New Mexico / Colorado Road Trip Day 2 - Albuquerque New Mexico, Sandia Peak

Day 2 of our family road trip landed us in Albuquerque New Mexico to visit my sister-in-law who just moved there, and to celebrate her little boy's first birthday. 

 

 

For our family outing we headed over to Sandia Peak.

Loaded up with water bottles we started to hike up the peak. I lasted 5 minutes. Literally. 5 minutes. And then I melted down. Although beautiful, it was brutally hot, both kids were clinging on me, and I was covered in little bitting gnats with no bug spray or sunscreen. 

At the risk of disappointing the family (boyfriend Tim, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, mother-in-law, kids), I declined the walk and headed to the restaurant to relax with a lemonade and a book. A few minutes later I saw Tim and Grady, followed by the rest of the crew.

Because of the heat we decided to take the tram to the top, instead of the hike. Now I will admit, I'm terrified of heights, and I tried to back out and not partake in the tram ride. But the family wasn't having it. I literally stood in the middle of the tram, surrounded by people enjoying the view, and the only thing I saw was the floor of tram. Silly, I know. Anyone who is afraid of heights will appreciate the pulse-racing inability to breathe sensation when exposed to heights. The Tram ride was 15 minutes long, safe and calm and on the way back down I even ventured a few glances out the windows. So glad I did it!

 

 At the top of the peak we went on a very short hike into the woods and had a picnic. It's amazing how different the landscape is at the top. Green and lush with pine trees, fresh/cold air, and butterflies everywhere. Dreamy. We will definitely go back and explore more of the mountainside someday soon.

Lesson learned. Even if you're afraid of heights, don't let this opportunity pass you by. Take a deep breath, grab someone's hand, and try to enjoy the ride. The view from the top is fabulous.

 

Have you ridden the Sandia Peak tram and hiked at the top?


At the end of a very long day, a warm cookie and soft cushy bed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Albuquerque: