Where:

Albuquerque/Santa Fe
& Taos, New Mexico

Where to stay in a town full of hotels? If you're looking for a great experience, we recommend booking the Hyatt Regency Tamaya. The facility is co-operated by the Santa Anas, a Native American tribe, on their pueblo, currently the only hotel of its kind in the Southwest. Tamaya has the Twin Warriors golf course, three great pools, horse trail rides, a top notch spa, hansom carriages, bikes for the kids, two great restaurants on property, and some of the best views in the area. There is a night-time storytelling under the stars (Book this before you come as space is very limited). Deals on Tamaya are available from Priceline.com. From the Albuquerque map choose Bernallilo as your search area and bid on the resort.

New Mexico has Vegas-style gambling at many of the tribal pueblos. The best by far is Sandia Resort & Casino which is as close to a Vegas experience as you'll get in New Mexico. Nestled at the base of the Sandia Mountains, Sandia Resort & Casino includes a 228-room luxury hotel, 12,000- square-foot spa, 18-hole Scott Miller golf course, 50,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, a variety of restaurant options including the Bien Shur Rooftop Restaurant, an outdoor pool with full service bar, Las-Vegas style gambling and a 4,400 seat outdoor amphitheater.

Albuquerque is a great place to catch a concert. You can get seats to many road shows that would be sold out in your home town. Ticketmaster and Tickets.com control all venues. The Journal Pavillion and area casinos book some of the best acts. Sandia Resort & Casino Amphitheater is a great small venue.

There are a lot of dining experiences in Albuquerque that will let you sample Native American and New Mexican cuisine (Which is different from standard Mexican or Spanish).

The Corn Maiden, at the Tamaya Resort, and Bien Shur Rooftop Restaurant at Sandia Resort & Casino both offer elegant dining that samples the new Old West.

Get your kicks on a slice of the original Route 66 when you visit the Nob Hill area near the University of New Mexico. Scalo offers upscale Italian food. Vivace is a bit more modest in price and decor but the food is just as good. If you're in a beer and brat mood, try Kelly's Restaurant and Brew Pub.

For traditional New Mexican fare, visit Maria Theresa's or Little Anita's in the Old Town distrtict. For Brazilian food with a flair, particularly if you're staying Downtown, Tucanos is great. Blue Corn Cafe offers local beers and New Mexican food in a more modern atmosphere adjacent to the Century Rio 24 movie theaters.

Albuquerque offers a lot of sightseeing, hiking, fishing, and even river rafting nearby. Santa Fe is only 40-60 minutes from most of Albuquerque (25+ from Tamaya). Taos is only 90 minutes or so further North, making both easy day trips.

In the area a must see is the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway, an 11,000 foot ride up the side of Sandia Mountain with a 10,000 mile vista.

If you visit in late September, catch the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. This is truly a Kodak moment, with hundreds of specialty balloons ascending the dawn skies. Dress

warmly and make time to drive and park.

Roller coaster freaks will want to check out Uncle Cliff's Amusement Park. The Rattler was voted one of the top 25 wooden roller coasters in America.

The Rio Grande Zoo also is one of the best small zoos in America, part of a "Bio Park" that includes a very good aquarium and a Botanical Garden.

In the state known for building nuclear weapons, the National Atomic Museum is a funky museum dedicated to the debate and history of atomic energy.

Continued...

Hyatt Regency Tamaya $$$$
Sandia Resort & Casino $$$
Doubletree Albuquerque $$$
Courtyard Albuquerque Airport $$

The Reactor's Core
The Down Low on Isotopes Park

Isotopes Park (The Reactor) is located off the Ceasar Chavez exit of I-25. Parking is free at any of the lots across the street for the PIT (Basketball arena) or the UNM Football stadium. Arrive 40 minutes prior to game time to get decent parking, get food and get settled. If you want to snag autographs, plan on a hour prior.

Seating - Tickets are available both from the park and some season ticket holders at MLNTicket. The park holds good seats in all locations. They're your best first try, as they are sold at face value, and easy to get online.

Where to sit? The best seats in the house are on the third base side, particularly for day games, as they pull the first shade. If you can score seats in the private boxes, with the outdoor porches, get them. They are the best in the minors!

There really isn't a bad seat anywhere, although the outer "bleachers" on the first base line put you farthest from the action. If you have a hard time walking, avoid the upper porch, as you'll be up and down stairs for everything.

What to Eat? The park is ringed with food and beverage of seemingly every type and variety. Our tips?

Dions, on the outer ring, third base side of home plate, has great pizza and salads for the non-hot dog crowd.

For the dedicated carnivores, the Grill on the outer ring, the third base side, makes great grilled items, from burgers to chicken breasts. There is always a line, and they're not speedy.

The carts on the inner ring of the promenade feature a wide array of walk-away treats. Our favorites? The Sausage Grill, Dippin Dots (Ice Cream), the Peanut Roaster (Buy here, not from the bag vendors) and the Nacho Cart. Specialty beers and margaritas can also be found on the inner ring carts.