Albuquerque, New Mexico is a city of over a half a million people. It is at the junction of interstates I-25 and I-40. The Rio Grande River bisects the city as it runs north and south on its way to El Paso, Texas.

Albuquerque is pretty easy to get around in and not get lost. Or, if you do get lost, at least you can easily go around the block and return within a minute or two (as opposed to Taos and Santa Fe which could take you 15 to 45 minutes!). Albuquerque is quite spread out, square miles that is. On the map, it looks taller (north-south) than it is wide (east-west). However, the east-west distances are longer than you might expect.

Two tips for getting around town. (1) I-25 runs north-south and I-40 runs east-west. They meet just east of downtown. (2) Central Street is the most important street in town. It is just a few blocks south of I-40 and runs parallel to I-40.

Albuququerque (which I can now spell without looking) has much to offer the travelers. The University of New Mexico is here. It maintains several museums dedicated to the culture of southwestern U.S. One of the museums is for antropology. Another is for geology. Yet another is for the arts.

The Rio Grande Botanical Gardens and Aquarium is a good place to visit. The Albuquerque Art Museum is very nice. The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science is incredible. Plan a few hours there.

The Sandia National Labratory is one of the city's largest employers. The Petroglyph National Monument is just west of town.

"Sky City" on the Acoma Indian Reservation (65 miles west of town). Take exit 108 south twelve miles to reach the visitor center (new one opens March 2005). You pay $10 per person for the guided tour (no self-guided tours allowed). Additionally, if you want to take photographs, you must purchase a $10 permit to take photographs of their sacred areas. A couple of areas (cemetery and inside their church) are still off limits to photography. Their very nice shuttle buses take you to the Sky City.

The Acoma reservation is home to some very unusual rock formations. Also, I found that the guided tour (1-1/2 hours long) was tremendously informative. Orlando (his "American" name, he graduated from KU), guided sixteen of us through his village. He stopped at nearly a dozen places to explain the history and allowed for questions. His explanations cleared up many "notions" I had about the American Indians. Very informative and useful side trip.

Some interesting facts about the Acoma:

1. The Acoma have four sacred numbers: four, seven, twelve and twenty one. Most everything in their culture is designed around one or more of these numbers.
2. The Acoma have four sacred colors: red, yellow, white and blue.
3. Sky City had 1,600 inhabitants at the time the Spanish Conquistadors came. Today there are just a few hundred.
4. Sky City has no running water, no electricity, no telephones and no satellite dishes. They do use walkie talkies, cars and trucks.
5. The visitor center has electricity, restrooms with running water, a gift shop, a snack area and a video about the Acoma.
6. The Acoma society is a matriarchal society. The women own all of the property. The women pass along their property to their youngest daughters.
7. Certain areas, called Kivas (up the ladders to the "patio" areas of homes) are off limits to women and children.
8. Individuals in Acoma do not own land. As a group they legally own it (in the eyes of the county and state). The Acoma believe that they belong to the land. Thus, they are not buried but re-planted.
9. According to the Acoma beliefs, their existence came when spirits from within Mother Earth climbed to the surface. That is how each Acoma member is BORN.
10. The Acoma claim that their ancestors came from the north, thus, they are a non-violent peaceful people. Their neighboring tribes came from the south, thus, are warlike and hostile.
11. The tour guide we had graduated in the 1950's from Kansas University. He is familiar with the Kansas City area. He claims that some "yellow sandwich" in the area was his main diet while attending KU.

Other attractions in town that I decided not to visit (four days was not enough time) include:

1. American International Rattlesnake Museum
2. Doll Museum and Shoppe
3. Turquoise Museum (I saw it from the outside)
4. National Atomic Museum (I saw it from the outside)
5. Archaeology and Material Culture Museum (east edge of town)

Of course, while in town, I HAD to visit a Toastmasters club meeting. New Mexico is District 23 whereas Kansas City is in District 22. I visited Kirtland Federal Credit Union on Friday and The Albuquerque Weekenders on Saturday.