Roughly located at the center of New Mexico, the sprawling city of Albuquerque (pop. 463,300) spreads north and south along the banks of the Rio Grande and east to the foothills of 10,000-foot Sandia Crest. By far the state’s biggest city, Albuquerque is a young, energetic, and vibrantly multicultural community, which, among many features, boasts a great stretch of old Route 66 along Central Avenue through the heart of the city—18 miles of diners, motels, and sparkling neon signs. For an offbeat taste of the city’s Route 66 heritage, keep an eye out for the remarkable Aztec Motel (505/254-1742), at 3821 Central Avenue, a very funky Pueblo-style 1930s motel kept alive as a live-in sculpture gallery and artists’ community.
One of the best parts of town is Old Town, the historic heart of Albuquerque. Located a block north of Central Avenue, at the west end of Route 66’s cruise through downtown, Old Town offers a quick taste of New Mexico’s Spanish colonial past, with a lovely old church, the 300-year-old San Felipe de Neri; as well as shops and restaurants set around a leafy green park. An information booth in the park has walking-tour maps of Old Town and other information about the city. Another Old Town attraction, one that carries on the Route 66 tradition of reptile farms and private zoos, is the Rattlesnake Museum (daily; $2.50), southeast of the main square at 202 San Felipe Street, where you can see a range of rattlers from tiny babies to full-sized diamondbacks, about 50 altogether, plus fellow desert-dwellers like tarantulas and a giant Gila monster.
A very different look into New Mexico’s varied cultural makeup is offered at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (daily; $4; 505/843-7270), a block north of I-40 exit 158 at 2401 12th Street. The center is owned and operated by the state’s 19 different Pueblo communities; its highlight is a fine museum tracing the history of the region’s Native American cultures, from Anasazi times up to the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, with the contemporary era illustrated by video presentations and a mock-up of a typical tourist—camera, shorts, and all. On most weekends ceremonial dances are held in the central courtyard—free and open to the general public. There’s also a small cafeteria where you can sample food like fry bread and Navajo tacos, and a smoke-shop selling cut-price cigarettes.
