Albuquerque, on the Rio Grande, is the largest city in New Mexico (pop. 600,000), and the most popular summertime activity is finding things to do in air conditioned spaces. Nonetheless, it's still worth visiting (though if you have your choice, you might try for September or October instead, when the heat dies down a bit).

If you drive into Albuquerque – Interstates 25 and 40 intersect here – don't be put off by the ugly parts of the city you'll see. If you do plan to drive here, be aware that New Mexico has some of the worst drivers in the world: assume that the guy next to you has no clue what he's doing, and drive defensively.

If you're flying in, the Albuquerque International Airport is not far from town. It's a 15-minute drive from the airport to Central Avenue (which offers some cheap motels – my personal favorite is the funky decorated Aztec Motel, 3821 Central NE, $22/single – and a youth hostel, at 1012 Central SW). Some buses service the airport.

Albuquerque's public bus system isn't totally hopeless, but forget going anywhere after dark (most buses run from 7 am to 7 pm).

Useful links:

Public transportation:
Bus routes, schedules, fares.

Lots of general area info (events, maps, history etc) and many useful links.

That's the word of the month in New Mexico, and whether it's balloons, green chili or Pueblo dances, you have a number of special events to choose from.

Balloons
First off, and most well-known, is the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Oct. 2-10. Allegedly the most photographed event in the world (don't ask me how they get that statistic), the Fiesta is a week-long hot-air balloon shindig that is admittedly quite impressive.

If you've never seen 800 (yes, 800!) balloons slowly launch and then roam across the sky, you're missing out. And if you've never seen a balloon in the shape of a Canadian Mountie, an elephant, a pig in sneakers or a Jack Daniel's bottle, well, this is your chance.

There are several events throughout the week, from races to evening Balloon Glows, when you can walk in the dusk among glowing balloons - which is the best time to admire the funky shapes.

Pueblo Feast Dances
Somewhat less well known are the Pueblo feast dances which take place throughout New Mexico. There isn't a particular season for these, so it's worth checking the Tourist Board's calendar of events to see whether there are any in the area and time you'll be visiting.

However, autumn is a good time to see harvest dances. If you're expecting something like the powwows and dances you see in Western movies, expect to be disappointed. Pueblo Indian dances are perhaps less 'spectacular' than those of Plains Indians, but it's only partially about the dancing. After all, this is a feast day, and feasting is certainly a part of it.

If you're lucky, you might get to know someone from the Pueblo at the dance, and have the good fortune of being invited to their home. This happened to me last year, when a friend and I went to a feast day at Laguna Pueblo. We met a woman who invited us to eat with her and her family, explaining that hospitality was a vital part of a feast day. We felt somewhat embarrassed - after all, to us it felt like we'd be intruding. But when she offered again, we decided that the only polite thing was to accept - and it was wonderful.

Not only was the food fabulous (I've never had such good posole in my life), but the conversation was fascinating. The family and a number of friends were there - four generations - some watching TV, others eating with us, and several wandering in and out. We talked about the traditions of the Pueblo and of the feast day in particular; her mother, who was from Zuni Pueblo, spoke with us about the way that her traditional language - which she spoke with her sisters at the table - was being lost. Those women were wonderfully funny - they told us stories, they teased each other (in English and in Zuni), made fun of the way one knew the old language but had a horrible accent.

They were interested in hearing about us, too, and where we were from, and so we told them about Michigan, Germany and Australia, sharing something of ourselves as well. And while we ate, life went on around us, people talking to each other, to us, gossiping about the dancers, joking with friends and family, and sharing their traditions and their food with us.

Of course, we were lucky. But even if you don't have the good fortune of being invited to someone's home, it's worth going. You can always buy food - both traditional and less traditional - and whether you're looking for jewelry, pottery, or a conversation, the artisans' booths are worth visiting also. Watching the dances, and seeing how the community - because there are plenty of Pueblo people who aren't dancing, and who aren't wearing traditional outfits - takes part in the feast day will give you a sense of the strength of these traditions, and of their continued importance.

October Feast Days are Oct. 4th at Nambe Pueblo, and Oct. 17th at Laguna Pueblo. Also, the Pueblo of Jemez has a Fall Art Fiesta from Oct. 9-10.

And if for completely incomprehensible reasons of your own you don't want to leave town, the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque offers traditional dancing during the balloon fiesta week as well. Check out their site for further info or phone numbers.

Questions?
If you want more information about this area you can email the author or check out our North America Insiders page.