The_NM_TX

  When most people think of Old Town in Albuquerque few things usually come to mind. Of course, there is the church, the plaza, lots of souvenir shops, and an abundance of restaurants. While there is nothing wrong with any of those, I enjoy Old Town for other reasons, and one of those aspects is all the art that is all over the place. Whether it is beautiful murals, or sculptures there is beautiful art hidden all around in the small walkways, or also visible large murals. So in between enjoying what Old Town has to offer always keep an eye peeled, it seems like every time I’m down there I find something new. But some pieces stand out more than others, so here are some of my favorite pieces of art in Old Town.  Welcome to Old Town: Depending on where you park this mural might elude you, but even if you park elsewhere make it a point to see this stunning mural. This mosaic type mural shows the transition from day to night with flowers and vines as the focal point across the l...

One thing I have always loved about any city are the public open spaces. No matter how developed an area becomes the fact that there are still parks, and walking trails in the heart of the city is a nice escape from the urban environment. So, in downtown Albuquerque near the Bio Park it was great to see an open space that ran right along the Rio Grande. With ample walking trails, a wide variety of sculptures around, and a pond to sit and relax by this place offers a little bit to everybody. Even though it took me awhile to visit after moving here the drive to Tingley Beach was worth the experience.  Driving up I was shocked how close it was to Route 66 and thought that the noise from the road would be audible from the walking paths. When you first pull up there is a small pond with benches all around it, and more ducks than you can see. Heading towards the walking paths there are beautiful sculptures surrounded by various plants, and flowers. Once you get to the walking paths there...

  Every year during the summer I have always enjoyed going to the farmers market and seeing what local goods are available to buy. To me there is nothing better than enjoying a cup of coffee and purchasing fresh ingredients. Thankfully on a recent trip to one of these I discovered one of the newer coffee roasters in Albuquerque who sells small batch, sustainably sourced coffee from all around the world. Of course, I am talking about Crane Valley Coffee Roasters. Several sample bags later I dusted off my French press and couldn’t wait to taste what I had acquired. All delicious, here are some of my tasting notes of what I tried. Ethiopia Guji: I have always loved coffee from Africa because the beans always come with such a unique flavor, and this was no exception. At first pour the coffee had a strong citrus aroma that would make you think it was going to be a light cup of coffee. However, after one sip it was not light at all and had a good body to it. The citrus from the aroma c...

  While there are many aspects about the history of New Mexico that are fascinating one for me tends to stand out more than others, that this is the first wine producing state in America. In a country where California dominates the wine scene, it is hard to believe that because of the Spanish influence the first wine grapes were planted in New Mexico. Of course, the mission grape was used mainly as a sacramental wine and not for commercial use, but if it wasn’t for the colonization and that grape who knows if wine would have ever been produced here. Thankfully for us a variation of this wine still exists today. Using the Listan Prieto grape (mission grape) Vara makes a wine that pays homage to the original wine in not only New Mexico but the United States, Vina Cardinal.  Now, this is no ordinary bottle of wine. For starters in is only available in a 500ml bottle, and while not to the extent of port it is fortified with a little bit of brandy resulting in a 17% abv bottle of...

If there is one thing moving to Albuquerque has reminded me of it is my love of going to baseball games. Since the season started, I have gone to more Isotopes games in one season than I did pro games in the past four seasons combined. Also, I was expecting every game to be just that, a baseball game. Nine innings of hard play, which I love. What I did not realize is how often the Isotopes hold special games throughout the season. Recently I was lucky enough to attend two of those special games, and both were great in their respect to not only the history, but the culture of Albuquerque as well. Dukes Night: When most people think of baseball in Albuquerque the first name that comes to mind is the Dukes, and all the great players that have come through this city enroute to the big leagues. With that it is amazing that once a year the Isotopes tap into that rich history and don the iconic red and yellow Dukes uniforms. But it does not stop just with wearing special uniforms, as this is...