’s mobster" gear opened the door and then showed me into a dark room. I sat at the bar, which wasn’t that big,
though there were some tables behind me.
There was also a door which led to a private dining area and I learned
that one needed to have membership to be able to use that. I stayed for a drink and while it was a
decent place, it wasn’t as good as some of the other bars of similar nature.
I took a car to a place called ‘Left Turn Distilling’, which was still on the outskirts of
downtown and it looked very much like a “dive
bar”. It was quite busy for this
time of the evening and their menu was comprised of different types of
“Martinis”. The noise level of this place was high, and
it seemed to be a popular “watering hole”. I decide to walk to the next spot, which
wasn’t too far, but took me to a very isolated looking area. The place was called ‘Broken Trail Brewery & Distillery’, and the interior did look like
a brewery with a glass window behind the bar and the usual distillery equipment
beyond it. But there was no one in there
besides a lady bartender and another gentleman, who I later learned was the
owner. The owner left soon and then for
the next 30 minutes or so I chatted with Sarah, who was behind the bar, while
sipping on something called “Tesuque
Lift”. I asked her if this was the
quiet time before people came in for the evening and she said that I might be
it. I said that this couldn’t be good
for the business, but apparently they had other bars which saw a bigger
turnout. She said that it was the
location which could be the problem, but I had just come from a place that was
less than half a mile away and was buzzing.
Well, I for one was not complaining since we had a great conversation.
Next up was a place called ‘Still Spirits’, which looked fancier in its décor and
personnel. Plus, they made my favorite
drink of the evening so far - ‘El Topo’,
which was made with “Jalapeño Vodka”! I stayed here for a bit and then took a car
back towards 'Old Town', and to the fanciest hotel in the city, ‘Hotel Albuquerque’. It looked the part, with a nice lobby which was full of people attending some convention. But the bar that I was headed to, ‘Q Bar’ was quite empty. I liked it though, because despite being a
hotel bar, it looked like a lounge. What
I wasn’t thrilled with was the drink, which was a bit under par. Next door was another hotel called ‘Hotel Chaco’ and they had a rooftop bar
called ‘Level 5’. Now this place was busy, making this evening
quite symmetric for me with an alternating empty and busy place. I got their “Signature Cocktail” called “The
Muse”. What made it special was that
it was “garnished” with a “Petroglyph Stencil”, “petroglyphs” being signature
attractions of this region. Then it was
time for dinner.
One of the highest rated restaurants of this region was a
place called ‘Antiquity’ and it was
in 'Old Town'. It was a short walk away
and so I decided to do that rather than take a car. It probably wasn’t the best idea since it was
an isolated and dark road leading into the central square. All the shops had closed for the day and it
was quiet as I went into a narrow alley and found the place, which was quite
charming. Despite having to wait for a
bit, I liked the place, especially the interior which was befitting the
region. The food was good, and when the
server recommended “Red Bell Pepper Soup”,
I was skeptical. But once I had a sip I
was glad to have ordered it because it was one of the most flavorful things
that I have tasted. I returned to my
hotel just as people descended on it to go to its popular bar's, especially one
on the 2nd level, called ‘Ibiza’. I decided to stop by for a nightcap and the
bar area was busy, as was the outdoor patio.
It certainly looked like the place to be in Albuquerque and the party
was still on long after I had retired.
Next morning was bright and sunny, and prior to leaving the
hotel I explored their business center/lounge which was as elegant as a “British Club”. There was a fireplace, comfortable chairs,
gaming table and a library of oversized reference books dealing with art and
travel. I could have spent my day in
this room and not complained.
But I had places to visit and took a ride to ‘University of New Mexico’ campus to go to ‘Maxwell Museum of Anthropology’.
It turned out to be a typical “University
Museum”, with one gallery of random anthropological objects that I’m sure
told a story, but I was too bored to read.
I was the only person in there and left in a hurry. I was going to a nearby place called ‘Frontier’ for brunch and the walk took
me through parts of the University Campus.
There weren’t many students around this lazy Saturday and then as I
crossed a busy street to get to the restaurant, I found them. They were all inside ‘Frontier’, which turned out to be a glorified student
cafeteria. There were several “fast food” style counters where you
placed your order, paid and took a number.
Once the number was displayed on a ticker display, you picked up your
food and found a table. Sounded like a
college cafeteria to me. It wasn’t a bad
experience, but I felt that I could have done better.
I was going on my “High
Noon History Tour” in 'Old Town' this afternoon and called a ride to go
there. I had some time to spare before
the tour and so walked through some of the shops, which were like other
souvenir shops selling local stuff. I
was getting some coffee when I got a call from my guide for the tour and she
told me to meet her in the same plaza where I had found the ice cream
yesterday. It was right next door and
when I arrived there, I just saw a solitary lady who introduced herself as
Nancy, my guide for the tour. For 2nd
time in 2 months, I would be getting a personalized tour. We started at the center of the main square
and Nancy told me about the rich history of this place, which dated back to when
this wasn’t even a part of the US. The
Spanish and Mexican cultural influences were quite evident, but Nancy told me a
story of a German immigrant from late 19th century, who was instrumental
in the economic development of this area.
We walked through the narrow alleys and visited an old "prayer room", with
an eclectic sundial to tell the seasons.
Being a historian, Nancy was the perfect guide to educate me on this
place.
With recommendations for both, souvenirs are more
importantly “margarita’s”, I bid
Nancy farewell and walked over to the nearby ‘New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science’. The line at the ticket window was a long one
and everyone in Albuquerque seemed to have elected to come here today. There was a special exhibit on “Leonardo da Vinci”, especially his
inventions and I suppose that was the main reason for this rush. Besides the main entry I also got a ticket
for this special exhibit and a show in the “planetarium”. I started with the show, which was fine,
though I almost dozed off in the dark dome and the comfortable chairs. I exited the room and straight into the special
exhibit and boy, was that fantastic!
I was right in assuming that most of the crowd was here to see
this exhibit and rightfully so since it was brilliant. Most know Leonardo da Vinci as the painter of
priceless classics such as “Mona Lisa”
and “The Last Supper”. However, he
was one of the most prolific inventors and many of the current machines that we
take for granted, owe their genesis to da Vinci. The exhibit was full of different models that
he had created, including “hands-on
demonstrations” and his blueprints on the same. It is incredible that over 500 years ago this
man employed the same concepts of physics and geometry that engineers use today, and created machines that are still employed.
If this was the only contribution tin history, he
would have been a genius. Combine it
with his other accomplishments, and the man is a legend.
I could have stayed here all day, but the crowd was building
up and so I left to explore the rest of the museum, which was semi-decent, with
its usual Dinosaur exhibits and other nature related stuff. I had to wait for a bit for my ride to arrive
and then proceeded to downtown to a place called ‘Brixens’. It was a lively
and bright place, though not as much as my drink, which was called ‘Kino’s Cannonball’ and was a brilliant
shade of yellow. Couple of blocks away
was a smaller place called ‘Bar Uno’
which had a small bar area, but that didn’t stop them from welcoming dogs,
which was fantastic. Plus, the bartender
was friendly and made a decent drink.
I continued my trek which took me away from the main
downtown area and towards a place called ‘Hotel
Parq Central’. On the top floor they
had a bar called ‘Apothecary Lounge’. It was nice space with modern décor and a
rooftop where people were enjoying the pleasant evening. Also, based on the number of couples that I
saw, it was also a popular “date spot”. I kept walking down the road and reached my
next destination called ‘The Copper
Lounge’. While the sign was there, I
couldn’t locate an entrance. Then I
realized that this was another one of those “speakeasy”
bars where the entrance was on the side, which it indeed was. I located the door and as I stepped inside, I
was greeted by a neon sign that said, “Shhh…” The interior was dark, and other than the one
gentleman at the bar, quite empty. I got
a drink called “The Pontchartrain”
and while it was quite at present, I could see this place being quite popular a
few hours from now.
I had to change for dinner since apparently, I was going to
place which probably needed more formal attire, and so I came back to my hotel
for a bit. I did not stay long and took
a ride back to the same University campus area where I was this morning. I was going to
a place called ‘Zinc Bar & Bistro’,
which was a nice-looking restaurant. The
food looked great, though I was here for a drink and so ordered something
called a “Zinc Reviver”. But nothing beat the title of my drink at the
next place. The name of the bar was ‘Canvas
Artistry’ and the entire place did give out a vibe of being an "art inspired" bar. They also had creatively titled drinks and mine was called “Azucar
Moreno”, which was fantastic.
Clearly the artistry extended beyond the art on the walls.
It was finally time for dinner and I was going to a place
called ‘The Crown Room’, which was
located inside a Casino. As I walked
past the casino floor, the whole thing was worn out. The same was true of the restaurant and
everything just looked old. A restaurant
aspiring to be called “fine dining”
does not need to be solemn. The food was
passable, but I felt that I could have done a better in terms of my dining
choice this evening. I stayed there for
as long as I needed to and then returned to my hotel. Besides ‘Ibiza’
upstairs, my hotel also had a “tapas”
restaurant called ‘Mas Tapas Y Vino’. I stopped for a nightcap and after the
funeral parlor that I had just left; this bright space was refreshing to say
the least. Plus, the drink I ordered - “Dr. Green Thumb” - was fantastic and a
lady next to me pointed out that it was her favorite. She and her husband were visiting for the
weekend from Colorado and certainly knew how to party. We had a good conversation chatting and then moved
upstairs to ‘Ibiza’. I had a great time with them and once again
had managed to make new friends while travelling.
I took my time next morning in leaving since I didn’t have
much in terms of agenda. I had
contemplated taking the “tramway” to
the top of ‘Sandia Peak’, and which
presented some amazing views enroute and from the top. However, that would have taken up most of the
day and so I skipped it. One of the
places that came highly recommended for breakfast was called ‘Tia Betty Blue’s’. It was some distance away from my hotel and
as I arrived there, it looked like a solitary building resembling a
house. The parking lot was empty, though
the inside turned out to be a nightmare.
First, there was a line to get to the counter where one placed the order
and then found a table. That wouldn’t
have been an issue if they were better coordinated. The person taking the order was also the
server as well as the barista and for all I know, the chef! It took me an entire hour to go less than 10
yards to place my order and get to my table.
It was the worst organized place that I have seen. Plus, the food and coffee weren’t that
great. Not only did they mess up my
order, the food wouldn’t have been worth a 5-minute wait, let alone the hour.
Because of this delay and the wait for a ride to
come pick me up, I had to decide which of my afternoon visits to prioritize. Rather than go to ‘Albuquerque Botanical Gardens’, I picked ‘National Museum of Nuclear Science & History’. I mean, that wasn’t much of a choice really. Like many of the places around here, the
museum was quite isolated. As I approached it, I could see models of missiles
outside the building and as I entered
inside, I was greeted by tiles in the form of the “Periodic Table”. Those 2 displays were great indicators that that this museum
would be equal parts science and weaponry.
It started with the discovery of the atom, the development of nuclear
science and finally its use in "WWII". The
exhibits went to detail on each topic and had props from different era’s,
including models of the two bombs that were dropped on Japan. The exhibit continued through the “cold war era” to the present, and
the use of Nuclear Power in today’s world.
There was even a model of the ‘DeLorean” with its "gigawatt capacitor"!
Outside was something called “Heritage Park”, which is where they had full sized missiles, planes
and bombs. Some of the missiles were
disassembled into components and they were huge, as were the planes that
carried these weapons. Only by seeing
the scale of these things could one comprehend their destructive
capability. This, and the museum inside were
worthy of the name “National Museum”
and this should be a mandatory visit for every student of Physics. I spent more time here than I had anticipated
and could have stayed longer.
But I called a ride back to my hotel and having picked up my bag, headed
to the airport. I had enjoyed my stay
here, though I could have done better with my food choices. There is a lot of history in the city,
especially the ‘Old Town’ area. Plus, they have some good museums and decent
bars. Would I come back here? Yeah, I would. And next time it would be for the “Balloon Fiesta”.
Location: Albuquerque
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| It looks quite Brown |
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| The ecelectic interior of 'Hotel Andaluz' |
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| Not as good as I hoped |
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| Outside the museum |
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| 'San Felipe de Neri Church' |
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| The fantastic exhibit on "African Art" |
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| The museum delved into the history of the region |
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| A museum dedicated to balloons - the transportation kind! |
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| Somewhere here was the "speakeasy" |
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| I was the only person at 'Broken Trail Brewery & Distillery' |
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| The empty 'Q Bar' at 'Hotel Albuquerque' |
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| 'Antiquity' for dinner |
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| On the 'University of New Mexico' campus |
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| The ancient "prayer room" on the tour |
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| The brilliant inventions of da Vinci |
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| The rest of the museum was decent |
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| Starting the evening at 'Brixens' |
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| The view from the rooftop of the 'Apothecary Lounge' |
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| The "artistic" interior of 'Canvas Artistry' |
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| The ancient 'The Crown Room' |
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| A complete waste of time that is 'Tia Betty Blue's' |
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| Replicas of bombs that were dropped on Japan |
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| The exterior of the musuem |
