A lot to love in dog-friendly Albuquerque
We visited Albuquerque specifically for the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta (which was absolutely amazing and I would highly recommend) - but wanted to stay around for an extra couple of days so we could explore the rest of the city. During our stay Old Town was really vibrant due to the influx of visitors and there were lots of events happening in the central park.
We also ventured into the main downtown area, but didn’t stay very long - it was pretty run down, with lots of empty shops and high numbers of unhoused people. But there were some interesting buildings and murals to check out, and hopefully once the ongoing impacts of COVID start to reside, the city will also get back some of its vibrance.
THINGS TO DO
Eplore Old Town
Old Town is the prettiest area of Albuquerque. It covers around ten blocks and is full of red and orange hued adobe buildings, alleys and plazas, some of which are are decorated with colourful flags - one of the most colourful spots is Poco Apoco. You’ll also find a variety of shops and eateries in this area as well as art galleries and some unique places to get gifts.
So many pretty buildings in Old Town
In the centre of Old Town is a good sized park that has a large open grassy area, trees for shade and a gazebo in its centre, which often hosts bands. Opposite the park is the 18th century Spanish colonial Church, San Felipe de Neri which is also famous for having the Virgin de Guadalupe carved into a cottonwood tree on its grounds.
The Spanish colonial Church, San Felipe de Neri
Nearby is the pretty Plaza don Luis which is an open-air plaza that is dog-friendly, with most stores allowing well behaved dogs inside. It has a number of shops (ranging from homewares to souvenirs) and a few bars and restaurants. In its centre you‘ll find a really cool fountain and there will sometimes be musicians playing here. If you’re interested in doing a dog-friendly Ghost Tour you can also purchase your tickets from a small kiosk at the back of the Plaza.
Dog-friendly Plaza don Luis
A block back from the central park you’ll also find the quirky Rattlesnake Museum - which houses the world’s largest collection of live rattlesnakes! But it’s also dog-friendly, just make sure you or your dog don’t have a fear of snakes before visiting! For more info click here
This area of town is also quite busy with lots of visitors and and we felt safe walking around both day and night.
Take a Ghost Tour
There is so much history in Old Town it makes sense that there is a Ghost Tour!
We got tickets from Plaza don Luis and as its a walking tour, your dog is welcome to join you. The tour itself was really interesting, as it not only included some fairly spooky stories, but also lots of history about the buildings and original inhabitants of the town. The tour took around two hours, but was probably less than 2 kms of walking on the flat, so suitable for all fitness levels. At one point it was really quiet as everyone was listening intently when Beatle suddenly barked - making most of the group jump… but luckily it was just a ghost cat.
All of their tours are Pet Friendly and well behaved dogs on leash (or carried / in a stroller) are welcome. You can get more information and see their dog policy here
I highly recommend the Ghost Tour - they’re a lot of fun (and a little bit scary…)
‘Welcome to Burque’ Mural
I love a great mural, so the ‘Welcome to Burque’ mural was on my must do list. Its located at 3123 Central Ave. NE Albuquerque, NM 87106.
The area itself is near the University and looked really nice - with some shops and plenty of eateries. Its about a ten min drive from Old Town, or there is a bus that goes directly there from Old Town and takes around 18 mins.
Such a cool mural, its worth the small drive to see it
If you want to learn more about its creation and the meaning behind it you can get more information here
ABQ Trolley
We were in town a little late for this Trolley (it only runs between April and October), otherwise would have definitely signed up for a tour. They offer a guided tour on their open-air Trolley that will take you past many key locations around town with a fun commentary. Best of all the tour is dog-friendly! For more info click here
Downtown Albquerque - and Route 66
The Main Street is downtown Albquerque is Central Ave Southwest and it also happens to be part of the famous Route 66 so it’s definitely worth exploring. There are a few highlights to see in this area.
Start at the interesting KiMo theatre, which is an art deco style building with an interesting history. It’s located on the corner of Central Ave and Fifth St.
The art deco design of the KiMo Theatre
On the opposite corner is the brightly painted Lindy’s Diner, which dates back to 1929 and is the the perfect Route 66 themed spot to fuel up before exploring the rest of downtown.
Colourful Lindy’s Diner - a popular spot for Route 66 fans
The next stop is the intersection of Central Ave and Fourth St, which has a road marker as the Centre of Albuquerque. If you’re a Route 66 fan, it’s also the only spot where you can stand where the original and new sections of Route 66 intersect.
Continue down towards Third St to see The Library Bar & Grill - which had an oversized façade of famous books with clever new titles and makes a good photo stop.
Some clever person had a couple of drinks and came up with these gems…
Cross Third St and you’ll reach an open parking lot that has some massive, colourful murals, including the ‘Mother Road’ mural. The intention of this mural was to capture the spirit of Route 66 on Albquerque.
The awesome ‘Mother Road’ mural
If you have more time it’s also worth exploring the streets that run off and around Central Ave as there are lots of small shops, eateries and plenty more colourful murals to find.
Here is a map of the stops mentioned along Central Ave SW:
OTHER THINGS TO DO
See Walter White’s House
The house famously used in the hit TV show ‘Breaking Bad’ is located in an unassuming neighbourhood in Albuquerque. To find it you can literally type ‘Walter White’s House’ into google and the location will show up. BUT do keep in mind that it is a privately owned residence so be respectful. The owners have plenty of signs up warning people to keep off the property so you (and your dog) won’t be able to get a selfie on the front lawn. If you want to visit, be a good person, keep your distance, don’t do silly things (like make tik toks out front) or be disruptive in any way (yelling, honking horns etc). See what you came for and skedaddle.
Petroglyph National Monument
Petroglyph National Monument is only a 15 min drive from Old Town and has three dog-friendly trails.
Piedras Marcadas Canyon - dogs are allowed on the entire length of this trail. This is the best option if you want to see petroglyphs as there are around 400 on this trail. This trail is approximately 2.5 miles roundtrip and is rated easy to moderate in difficulty.
Rinconada Canyon - dogs are only allowed on the non-petroglyph section (middle section) of this trail.
Volcanoes Day Use Area - dogs are are allowed in this area which has a number of Loops and trails to choose from. The Volcanos Trail starts at the parking lot and is about 3.5 miles round trip. This trail takes you around the Vulcan Volcano and to a scenic overlook that has great views over Albuquerque and the Rio Grande Valley.
As this is a National Monument, dogs must be leashed on all trails and the NPS website also recommends dog booties due to the rough terrain and high surface temperatures.
Also ensure you check the temperatures before heading out, pack plenty of water and pick up / pack out any waste to ensure this area remains clean and continues to be dog-friendly.
For more information click here
EAT AND SLEEP
One place we really enjoyed was Outpost 1706 - which is located upstairs in the Plaza don Luis. It had indoor and outdoor seating and both options seemed to be dog-friendly. We had some drinks and nibbles on the verandah here and it had lovely views over the Plaza and park.
I’d also heard about a really cute ice cream store at the Sawmill Market called Neko Neko and really wanted to try one. There are mixed reviews for if the Mill itself is dog-friendly, but as Neko Neko is on the outside and has seating, I think you’d be ok to sit there with your dog - or just get your sweet treat to takeaway.
I’ve never seen a cuter ice-cream!
We were actually in town for the Hot Air Ballon Fiesta so had limited choices of accommodation and everywhere was super expensive. But we ended up staying at Best Western Plus Rio Grande Inn which included breakfast and was only a ten minute walk to Old Town.
IN SUMMARY
Albuquerque is a colourful city that is full of history and has something for everyone. We really liked exploring different areas around the city and how much varied and interesting public art there was.
There were also plenty of things that we could do with Beatle, and we really enjoyed the variety of activities that we could do together. While we didn’t visit any breweries on this trip as they were a bit further out of town, I did see that there were a number that were dog-friendly which would be a great way to end a long day.
While you could see all the main attractions in a couple of days, having extra time would allow you to spend more time exploring, and more time to try out all of the amazing places to eat - and try the famous red and green chilli combo! New Mexico does get very hot in summer, so if you’re wanting to do a lot of outdoor activities with your dog I would suggest visiting in the cooler months.