Wyndham Airport
This beautiful hotel is located right next to the airport. Great views of the city on either side of the hotel.
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3.5 Stars - 159 Opinions
This beautiful hotel is located right next to the airport. Great views of the city on either side of the hotel.
shot from airplane leaving ABQ
The firepits at Imbibe's Skybar
Albuquerque from Sandia Crest
Resort Photo
We are attending for the first time. We have a room and car booked. What else would you recommend reserving in advance. Do we need to buy tickets ahead of time? Do they sell out? What should we take in? We will be there for 5 days. 4 adults 50+ so still very able to walk about. How about some good restaurants off the beaten path (if there is such a thing that week). Anyone ever take a ride with Balloon Ryders? Any pilots we should ask for?
thanks for your help.
It sounds like you have the main things done. You don't need to buy tickets ahead of time. Be sure to bring an alarm clock and warm clothes. You will have to get up very early and it can be very cold at that time in October. I have not been to the balloon fiesta in a while, so my VT information is a little dated. You can start at the travelogue on my home page. I did check the links and they are still good. Kymbanm is the real balloon fiesta expert but she is not on VT as much these days. I have never taken one of the balloon rides. I have several restaurant tips under Albuquerque. The popular New Mexican restaurants like the Frontier and Padilla's will be super busy but other kinds of restaurants, like Lucky Boy and maybe Christy Mae's, won't be.
During the balloon fiesta, anything close to the park will be crowed, but it will never get too crazy. if you wait for more than twenty minutes to sit I would be surprised. There are lots of awesome New Mexican food places all over the city, try los cuates or sadies! Also, ive lived in new mexico for 25 years and the best new mexican restaurant ive eaten at is La Salita in northeast albuquerque! the only problem is that la salita has weird hours! There are also lots of other types of food to eat also try papadeaux, the range cafe, tucanos or pars cuisine! You are going to have a great time!
I have been going to the balloon fiesta for 34 years and have missed only one or two. By far the best time to go is on the week days. The week ends are very crowded. On the week ends expect to spend 30-60 minutes in traffic getting in, unless you try to get there before 6am or so. There is plenty of food at the balloon site. Check out my travel page for some good restaurants in the university area.
New Mexican food is different from other ethnic food that have 'Mexican' in their name.
New Mexican food is a combination of Mexican, Spanish and Native American cuisine. Tortillas, pinto beans (frijoles), papas (potatoes), ground beef, sopapillas, and chile are found on all New Mexico restaurant menus.
A variant of the usual tortilla out here is the blue corn tortilla ... it is sweeter than standard corn tortillas, smooth to the palate and a wonderful ingredient of local enchiladas (tortilla, cheese, onions, and a meat if you choose). One thing to be aware of though .... if you take your blue corn whatever home to re-heat for later, the blue leaches into the cheese and turns the cheese a terrible grey color :) Still tastes great, just don't look at your plate and you'll be fine.
Sopapillas are a variant of Native fry bread (sometimes called Indian Fry bread). It is light and airy and deep fried. The oil's heat works with the batter to create a large air pocket in the batter. So when it arrives at your table, they look like little pillows ..... don't lay your head upon them though - rip them in half and smother the insides w/ the honey on the table. Then you eat this wonderful local treat :)
For a change of pace, consider visiting one of Albuquerque’s fine wineries. Many people are surprised to learn that New Mexico’s Rio Grande Valley is America’s oldest wine grape growing region, dating back to 1629. The sandy soil, clear warm days, and cool night create near perfect growing conditions. An entire afternoon can be spent wine tasting without ever leaving town.
Anderson Valley Vineyards is a few miles north of Old Town, on Rio Grande Boulevard. The vineyard’s founder Maxie Anderson helped pilot the first balloon to cross the Atlantic, the Double Eagle II, in 1978. A bit further north is Casa Rondena, a charming, gracious winery in the heart of Albuquerque’s North Valley.
Another unexpected surprise is that, according to wine critics, Albuquerque is home to the best sparkling-wine producer in the nation. The Gruet family, originally from the Champagne region of France, have been creating award-winning wines here at their Gruet Winery since they moved to New Mexico in 1984. Close to Gruet is the Jory Winery. Jory has been producing gold-medal winning wines in New Mexico since 1994, and was voted “Best New Mexico Winery” in 1999.
For a complete list of New Mexico wineries visit www.nmwine.net.
Fly into Albuquerque International airport, or if you're from a neighboring state, drive via I-40 or I-25.
You definitely need a car to get around, everything is very spread apart. It's like a big suburb.
I love Greek food, and have been dreaming of heading to Morroco. This was a shorter trip as it's just a few blocks from my home :) I've been driving past this little unassuming place for months ... and today was the day I finally took the time to pull over and give it a try.
All I can say is ....... WHY did I WAIT so darn long????? This place has wonderful food :)
This particular little gen is hidden right on San Mateo, about 2 blocks north of Copper in a converted house. There is a mural, wonderful tin window fixtures, and simple tables. The mint tea was sooooo tastey on a cool day.
They are open for a few hours for lunch, and for dinner every day but Sunday and Monday. Wednesday nights will provide you with traditional guitar music, and weekend nights (Fri/Sat) will entertain you during the meal with BellyDancers.
I can't wait to go back ... take some pictures ..... and enjoy another wonderful taste treat from the chef :) I had the Tangine Lamb ... I am not used to fruit and meat dishes ... but am sooo very glad I took a chance to try something different!
The lamb was flavorful and covered with cooked raisins, apricots, sesame seeds and more. The saffron rice was tender and a perfect addition to the sweetness of the maindish. The veggies were a smaller serving than I expected, but were actually perfect ... I had another meal or two left over by the time I was full!!
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