On Thursday we went to Albuquerque to visit John's cousins who live there. We had a great visit, and it was fun to get around Albuquerque a little bit. We went to the quilt shop where Barbie works, and it was in the Northeast Heights. From there we went across town to meet the guys at The Flying Star Restaurant on rio Grande Blvd. in the Valley. (It helped that Barbie took the wrong road, so I got to see even a little more of the North Valley.)
Albuquerque has grown since we lived there in 1970; I think it is twice as big now. Parts of the city are somewhat run-down, parts look just like any city anywhere, but there are areas of wonderful homes and southwestern touches that remind you where you are. Great city!
The Flying Star is an interesting restaurant, quite different than the New Mexican restaurants that fill the city. I think I would have preferred a good New Mexican meal, but the food we got was good. (I was informed by the cousins that I was not in a restaurant where people come to eat New Mexican.) So I got a Chicken Oriental Salad and I liked it, but I could have gotten one just like it in Kansas. Next time I ignore the advice and go with the NM Enchilada plate. We sat out on the outdoor patio with large cottonwood trees for shade and it was very relaxing.
Afterwards, Barbie and I browsed through a little paper goods/gift shop, and I bought some exquisite lavender lotion and shampoo from Los Poblanos, right nearby in the ABQ North Valley.
It was a lovely day in the big city.
6 comments:
I used to live in Alb. From 1991-93, graduated high school there (La Cueva). I used to live in the NE Heights, Paseo del Norte and Ventura. I'm sure when you lived in ABQ it was nothing but mesa. In fact, when I lived there most of the north side of Paseo del Norte was mesa, except for our school. Now there are strip malls and dining everywhere. Wouldn't recognize the place anymore.
I'm not saying we're relics or anything, Jenny, but back when she lived there, it was even before the mesa. Buck prolly remembers it that way, too. Personally, I like the new mesa addition since I last motorcycled through there in '76.
Just teasing again, of course - you just can't take me anywhere these days.
Where the heck is the mesa?
When I lived there SE Chama St. was a nice quiet safe little neighborhood and not the War Zone, I could take walks with my one year old and not feel my life was in danger, there were houses just starting to go up in the NE Heights and people saying "Well! All this development will ruin the city!" It was BEFORE smog hanging over the mountain, and it was when they used to give two temperatures ("87 degrees in the Valley and 84 in the heights" - I don't notice them doing that anymore.) Oh and back then the South Valley was the most dangerous place in all of NM and no-one who cared about staying alive ever went there. I wonder if it is still that way?
We always loved our trips to Alb. We would often spend the night so the kids could swim at a hotel. We would make a trip to Page One bookstore and usually a big trip to Price Club (before Sam's Club). We loved to eat at Sadie's for good Mexican food, but since we could get all the good Mexican food we wanted, we often ate at some place like Red Lobster for something different.
Jenny, I was the Speech and Debate coach for Questa in 90-91. We came to La Cueva and several other high schools in Alb.
The "mesa" is what we called everything North of Paseo del Norte. We also partied quite a bit at 9-mile hill (about 98th and Central. HUGE mound of dirt that we would try to drive all our big jacked up 4x4s up).
When I was there, the South Valley was pretty dangerous. Had a friend that lived down there but we didn't go there much. We would sometimes go to a dance and rodeo in Bosque Farms, though.
Once in a blue moon I turn on the Abq news, and as far as I know, they not only give the temp in the Heights and Valley, but Rio Rancho and a few other places as well. But I remember when it was just the two.
Lou, When I moved to Abq in August of 1991, I thought the newly built La Cueva looked like a shopping mall! The school I had come from in Georgia was built in 1918. I didn't do speech/debate, but was in FBLA.
I don't have any memories of pre-historic ABQ at all, Lin, (big ol' grin!) seeing as how this part of the world was largely unknown to me until I dropped in to P-Ville back in 2002. My memories of NM, such as they are, were ALL gleaned on I-40/US 66, back in the day when I made the odd transcontinental trip while PCSing (that's MilSpeak for "permanent change of station," otherwise known as "moving.").
That lil digression aside, reading your post makes me realize I'm waaay overdue for a trip to The Big City, Sharon!
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