Albuquerque family vacation was a blast!

(Clockwise) Rattlesnake Museum, hot air balloon basket, Sandia Peak tram, Tingley Beach

Who knew? Albuquerque was a fantastic spot for a family trip! And, New Mexico is now checked off of my list of states to visit. Lots to do indoors and outside, including exploring Albuquerque's Sandia mountains and 19 museums. The kids loved the range of things to do, from climbing mountain trails to hands-on activities at the museums to dancing to music in the park to swimming in the hotel pool.

I only have two regrets: no hot air balloon sightings or pink sunset views that gave the mountains their namesake ("sandia" is the Spanish word for "watermelon). While Albuquerque boasts that it is the best location in the world for hot air ballooning (because of its cool early morning temperatures and the "box" effect, which provides predictable wind patterns in between the mountain ranges), the weather was more windy than normal so the skies were empty. Regarding the lack of sunset sightings, I was banished indoors at dusk to put the kids to bed. Silver lining: I caught up on lots of sleep!

Phil and I both agreed that it would be amazing to be in town for the city's annual International Balloon Fiesta, which is held every October and hosts about 750 hot air balloons. It's on my bucket list!

In the interim, more to come on mountain-climbing (toddler style), museums and fun things to do in Old Town.