Before my recent trip to Albuquerque, I knew absolutely nothing about the city or the area. But after I experienced rattlesnakes, scenic drives, restaurants, Pueblo culture, and an international flamenco festival, I wished I could stay longer.
The American International Rattlesnake Museum in Old Town Albuquerque claims to have the largest collection of different species of live rattlesnakes in the world, beating out some top-notch zoos.
One of the best places to be introduced to the 19 Pueblo cultures (Pueblo means people) of New Mexico is the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque.
You can make this an all-day drive, stopping in at hot springs, eateries, galleries, and historic sites, or just take in the dramatic landscapes from the window of the car.
I joined two vans of journalists and drove 60 miles west of Albuquerque to the home of the Acoma people, who moved there sometime in the 12th century and built their city on top of a mesa.
An evening of watching world-class flamenco dancers at Albuquerque's Festival Flamenco convinced one blogger she wanted to be a flamenco dancer in her next life.
Happily, my pre-trip impression of Maui's culinary offerings turned out to be totally out of date. The island now bursts with terrific eats, from farmers markets to white tablecloth temples of Hawaii Regional Cuisine.
A group of us from Oakland and San Francisco recently decided to visit Sacramento's Crocker Art Museum to see an exhibit of ceramics made by a top American potter. Only, we didn't want to speed there on Interstate 80, see the show, and then speed back. We wanted a little road adventure.
