If you only have a day in … Albuquerque: Old Town, the city's first neighborhood, captures the essence of the Southwest

Travel America, Nov-Dec, 2004 by Randy Mink

FIRST-TIME VISITORS TO NEW Mexico's largest city beat a path to its historic heart. A magnet for shoppers seeking out Southwestern souvenirs and ambience, Old Town is the place where Albuquerque took root.

Set around a shady central plaza, this tourist-friendly enclave invites browsers to explore its shopping arcades, relax at a patio cafe, or just sit on a bench and people-watch. In season, there's mariachi and other entertainment at the Plaza's old-fashioned bandstand. You might be lucky enough to catch a Western gunfight being acted out on the street.

Colorful artwork, flower-filled courtyards, and Pueblo-Spanish adobe buildings festooned with strings of dried red chiles (ristras) tempt photographers. Bring plenty of film.

Adobe buildings are constructed of bricks made mostly from mud and straw that are sun-baked, mortared with mud, and protected with a layer of mud or cement. With flat roofs and curved edges, they are often supported with vigas (wooden beams) visible in the ceiling or protruding through the walls.

The city's oldest church, San Felipe de Neri, faces the Plaza and was the focal point of the Spanish colonial settlement that sprouted near the Rio Grande River in the early 1700s. Admire its blend of adobe and Victorian architecture and go inside to see its cobbled floor and old wooden benches. The present church dates from 1793.

When the railroad came to Albuquerque in 1880, the commercial hub shifted two miles east to the present downtown, leaving Old Town practically abandoned for half a century. It blossomed again when artists flocked here for the low rents. Galleries, shops, and restaurants followed.

Today's visitors find everything from antiques and crafts to T-shirts and Western wear. Many of the 25-plus art galleries specialize in Native American rags, sand paintings, pottery, baskets, kachinas, and jewelry. On one side of the Plaza, Indian vendors sell quality turquoise-and-silver jewelry under the portals. A few steps from the Plaza, winding brick walks lead to shops clustered around hidden patios.

Discover Balloons claims to be the only shop in the world devoted exclusively to hot air balloon gift items. Christmas ornaments, tapestries, stained glass, and bird cages embody the bulbous, rainbow-hued balloon, a symbol of Albuquerque.

Thanks to wind currents and atmospheric conditions ideal for ballooning, you're likely to see balloons in the sky any day; many operators (including Discover Balloons) offer rides high above the Rio Grande Valley. The Kodak Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in October is the largest balloon event anywhere and the world's most photographed spectacle.

Southwestern specialty foods in Old Town gift shops include salsas, blue corn popcorn, jams and jellies made from red and green chiles, and powdered jalapeno and other spices. Or grab a bag of pinon pine nuts. They're eaten like peanuts or used in cooking in place of almonds. (The pinon pine is the New Mexico state tree.)

At the Church Street Cafe, housed in a 1700s adobe residence, I started my day with a breakfast burrito--a flour tortilla stuffed with ham and scrambled eggs, topped with red chile and smothered in melted cheese. For another taste of the Southwest, try a taco on Navajo fry bread at the Morningstar Cafe or have the bread with salt, honey, cinnamon, or powdered sugar.

On Christmas Eve and during the Holiday Stroll (first Friday in December), thousands of luminarias (paper sacks with candles set in a bed of sand) illuminate the sidewalks, balconies, and rooftops, lighting the way for the Christ Child.

Old Town attractions include the American International Rattlesnake Museum, boasting the world's largest collection of live rattlesnakes, and the Turquoise Museum. Several other museums are within walking distance of the Plaza.

The recently expanded Albuquerque Museum of Art and History is noted for its Spanish colonial collection and sculpture garden. It offers an Old Town walking tour daily (except Monday) from March through November.

The National Atomic Museum, across the road, tells the story of weapons in the nuclear age. Featured prominently is the New Mexico based Manhattan Project, which developed and tested the first atomic bomb under top-secret conditions.

The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, a family favorite one block away, appeals to dinosaur fans and has a walk-through volcano, astronomy center, and giant-screen movies. Nearby, Explora Science Center and Children's Museum of Albuquerque is a new high-tech playground with hands-on learning activities.

Contact: Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau, (800) 284-2282, www.abqcvb.org; Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce, (800) 754-4620, www.ahcnm.org; and Old Town Merchants' Association, www.albuquerqueoldtown.com.