Albuquerque Reunion 2009

Day 1

ARRIVE ALBUQUERQUE, NM

Welcome to the first event** of our 20th Anniversary Celebration - the Albuquerque Reunion: Walking New Mexico! We are thrilled to be hosting this special event amidst a historical background as rich and long as any in our country, in a region enriched by a kaleidoscope of ethnic cultures, and dazzling in its fascinatingly diverse scenic splendors!

We’ll meet you at the airport and bring you to the beautiful Hilton Albuquerque, home for all five nights of the Reunion. Since travelers will be arriving throughout the day, you are free to have dinner on your own with friends, then rendezvous for the Walkin’ Willie Welcome Reception at 7:30 pm in the Southwest Ballroom of the Hilton. We’ll get reacquainted, share upcoming details of the program, and enjoy a few surprises over some delicious dessert!

**The Danube River Reunion Cruise is also included in our 20th Anniversary Celebration.

Day 2

ALBUQUERQUE OLD TOWN WALK AND ACOMA SKY CITY PUEBLO (BD)
Albuquerque Old Town Walk – 5 or 10 km, rated 1
Sponsoring club: Double Eagle Hike & Bike Club

Today’s activities include a walk route that offers a remarkable cross section of this portion of the American Southwest, as well as a drive west through beautiful southwest vistas to visit one of the most uniquely situated native pueblos in North America. This evening, we’ll share stories of the day together during a scrumptious dinner in the Southwest Ballroom of our Hilton hotel.

The Old Town Walk provides a picturesque slice of Albuquerque’s past and present, inexorably entwined with its Spanish heritage. We’ll see her historic neighborhoods and pleasant parks, pass several notable museums you may choose to visit, and wander by restaurants and cafes to consider for a later lunch stop. At various points in the route, we’ll be walking along sections of three historically significant national roads, including Route 66, the El Camino Real (royal road to Mexico), and the Pan American Highway!

Acoma Sky City Pueblo is a native community perched high atop a mesa in an area of dramatic high-desert landscapes west of Albuquerque. The pueblo has more than 250 dwellings, none of which are endowed with electricity, sewer, or running water, and a story that dates back to AD 1150, making it the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America. Access to the pueblo is tightly controlled; we will visit in the company of a tribal member who will explain some of the traditions of the tribe and talk about the Mission that was erected here in the early 17th century by the newly-arrived Spanish. Both the Pueblo and the Mission are Registered National Historical Landmarks.

Walked Enough Already?! Itinerary: While walkers are exploring Albuquerque on the Old Town Walk, you are free to explore the Old Town area on your own – it boasts a number of galleries and shops selling artwork, jewelry, and items unique to the Southwest. Or join us at the Albuquerque Museum of Art & History to learn a bit more about this fascinating mile-high city and its Spanish past. The museum offers a one hour walking tour of Old Town that promises to be interesting and easy walking. The visit to Acoma Sky City Pueblo involves slow and easy walking covering not more than a kilometer.

Day 3

SANTA FE WALK AND TINKERTOWN (B)
Santa Fe Spanish Heritage Walk – 11, 10, or 5 km, rated 2
Sponsoring club: Double Eagle Hike & Bike Club

Your third day includes a delightful blend of history, culture, scenery, and imagination, with walks and sightseeing in Santa Fe and a visit to charming, indescribable little Tinkertown! Today’s points of interest are linked by a scenic drive around the Sandia Mountains on the Turquoise Trail! Dinner back in Albuquerque will be on your own tonight. This is a good chance to connect with walking pals at a local eatery – we’ll have a plan to make it simple!

Santa Fe’s real name is “Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asis” which translates to Royal City of the Holy Faith of St. Francis of Assisi! The Santa Fe Spanish Heritage Walk is full of echoes of this 395-year-old city’s Spanish past, blended with the ambiance of a world-renowned art community. The route includes the state capitol; the Palace of the Governors, oldest government building in the United States; San Miguel Chapel, oldest church in the country; and a visual feast of art galleries along Canyon Road. Those of you who may have walked Santa Fe on prior visits are welcome to either walk it again (it’s worth it!) or pick one of the other routes that begin from the same Starting Point.

Tinkertown Museum is the whimsical product of Ross Ward’s imagination. Partly crafted from scratch, partly collected during Ward’s career as a carnival painter, Tinkertown is a miniature depiction of the Old West. Begun in 1962, the display was originally part of a traveling exhibit in the 60s and 70s. Ward worked on his diminutive world for 40 years, until he passed away in 2002. The little hillside museum is still run by his family and remains a fascinating and unique slice of New Mexico culture well worth a visit!
      “I did all this while you were watching TV” – Ross Ward

Walked Enough Already?! Itinerary: We’ll have another full day mirroring the walker’s program again. Santa Fe has a slew of attractions within a tight walking radius, and we are working on a plan for a guided tour of the Governor’s Mansion as well. Tinkertown is a short visit that you’ll find fun, fascinating, and easy on the feet!

Day 4

WILD CARD DAY – ACTIVITIES FROM ALBUQUERQUE (BD)

You’re in charge today. Choose how to spend your day from the options listed below. We’ll provide the transportation and one of our WAI guide teams to lead the way. Just how much fun do you want to have?! After the “busy” part of the day, join us tonight for a special evening of food, fun, and fellowship.

• Hot air balloon rides: If you’re hankering to try your luck “up, up, and away,” you’ll get your chance this morning! Balloon rides start at the crack of dawn – so grab a cup of java, your camera, and a warm jacket, and join us for a bird’s eye view of the New Mexico landscape and an unforgettable experience! Estimated price: $180
• Sandia Peak Tram: Take a trip on the world’s longest aerial tramway above deep canyons and breathtaking terrain for a distance of 2.7 miles. The journey takes you to the crest of the Sandia Mountains for amazing views at over 10,000 feet above sea level, a gain of over 5,000 feet. Estimated price: $15
• Sandia Mountains Foothills Walk – 10 or 5 km, rated 2: This walk offers a pleasing mixture of civilization and nature, with views of the Sandia Mountains on one side and the city of Albuquerque on the other. Estimated price: $5
• Tent Rocks National Monument Walk – 2 or 5 km, rated 2 or 4: This non-sanctioned walk (See slideshow above!) involves a scenic drive of about 1 hour, followed by an intriguing exploration of a canyon of bizarre rock formations, fashioned by cones of soft pumice and tuff underneath harder caprocks. This is a fun way to see yet another face of New Mexico! Estimated price: $5
• Free time in Old Town: Those who haven’t quite got their fill of Albuquerque’s many attractions can take advantage of one more visit to the shops and museums of Old Town. Estimated price: Free!

Special dinner at El Pinto Restaurant: Join us for a special evening of New Mexican cuisine and entertainment in the delightful El Pinto Restaurant! With its high adobe walls and setting amidst a grove of cottonwood trees, the El Pinto exemplifies Southwestern warmth and hospitality. A tethered hot air balloon serves as a beacon for our coaches, and provides an evening glow from dusk onwards in this hot air balloon capital of the world. Throughout the evening, we’ll be serenaded by a Latin trio performing the ballads of Mexico and Latin America while we enjoy a Southwestern buffet dinner. Take a stroll among the splashing fountains and gardens and watch local artisans demonstrate their trades, perhaps purchasing a handmade item. Punched tin, silver jewelry, pottery making, and straw appliqué are examples of the crafts that will be represented. The highlight of the evening will no doubt be the flamenco dance troupe, with their passionate and colorful style in the old Spanish tradition.

Day 5

JEMEZ MOUNTAIN TRAIL AND BANDELIER WALK (BD)
Bandelier National Monument Walk – 10 km, rated 3
Sponsoring club: Double Eagle Hike & Bike Club

Day 5 of the Reunion takes us on a scenic survey of central New Mexico. We’ll enjoy stops that explore both the culture and the fantastic and sometimes bizarre landscape of New Mexico, plus an opportunity for a walk at a site of Native American significance. Back in Albuquerque this evening, the party continues with our Farewell Dinner in the Southwest Ballroom at 7:00 pm!

The Jemez Mountain Trail is a scenic drive that takes us past surprising geological formations, ancient Indian ruins, an Indian pueblo, and remainders of the area's logging, mining, and ranching heritage. After a stop in the Jemez Pueblo to sample a bit of Indian Fry Bread, we’ll visit Jemez State Monument, the combined ruins of an ancient pueblo of the Jemez people known as Giusewa and a 17th century Spanish mission called San Jose de los Jemez. The conspicuous juxtaposition of these two ruins on one site offers another glimpse into the clash of cultures played out so often in this region of the Southwest.

From here, the Jemez Mountain Trail climbs into the Valles Caldera National Preserve and follows the rim of an ancient, 15-mile wide volcanic crater en route to Bandelier National Monument, site of today’s walk. In addition to the natural pleasures of sheer-walled canyons and pine forests, Bandelier is one of the best places to see cliffside dwellings of the ancestral Pueblo people. You can even climb ladders into some of the cavates (small human carved alcoves).

Walked Enough Already?! Itinerary: The Jemez Mountain Trail offers attractions worthwhile to travelers of all walking abilities. At Bandelier, our visit will be shorter than the walkers, then we’ll allocate the balance of the time to visit surprising Los Alamos, nearby home of the laboratory that ushered in the nuclear age during the 1940s. Our visit will be focused on the excellent Bradbury Museum, which chronicles the history of atomic power and its uses.

Day 6

RETURN HOME FROM ALBUQUERQUE (B)

Our last breakfast together will be followed by a drive to the airport. We’ll say farewell to walking friends old and new, remembering the fun we had, anticipating the next time we’ll meet, and looking forward to another year of walking the world!