The Fourth Stop of My Nomadic Journey – A Recap of Albuquerque 🏜️✨

I didn’t have high expectations for Albuquerque—I came mainly for the warm weather. And reality didn’t exceed those expectations. It’s a large, sprawling city without much urban vibrancy—it often felt empty. Even though we stayed downtown, we rarely saw people out and about. After visiting Santa Fe, ABQ felt like not just a geographic desert but a cultural one too. 🏠 Accommodation: Downtown has only a few low-rise buildings, and just a few blocks away, it starts feeling like the suburbs. It wasn’t very quiet though—ABQ has a big car culture, with lots of street racing and noise 🚗💨, especially on weekend nights when cruises get really loud. Other neighborhoods are probably calmer—the Old Town area felt the nicest. You can rent a great Airbnb for around $2,500/month. ☀️ Weather in February: Typical desert climate—days between 50–70°F, nights around 30°F, so heating is a must. Sunny and windless days feel intensely bright 🌞, but wind is common. Extremely dry—the first two weeks were pretty uncomfortable. 🚗 Transportation: Driving and parking are very easy—hardly any traffic jams. 🛒 Grocery Stores: Smith’s is the largest local supermarket, with mid-range prices. 🌟 Highlights: 1️⃣ The Old Town is small but has some charm, with shops and a bit of cultural vibe. 2️⃣ Petroglyph National Monument on the west side is great for rock art enthusiasts—though it wasn’t for me. 3️⃣ Mountains to the east offer trails where you can hike up in 20 mins for a full city view 🏔️👀. 4️⃣ Santa Fe is just an hour north—way better than I expected! The plaza has upscale shops, and Canyon Road is lined with endless galleries 🎨. I regret choosing ABQ over Santa Fe. 5️⃣ Found a friendly young group on Meetup—they organize weekly hikes followed by dinners and chats 🥾🍽️. This group was our main social outlet during our month here. 6️⃣ Lots of affordable gyms—a nice one near us was only $50/month 💪🏽. 7️⃣ Locals rave about New Mexican food—think Mexican cuisine with lots of chili 🌶️. Tried it a few times—green chili is seriously spicy! Not really my thing. 8️⃣ The Botanic Garden is well-designed—probably worth a visit in summer, but it was barren in winter 🌵❄️. That’s about it. Heading out soon with no regrets—next stop, Joshua Tree! 🌴🚗 #DigitalNomad #NomadLife #NewMexico #Albuquerque #TravelDiary #DesertLife #CityReview #USATravel #SlowTravel #ExploreNewMexico #CulturalDesert #HikingCommunity #AffordableLiving #NextDestination