Albuquirky

Albuquerque

Called "Albuquirky" by locals and famed for its October balloon festival, this arty, often neglected Route 66/I-40 stop in New Mexico is one of the USA’s oldest cities – and is finally getting noticed by the Santa Fe–bound. Beyond standby attractions (the Einstein doll’s jolting German accent at the National Atomic Museum, the 2.7-mile tram up Sandia Peak, and the state’s best huevos rancheros at always-open Frontier Restaurant), much is changing too. The film industry has recently turned it into a "Toronto of the west," with tax incentives drawing in production teams of films and TV shows like Breaking Bad (the AMC series set here), No Country for Old Men (last year’s Oscar winner for best film) and Men Who Stare at Goats. Another success story in the last 10 years is the revitalized Hispanic neighborhood of Barelas – established in the late 1600s – which now draws visitors for home cooking at Barelas Coffeehouse or traditional folk healing at Ruppe B Drug.

From travel.yahoo.com/