Nomadic McDowells: 9 Free (Or Almost Free) Things to Do in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Susanne is your driver for this post.

Before visiting Albuquerque, my impressions of the city were largely based on a visit my family made when I was in fifth grade (vivid memories of the pool at the Doubletree Hotel and eating french fries at a cafe on Route 66), two weeks of geology labwork at UNM when I was 23 (vivid memories of drilling through rocks, walking through sketchy neighborhoods in the dark, and guzzling coffee at The Village Inn), and Breaking Bad (vivid memories of a scientist driving an RV through the desert... Hmmm...)

My knowledge of the city was limited.

Now we have a month in Albuquerque under our belts and a strong appreciation for all that the city has to offer. We didn't mean to stay so long. But we enjoyed the weather, the sights, and area activities so much that every time we considered leaving, we realized we weren't ready to go.

As always, we were on a budget - so every outing was carefully selected to take into account our desire to spend little, if any, money. I'm happy to say that for the wallet-conscious traveler, Albuquerque and the surrounding area has plenty to offer. Keeping in mind that this is in no way a comprehensive list of Awesome Stuff To Do in ABQ, here's a rundown of our nine favorite activities (in no particular order):

1. The Paseo del Bosque Trail: The Bosque Trail is a 16-mile multi-use trail that runs north-south along the Rio Grande River. It is paved, though for those who prefer softer substrates, gravel or dirt paths are also available for much of its extent (see photo below for an example). Most of my marathon training while in Albuquerque took place here. Not only is it peaceful and aesthetically pleasing, the numerous other walkers, runners, and bikers making use of the trail on any given day made me feel secure going there alone. Personally, I preferred the more northern extent of the trail - the part closer to the Rio Grande Nature Center. Further south, closer to Rio Bravo Boulevard, trail use seemed more sparse and I wasn't quite as comfortable running solo.

2. Albuquerque BioPark gardens and BUGarium: The Albuquerque BioPark complex includes an aquarium, a zoo, a train, botanical gardens, a butterfly tent, and a BUGarium (basically, a bug museum). The aquarium, zoo, and train charge admission, but as far as we could tell, the gardens and BUGarium are free of charge. The gardens are lovely: wide green lawns, various hidden gardens, a pond, tall shade trees, and a conservatory. I would have happily returned every single day of our stay in the city.

The BUGarium features an intricate ant exhibit in which ants crawl up a large tree in the middle of the atrium, along lines suspended high above the floor, and then down a wall on the other side of the building. Other highlights include hissing cockroaches, poisonous spiders, mole rats, and other creepy-crawlies indigenous to the area.

3. Sandia Crest: At the top of the most conspicuous mountain in the region, Sandia Crest sits at an elevation of 10,678 feet. To reach it, you have two options. One is to take the Sandia Peak Tramway on the western side of the mountain. We considered doing so, but at $25 per adult and $15 per child, we balked at the price. Instead, we took I-40 east to highway 14, which runs along the eastern side of the mountain, and then followed signs to the summit. Not only was it a lovely drive, it was also mostly free (there's a $3 parking fee once you arrive at the crest). You can see the entire city from here as well as Santa Fe and the mountains to the north and west.

4. Petroglyph National Monument: The visitor's center for Petroglyph National Monument is situated in the northwestern section of Albuquerque at the corner of Unser Boulevard and Western Trail. We started there to view a few small interpretive exhibits and ask a ranger for directions to the best petroglyph-viewing spot (there are no petroglyphs at the visitor's center itself). He directed us to the Piedras Marcadas Canyon trail, along which at least 300 petroglyphs are featured. The day was hot and the trail was dusty, but the abundance of easy-to-spot petroglyphs made the short hike well worth it. Admission and parking for the visitor's center and the trail were free.

5. Volcanoes Day Use Area: At the western edge of Petroglyph National Monument (and right down the road from our RV park) sit three cinder cones all in a row: JA volcano, Black Volcano, and - the tallest and most volcano-like - Vulcan Volcano. These were produced by relatively small eruptions (similar to modern day fissure eruptions in Iceland) approximately 150,000 years ago. We returned to the volcanoes a couple of times to take advantage of the hiking trails that wend their way around the cones. Although you can't hike to the top of JA or Vulcan, you can get close to the summit of Black Volcano and take in a view of the city and the surrounding lava flows. You'll also enjoy beautiful wildflowers, cacti, and covered rest areas along the route. Parking and hiking at the volcanoes are free.

6. Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument: Kasha-Katuwe is located approximately one hour north of Albuquerque. There, you can view unusual rock formations that look like... wait for it... tents! You can find out how these tents are created here. The park features a couple of hiking trails near the eastern entrance. If you drive approximately 3.5 miles along the park road (part paved, part gravel), you'll eventually find yourself at the Veteran's Memorial Scenic Overlook, which offers sweeping vistas and glimpses of ancient supereruption deposits. Entry is $5 per car... unless you have a fourth grader, in which case entry is totally free during the 2016-2017 school year!

7. Santa Fe: While in Albuquerque, a visit to Santa Fe is a must. It's a little over an hour to the north along I-25. We paid $10 for parking near the town center and then spent a couple of hours walking around, visiting the shops, enjoying the colors and smells, and checking out the plaza. We then took a drive up in to the neighboring southern Sangre de Cristo mountains to Ski Santa Fe, where we enjoyed more breathtaking views. We could have spent several more days here; it just wasn't in the budget (Santa Fe RV parks are expensive in late summer). But even a day trip was well worth our time.

8. Gatos y Galletas Cat Cafe: When I think of cat cafes, I think of Japan... But Albuquerque has its very own cat cafe right in the heart of the city. Initial entry into the cafe leads you to an ordering counter, where you'll need to pay a $3 per person entry fee, sign a waiver, receive a hand stamp, and - optional - purchase some excellent coffee. Then you're ushered through another door into the cat part of the establishment, where you'll need to wash your hands before interacting with the local residents. WiFi here is excellent and seating options are abundant, but good luck getting any work done... The cats are adorable, and they like to play. When we visited, Sam spent the better part of an hour tossing toys to his new feline friends and begging to adopt a buddy for our cat, Biscuit. In fact, the cats are available for adoption, so that's an option, too!

9. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science: If you're into dinosaurs, space, Mars exploration, ancient environments, or the evolution of life on Earth, you'll want to visit this museum. We spent approximately three hours here and, through some outstanding interactive exhibits, learned about the geological history of New Mexico. Entry is relatively inexpensive - $8 per adult, $5 per children - but we were able to get in for free thanks to the ASTC Travel Passport Program (for full-time travelers with kids, we strongly recommend ASTC; almost every city offers free or reduced entry to a local science museum).