A great outdoor facility with amphitheater and stage area. The giant red chair was a great…read moreaddition as lots of people were getting their photos done. Our group had a good time but it was really cold.

Visited this fountain on a road trip, ending in an ABQ Braking Bad tour that we created for…read moreourselves. The plaza this fountain sits in was used in an episode of Breaking Bad and was right across the street from our Hyatt Regency hotel. We reached the plaza and fountain at the end of the day so it made the lights in the fountain rather cool looking. Seems like a nice place to play in the water, but I'd keep an eye out for the multiple homeless people (most of which seemed to be on drugs). Keep a tight reign on your children if this is your version of an inexpensive water park.

The Occidental Life Building is a beautifully sculptured work of art in downtown Albuquerque…read more Each morning I park my car, walk to work and on the way I see this amazing piece of architecture. I wonder about it quite frequently as its design is so different from anything you'll see in this area. It was built in 1917 and is on the National Register of Historic Places as well as the NM State Register of Cultural Places. I'm writing this review today because its Halloween and this building has such a Gothic feel to it. I can imagine this building being used as a haunted house on this chilly night. Spooks jumping out from every corner. Cobwebs hanging from the lighting fixtures. Adventures poking out from every bend of the hallways. In some rooms the floor boards are twisted and warped and make a creaking sound with each step sending chills down your spine. Whats missing though is the gargoyles that would be on the 2nd floor corners overlooking the crowd as they shuffle in this eerie ghostly edifice. Back to Reality: Currently it houses an array of businesses including Legal Aid and Animal Protection of NM. If you have a moment drive by or walk around take pictures enjoy thinking about what life must've been like in 1917 when this building first opened its doors. I can imagine all the Ooh's and Aah's from the crowd as they've never seen anything quite like it.

Clearly, for at least a short time, the people running San Felipe de Neri church in Old Town had no…read moreidea what was gathering dust in the back parking lot. I originally found an online post about this wood carving back in, say, 2012, researching funky, unique landmarks in the 505, and the next day I went on a hunt to find it. Sure enough, tucked away in a corner of the asphalt, this gorgeous little work of art sat, unloved. Several years ago the church moved it to a prominent spot on the property. Go to the northwest corner of North Plaza st and San Felipe and you'll see a colorful, hand carved stump featuring Our Lady of Guadalupe, grab a selfie, it's a great backdrop. Word has it that in 1970, a parishioner carved this icon into the heart of the tree. I'm happy it's back, and glad disco remains buried.

Another Albu-quirky landmark that makes me smile but isn't much more than what it is....a dam for…read moreflood mitigation with some killer views of the Sandias, but....if you need to disappear, sayyyy get a new identity and the like, this is the place...stand in front and a van will be by to pick you up *shout out to all you Breaking Bad fans out there, wink wink* That being said, it's a popular place for a run, and/or to get some kool photos.

A damn fine dam! This is a weird looking dam on the…read moreNortheast side of Albuquerque. It looks like a bunch of tombstones along a heavy slope. It's supposed to be for flood mitigation, since Albuquerque has some flash floods, but I've never seen it block much more than a skateboarder. It just looks like some sort of monument to a war or a tragedy. I'm surprised that there isn't more graffiti here. I wouldn't hang out along in here, especially if it looks like it might be raining up in the mountains. Flash floods are known to sweep people away. Turn around, don't drown! There's a park that this backs up to, and there's some scenic hiking trails along this dam, but I didn't get to check those out. If you need to be 'extracted' and disappear from the face of the earth, this is the place to do it. Just hang out here, and someone in a van can come pick you up and whisk you away to total anonymity.

Beautiful and tasteful memorial park for the women who were murdered and buried on the Mesa. While…read morethe murders remain unsolved, we can honor the lives of women we lost. It's small and intimate. Very nice to walk or sit.

#60 for 2019 Rio…read moreGrande River As I begin to write this review I start to wonder how many New Mexican songs are out there that mention The Rio Grande River. I'm thinking this mostly because every time I'm walking at the river I have music blasting in my ears whether its country, rap, rock or Christian tunes. Today I think I'll do a google search for songs about this Grande River so that next time I'm walking I can jam to tunes from back in the day when peeps adored this mighty body of water. I love walking along the bosque at the river especially now that the weather is getting nice and warm and the flowers are blooming. There are trails throughout the different areas and are on both the east and west side of the river that take you right up to the water, so be careful because at times (not a lot but there are times) when the river is running pretty darn fast! Here is a bit of Rio Grande River trivia for all you folks visiting the beautiful Land of Enchantment: Did you know that the Rio Grande River runs all the way from Colorado to Texas? It flows out to the Gulf of Mexico! Now that's some fun info! Did you know that Brian Wilson sings a song called: Rio Grande here are a few lyrics: Oh the great big river Rolls on and on Oh the great big river Makes my heart beat strong Yeah the great big river Rolls on and on And the great big river Makes my heart beat strong Rollin' rollin' rollin' on Personally I prefer New Mexican songs about the RG River over this song, sooooo I'm off to do some research with my handy dandy friend named: Google!

Always ready for wherever the River leads us! I mean other states may enjoy their lush rivers, but…read morethere's nothing like a desert river to water the day. I remember floating down on swimming pool mattresses when I was just a kid, to fishing and petting the slippery algae in its waters. It has been a friend and solace and anew Mexico is grateful!

This was a great place to go hiking. The trails are nice and clear. There are always lots of people…read morehiking. The foliage is beautiful and love the quiet.

We really just stopped to see the chainsaw Art. We probably would have done a walk if the winds…read moreweren't crazy on the day we went. The chainsaw art was a quick stop off and it's located right in the parking lot. If it's windy, I'd avoid coming here, lots of dust blowing around and very little protection from it. The art is pretty cool and fun to see. If you are nearby, it's kinda a fun and quick stop.

I'm a big fan of infrastructure. Pretty much all of it. I figure it's gotta be important to…read moremaintain our roads and bridges, improve public transportation, make the city a bike-friendly town. During the construction of this pedestrian and cycle-friendly bridge that connects Albuquerque's Westside with the Paseo del Bosque via I-40, there were plenty of whiners around here, bitching about the $6.9 million price tag. (Correct me if I'm wrong, but I do believe this project was approved by voters, yes?) They're the same folks who continue to rail about the Rail Runner, and claim that incentives and rebates for filmmakers are breaking the state bank. I look at it the other way around: How many people, the world over, are seeing our gorgeous state on their movie and television screens and, intrigued, come visit, biking our extensive system of trails, investing in our economy, riding the train to Santa Fe? We can't measure that impact. When I see this bridge, or simply think about it, my calves instantaneously ache. For good reason. When my kid was a toddler, for one solid year, I took advantage of our access to the trail by the river by popping her in a bike trailer and pulling her all over town. We avoided our car at all costs, riding to the zoo, aquarium, parks and open spaces. We also shopped via bike trailer, and that's where this bridge comes in. I was so thrilled when it was finished, and my first ride absolutely tore my calves to shreds. My little girl had the time of her life. I could barely walk the next day. But we sho'nuff got ourselves some toilet paper at Walmart, dammit. A little research told me the basics about this bridge. Its namesake, Gail Ryba, was a PhD fuel cell researcher at Sandia National Labs and a Seattle transplant, who strongly advocated for local cyclists and founded Bike ABQ. Tragically, she died of cancer while this bridge was under construction. I've heard cyclists complain about the uneven spots that interrupt the arc of this bridge, level overlooks that allow us to marvel at the majesty of the Rio Grande -- the murky brown waters and discarded shoreline tires, not to mention the delightful ambient melodies of traffic and choking exhaust fumes. I actually like these spots, they help me keep my sanity when I'm flying downhill eastward, with my clueless kiddo in the sidecar, howling with joy. I love the cement engravings and colorful art along the ground and walls, trout and cottonwood leaves, coyote paws. Evenings, I like the soft lights that halo these overlooks. It's a fitting and unique memorial to a terrific person. I'd love to leave this world with a bridge. Can't put a price on that.