Albuquerque ABQ Biopark Aquarium!

 

Even though I've been to aquariums & zoo's countless times, I always love visiting & exploring new locations when we travel. Our most recent travels brought us to Albuquerque, New Mexico which offers a triple threat location known as the ABQ Biopark that is a Botanical Garden, Aquarium & Zoo all within a short distance of one another. We were only in Albuquerque for a day and a half, so seeing as how we were a little short on time, we decided to skip the zoo portion and just check out the botanical garden & aquarium. Today's short review will be on the Aquarium! 

While this was one of the smaller aquariums I've been to, it was a great stop on our trip. I like how they have everything set up in an easy-to-follow trail through the aquarium. They had a few surprisingly large tanks for the size of the aquarium. The largest tank they had is home to several sharks, and a sea turtle along with dozens of giant fish and sting rays. There is a small seating area where you can just relax & watch all of the fish swim by. The otter was especially adorable & being able to check out it's exhibit from both under water and above was neat. He/She were quite active when we visited, so we were able to see them grab a snack, go for a swim and explore up on the land part of their exhibit.

The aquarium was clean and didn't have an overwhelming fishy smell like some aquariums tend to have. The bathrooms were also clean, and the gift shop had a lot to offer. In total I would say depending on how fast you walk, and whether you choose to stop and watch the fish for a while, this aquarium can take anywhere from twenty minutes to forty-five minutes to get through.

🚗Looking for more fun travel destinations? I have posted about some wonderful places to visit in Arizona, California, Nevada & New Mexico! In the search bar of my blog you can type in "Things to do in ___" (add the state) and it will bring up all the posts I've done in those states. 

🟊 This is not a sponsored post, we paid for this ourselves. I just enjoy sharing awesome spots with my readers. 

Sandstone Bluffs Overlook in Grants, New Mexico!

When traveling we not only like looking for new attractions to visit, but we also look for beautiful places in nature to visit along with national parks & popular tourist spots. I like to plan our trips ahead of time and we pack as much into our trips as well can to make the most out of our time. On our recent trip into New Mexico, I knew we would be arriving in the state would be on Christmas, so we didn't expect much to be open. I did manage to find a tourist type spot to visit on our way into New Mexico that would be open on Christmas & that spot was the Sandstone Bluffs Overlook. We were traveling along Interstate 40 into Albuquerque, and the bluffs is just a short twenty-five-minute drive down the 117 in Grants, New Mexico.

When you google this area, you will find two different areas, the first is the El Malpais National Monument & a little further down the road the Sandstone Bluffs Overlook. We visited the actual Sandstones Bluff overlook; the national monument was closed for the holidays. However, if you were to visit any other time there is a welcome center at the national monument. The bluffs overlook is down a dirt road just off of the highway, you will drive down about two miles of dirt road. The road itself isn't bad, pretty much every vehicle type will be able to make it to the destination without any issues. You'll find a small parking lot at the end along with a singular bathroom. 

After a long drive from Phoenix, this was a great spot to get out and stretch our legs while checking out some gorgeous views. This spot looks down onto the lava fields, which can be hard to see depending on the time of the year due to the vegetation that has grown over the lava rocks, however quite a bit of it is still visible. The sandstone bluff itself is also a sight to see, I loved walking along the top of the rocks seeing where pools of water have formed holes into the stones, seeing where the wind has carved out markings into the stones and watching birds fly by looking for tourists to drop a snack. 

The sand that comes from this area is so soft, if you visit be sure to feel the sand. Also helpful to know before you go; This area is free to visit! The bathroom lock didn't work very well, so I would have someone stand outside so no one walks in on you. There is very little shade, I would bring a hat to wear and don't forget your sunblock, water and hand sanitizer. We didn't stop at it, because I completely forgot I saw it on the map, but on the dirt road leading into this spot is an old stone cottage that is still partially intact that you can take photos at. The address for this on google maps is "Sandstone Bluff Overlook, Grants, NM 87020" 

🚗Looking for more fun travel destinations? I have posted about some wonderful places to visit in Arizona, California, Nevada & New Mexico! In the search bar of my blog you can type in "Things to do in ___" (add the state) and it will bring up all the posts I've done in those states. 

🟊 This is not a sponsored post, we paid for this ourselves. I just enjoy sharing awesome spots with my readers.