Day 7: Albuquerque, New Mexico

Last night on our way to the Sandia Tram, we spotted a billboard for an impressionist art exhibit at the Albuquerque Museum of Art & History. We made a spot decision to skip Petroglyph State Park and go to the Museum. We spent the morning looking at 55 original paintings by Monet, Manet, Cezanne, Turner, Van Gogh, Renior, and a host of other artists. Althought not strictly associated with the Southwest, it was a great opportunity to see an exquisite private collection on display.

Then our group traveled a couple miles outside of Old Town to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. When I lived in Albuquerque 20 years ago, they had just received funds to build the new Center, so I was excited to see it. We saw exhibits about Native Southwest pottery, Spanish mission art, and a modern exhibit paying tribute to the different Pueblo tribes. We also ate a fabulous lunch that included fresh guacamole, Indian fry bread and lots of carne adovado (spicy marinaded pork).

The rest of the afternoon was filled with shopping, followed by ice cream and a ghost tour of Old Town. It was good value for money, lasting 2.5 hours, instead of 1.5 hours, and none of us was carried away, assaulted or even approached by spectres. The tour included a lot about the history of Albuquerque and the Old Town Area, too, and an excellent Black Widow spider up in the corner of a doorway.