cblaisd

For a mid-March "guys trip".... Thinking of spending three days/nights in Gallup. Interested in places that don't require hiking (bad knees), museums, and ??? Any interesting day road trips? Restaurant recommendations?

djp98374

gallup has a very high crime rate..about 3x average across USA.

you sure you want to go there? What are you interested in?

cblaisd

After your comment -- plus several in a FB group -- I'm wondering about switching to Albuquerque instead.

aztimm

I've only ever passed through Gallup, perhaps eaten there.

Albuquerque though, is definitely a place you can spend a few days. March could certainly still have weather (well for Gallup too), but there are plenty of things to do inside, and many more hotel options there.

djp98374

ABW would be better. Weather is hard to predict then. You can be mild or it can be snow/ cold.

you have stuff near there with Petroglyph NM to the west, day trip to Santa Fe,

COSPILOT

I had to spend a few days in Gallup years ago, that town is a dump…

AZ_MISMAN

The Sandia Tram will probably still be closed for repairs. National Museum of Nuclear Science and History (https://www.nuclearmuseum.org/) is great.; stroll Old Town Albuquerque or take a Trolly Tour. The Breaking Bad tour can be fun; there is also a car tour that you can take (one link is https://www.travelonthereg.com/self-...king-bad-tour/.) We also have a nice Aquarium and Botanical Garden.

That will get you started.

kale73

There’s a small museum in Gallup at the train station. There’s a somewhat larger museum in Window Rock, about a 25 minute drive. Day / road trips might include Petrified Forest N.P., about 1 hr west of Gallup, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, about a 2 hr drive to the NE (the last 20 miles or so is a rough dirt road, sometimes requiring 4 wheel drive) Hubbell Trading Post N.H.S., about 20 miles past Window Rock in Ganado, and Canyon de Chelly N.M. near Chinle, AZ. There are a number of local restaurants in Gallup, but no “fancy” places that I’m aware of Sammy Cs in downtown Gallup is a sports bar with loads of sports and rock & roll memorabilia - I mean lots. I like Fratellis (north on US491) for pizza and Italian. Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe is also downtown - features salads, wraps, and smoothies. Earl’s, Glenn’s Bakery and Don Diegos are also local favorites.

At last count, there are over 30 hotels / motels in Gallup, ranging from seedy dives to recently-constructed buildings. You won’t find any Scottsdale class resorts, but HI, Hilton Garden Inn, Springhill Suites, etc. are all represented. The most interesting of the lodgings is the historic El Rancho Hotel on Route 66. It’s nearly a century old, has a classic “old West” styled lobby complete with a massive stone fireplace. The lobby is also festooned with hundreds of signed photos of stars of the Silver Screen (and some later). In the 30s and 40s it was the hotel of choice for actors working in classic Westerns being filmed nearby. The rooms are small.

Check out the Gallup Journey magazine online for current events.

Yes, Albuquerque definitely has more options than Gallup. If you’re staying there, plan a trip to Santa Fe. Maybe drive up the Turquoise Trail. Also don’t miss the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center on 4th Street in Albuquerque. If your dates include March 19, don’t miss the Laguna Pueblo’s annual feast day celebration. A pueblo feast is one of the few events these days that one has to be physically present to experience (the pueblos disallow photography; you’ll need to leave cell phones / cameras in the car).

Meh. It’s a small city. I feel no less safe there than I do in Albuquerque. For its size, Gallup is amazingly cosmopolitan. One of the city’s favorite sons is Korean War Medal of Honor recipient Hiroshi Miyamura - part of a Japanese-American community that has been a part of Gallup since near its founding.

dlaue

Neither. Santa Fe is superior to both.

AZ_MISMAN

Different strokes. I can never get out of Santa Fe fast enough... and take the 599 Bypass to avoid if heading toward Abiquiu/Dixon/etc.

Keep an eye on the weather if heading on the Turquois Trail, or up to Santa Fe. It can be nasty.

Another unique option is the Albuquerque Balloon Museum (https://balloonmuseum.com/.)

cblaisd

Do we have for sure decided to do Albuquerque instead of Gallup.

We might take a day trip to Gallup (El Rancho motel, museum, silversmith shops)
Another day we intend to do the Turquoise Trail (including on this day or another) the Tram.
Another day at the casino.
And there's one more day

We aren't hikers, and a lot of our "Boys Road Trip" events include watching movies/shows our spouses wouldn't want to watch.

But I'd be open to one more short 2-3 hours road trip ex-Albuquerque; unfortunately PieTown seems to far

Your favorite restaurants (not fine dining) in Albuquerque would be welcome: steak, Mexican food, Asian buffet (the historical fact of Chinese labor on building the railroads has meant, I've found, that their descendants have some pretty good Chinese restaurants in the original western transcontinental railroad towns).

LoganFlyer

If you're into space, I highly recommend the Very Large Array about two hours away from ABQ. This was featured in the movie Contact in the 1990s. More information here:
https://public.nrao.edu/visit/very-large-array/

AZ_MISMAN

As I mentioned above, the tram may still be closed.

I second the VLA. Last I was there, self-guided tours were available. (Sweetheart and I just drove through there this past week on our way to AZ.)

Had lunch in Pie Town on Thursday, and, of course... some pie!

Bosque del Apache south of San Antonio, NM (birthplace of Conrad Hilton, IIRC) can provide some excellent wildlife viewing.

Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque is great.

Stop in Madrid on the Turquoise Trail.

West of Albuquerque (outside Grants) is El Morro and El Malpais Nat'l Monuments. Great photo opportunities even if you don't hike.

cblaisd

Website says the tram reopens March 14 That'll work, unless it's just packed.

Which restaurant in Pie Town?

AZ_MISMAN

There are only two! Pie-o-neer and The Gathering II. The Pie-o-neer was not yet opened, so we went to The Gathering II. Small selection of burgers, etc., and a dozen or so pies (all 6-inch and $14/each.) Try the onion rings!

And if you head to the Bosque del Apache, there is the Owl Bar in San Antonio that makes awesome green chili cheese burgers.

ETA: Watch the days/hours for the restaurants. They seems to toggle days of week and are, eh... flexible in their hours!