Moon Santa Fe, Taos & Albuquerque UPDATE

This doesn’t refer to anything specific in the book–I just thought it was a big step forward: You can now bike all the way to the Balloon Fiesta grounds (thanks, Duke City Fix).

Balloon Fiesta traffic is the single biggest mental deterrent for going, I’d say. The park-and-ride bus system works, but if you can get there under your own power–so much cooler! And a pre-dawn bike ride would be great.

In other news, there’s now an actual flushing public toilet in Madrid! (Previously, porta-potties were all that was available.)

On p. 176, I describe the Jemez State Monument as being south of Jemez Springs. In fact, it’s just north of the town. Also, the parking area for Spence Springs is more like 1.6 miles north of Battleship Rock.

This isn’t news, obviously–it’s just plain wrong. I have no idea how it happened, and I’m embarrassed it took me so long to realize it. Apologies!

Just FYI, ABQ’s transit system is now called ABQ Ride, not SunTran (p. 181). The Downtown-Old Town Trollery (p. 181) doesn’t run anymore, though. There is a free bus, called the Downtown Get-Around, that makes a big loop around downtown, between Lomas and Silver on 3rd and 5th streets.

Chef du Jour (p. 161) has expanded, and chef Jennifer James (formerly of Graze) is now cooking here. The dinner menu (yes, there’s dinner now too) changes monthly, and is a great deal.

Ambrozia (p. 163) is closed. The chef now runs the new Nob Hill Bar & Grill, where Gulp/Graze used to be.

I reported earlier that Blue Dragon (p. 164) had closed. It has now reopened.

The Frontier (p. 165) is no longer open 24 hours—tragedy! It’s open 21 hours: 8am to 5am.

The Miner’s Chuckwagon in Madrid (p. 175) has moved—it’s midway through town, part of a larger Pit-BBQ operation. It wasn’t actually operating when I passed—it looks like it will rev up when summer gets underway.

Nizhoni Moses (p. 153) no longer exists. There are now two Nizhoni galleries, with jewelry and RC Gorman work—one’s on Church St., one block behind the church.

Martha’s Body Bueno (p. 154) is closed. Martha’s products will be available at an upscale lingerie shop called Seventh Goddess, on Central a couple of blocks east of Carlisle (“upper Nob Hill,” as it’s being called these days).

Hey Jhonny Home (p. 154) is shut—but the original shop is still there.

The radio station 104.1 (p. 149) is no longer “Latino and proud” format. I was enjoying 105.9 this time, though, which was a lot of contemporary Mexican pop and rock.

Gulp (p. 149) is closed. The whole Gulp/Graze compound is now the Nob Hill Bar & Grill, run by the chef from Ambrozia.

Gorilla Tango (p. 151) theatre is closed. As a consolation, keep your eyes peeled for the Pajama Men—I hear they are an excellent improve duo, splitting their time between Chicago and ABQ.

Hiway House (p. 159) has redone its rooms—not so retro, but the carpeting is fresher. Ownership is a little cagey about prices, however, which can be annoying. Feel free to bargain.

La Posada (p. 161) will be reopening as Andaluz—not sure when yet, however.

A big fire gutted Golden West (p. 146), in Albuquerque, and the neighboring Launchpad and El Rey are at least temporarily shut from damage as well.

Jennifer James, formerly of Graze (p. 166), will be cooking at Chef du Jour (p. 161) starting September 4–this is great news! (Thanks, Duke City Fix.)

This hostel in Albuquerque (p. 158) now has a website: www.rt66hostel.com.

This cafe in Albuquerque (p. 164) is closed.

It looks like this great little diner in Albuquerque (p. 162) is closing! Very sad.

Thanks to Duke City Fix for the tip.

UPDATE: Actually, no–just closing for a few months. It should reopen with a patio area, and maybe even a deep-fryer!

This Albuquerque sight (p. 138) has changed the schedule of dance exhibitions slightly: summer schedule is only through October, not November. Museum admission is up to $6. The website is www.indianpueblo.org. And the Pueblo Harvest Cafe (also on p. 162) now opens at 8am, not 7.

Prices at this Albuquerque place (p. 158) have gone up just a tiny bit, to $18 for dorm beds and $24-35 for private rooms. It’s not much, but it can make a difference to those on a serious budget.

I realize I left out a crucial detail on this cool museum outside Albuquerque (p. 173)–it’s open only April through October. I hope no one’s been caught out by that one. Oh, and admission is $3.

This nice little resto in Albuquerque (p. 166) is closed (as of today). The adjacent bar, Gulp, is still open.

This place in downtown Albuquerque (p. 163) is now called JC’s New York Pizza Department and has added a nice little bar area, with arcade games and good beers on tap. Hours have changed too: now 11am-11pm Sun.-Thurs, 11am-3am Fri. and Sat. (Yes, 3am–very handy after the bars.)

This cafe in Socorro (p. 170) is closed–it has been replaced by nice coffee place, Manzanares Street Coffee.

An outpost of Santa Fe’s popular Mexican seafood joint Mariscos La Playa (p. 63) is opening soon in Albuquerque, on Central Ave. west of the Rio Grande.  It’s very near Sandia Peak Inn (p. 159), on the same side of the street.

I ate at this restaurant in Corrales (p. 166) on this past research trip, and the menu has changed substantially from what’s described in the book.  It does have a few mid-range New Mexican items, but the bulk of the menu is $20-and-up entrees.  My group and I had salads and the green-chile-chicken stew, and none of it inspired raves.

I can’t really recommend the place for a full dinner anymore, but it is still a nice spot for a drink and a snack while you’re in Corrales–ideally outdoors on the patio.

Greyhound/TNM&O buses now arrive at a new depot across 1st St., next to the Amtrak station.

Re: Tingley Aquatic Park (aka Tingley Beach, p. 158), I spoke too soon–the landscaping is still nowhere near finished, though I did see people fishing in the ponds, and the train to the zoo is running.

Re: Faulty Trail (p. 157), I realized the directions don’t really account for all the ways you could get lost.  First, turn on Canoncito, not Corte de Canoncito, which is the next turn to the north.  Then stay on Canoncito for a full half-mile–there’s a fork early on, and you need to bear right to stay on the main road.  Just as the paving ends, there’s another fork, and that’s where you want to bear left, onto Cole Springs Rd. You’ll pass through one fenced area, with ‘private property’ signs, before you reach the locked gate described in the book.  There’s very little room to park there, so you may want to park in the pullout right at the Cole Springs Rd. turn.

El Vado Motel (p. 159) is closed.

La Posada de Albuquerque (p. 161) is also closed, but is under major renovation.  This is great news, because the place was on its last legs.

Chef du Jour is now open for dinner Thurs.–Sat., from 5 p.m. on, but it is closed entirely on Monday.

And the phone number is 247-8998–my mistake.

La Posada de Albuquerque (p. 149) is closed—it looks like it’s undergoing big renovations.

Monte Carlo Steakhouse (p. 162) has helpfully labeled the entrance to the place.

A reader just dropped me a note to say his experience at the Hotel Blue in Albuquerque (p. 159) was far less than satisfactory: the pool was closed, the airport shuttle was discontinued “until further notice,” the shower didn’t work, and his non-smoking room had an ashtray in it and smelled smoky. And then there was the small matter of a cockroach.

From this info, it sounds as if the original manager, who was extremely scrupulous, has gone on to another job. This is really disappointing, since this would be a huge waste of a hotel in a prime location.
So, until I check on this myself when I’m back in ABQ next month, proceed with caution. You might consider instead the Best Western Rio Grande, in roughly the same price category.

UPDATE: I checked on the Hotel Blue in September ‘06. The pool was closed this summer due to citywide water restrictions during a severe drought–this can affect hotels all over the state.

The staff claims an airport shuttle is available, and the rooms look clean enough, but there was a general air of disorganization and slight untidiness about the place–cigarette butts around the front door, for instance, and rumpled carpeting in the room I saw. The staff was having problems with the in-room Internet access, but weren’t really equipped to fix the situation. If I’d been staying there, I would’ve been deeply frustrated.

I’d say this hotel is still a decent option, though at this point, I’m removing the wholehearted “Moon Pick” support of the place.

I’ll check in again in December.

The new entry point to Acoma Pueblo (p. 169), which includes the Haak’u Museum, is now open. Firsthand reports say the building is very impressive, especially compared to the portable trailer that had been the starting point for bus tours.

Martha’s Body Bueno in Albuquerque (p. 154) has moved to 3901 Central NE.

The awesome tastiness of Bumble Bee’s Baja Grill, till now only in Santa Fe (p. 59), is coming to Albuquerque: one branch is opening right across from Flying Star in Nob Hill, at Central and Amherst.

Pearl’s Dive in Albuquerque (p. 163) is closed. Rats. Not sure what’s going in its place.

Worse, though, is that Coyote Moon in Lemitar (p. 170), which served some of the best New Mexican food I’ve ever had, is now renamed Tina’s…which is pretty much a guarantee that the man who used to run the place is gone. Very disappointing. You’ll have to hold out till San Antonio for a meal on your way to the Bosque del Apache.

Or you could stop at Socorro Springs Brewing Company, on the north end of the main drag in Socorro. This place used to be on the plaza, and then it was gone, which was pretty sad, but now it has reopened in a gigantic spot–presumably with the same good beer and basic food, but I haven’t checked yet.