I never had any intention of visiting Albuquerque (at the very least, Santa Fe was higher on my list), but when Ryan was sent to ABQ for 5 weeks for work, a trip to ABQ quickly became a top priority. I didn’t plan the itinerary for this trip, Ryan did – and it was an excellent weekend! So excellent that we are planning to go back because we had such a great time. On the surface, Albuquerque isn’t that thrilling – but when you know where to go and what to do, it makes for a very fun weekend. Here’s how we spent it:
DAY 1 / Arrive ABQ
- Evening: I flew into ABQ after work on a Friday. Grabbed a quick dinner near Ryan’s hotel (restaurant prices are WAY cheaper than LA – WOW.) Hit the hay.
DAY 2 / Massages and Wine!
- Morning: Started off the morning with breakfast at The Grove Cafe & Market
- Late Morning: Got a massage and enjoyed the sauna and zen pool lounge area at the Albuquerque Baths – walking distance from The Grove Cafe.
- Went back to the hotel and showered/got ready for an afternoon of wine tasting
- Afternoon: Wine Tasting:
- Acequia Vineyards & Winery – This place was so unexpected and such a surprise! Our Uber dropped us off on the back side of the winery and we ended up traipsing through someone’s side-yard of their house trying to find this place only to realize the tasting room for this winery is on the back-patio of the winemaker’s home! There’s a small tasting room in front of their house as well, but otherwise this is literally someone’s nice suburban Albuquerque neighborhood home. We had a lovely time with great service sitting on their back patio and the wines were really fantastic.
- Casa Rondena – This was a classic winery experience with beautiful grounds. The wines were fantastic as was the experience.
- Acequia Vineyards & Winery – This place was so unexpected and such a surprise! Our Uber dropped us off on the back side of the winery and we ended up traipsing through someone’s side-yard of their house trying to find this place only to realize the tasting room for this winery is on the back-patio of the winemaker’s home! There’s a small tasting room in front of their house as well, but otherwise this is literally someone’s nice suburban Albuquerque neighborhood home. We had a lovely time with great service sitting on their back patio and the wines were really fantastic.
- Evening: Dinner and a Movie at Flix Brewhouse. This was a great date night activity!
DAY 3 / Brewery Tour
- Morning: Grabbed breakfast near Ryan’s hotel
- Late Morning: Went to the historic downtown area of Albuquerque, rented bicycles and rode to the following breweries:
- Marble Brewery – Our absolute favorite. Marble has the most fantastic IPA. A beautiful two-story tasting room.
- Tractor Brewing – Very casual atmosphere. Beers were okay. Not our favorite.
- Dialogue Brewing – I stopped drinking at the last stop. Great atmosphere here though!
- Bow & Arrow Brewing – Great facility, had a food truck outside.
- Evening: Late Lunch/early dinner at Forque Kitchen & Bar. This was a very convenient location for us to grab dinner. While the food was good, I think next time I would seek out a more authentic experience for dinner.
- Night: Dropped me off at the airport to head home!
bikesandbordeaux.com 