There are SO MANY things to see and do in the Albuquerque/Santa Fe area before, during and after the balloon fiesta! This list highlights only a few.

Discover aquatic habitats, including a walk-through eel cave and a 285,000-gallon shark tank. You also can see films or visit the gift shop and restaurant. The Botanic Garden showcases the natural environment of the Rio Grande Valley through specialty gardens, a Children's Fantasy Garden and Desert and Mediterranean conservatories.

About 2 miles west of downtown Albuquerque and a few hundred yards from the banks of the Rio Grande is an image lost in the capsule of time. It is Old Town, where Albuquerque first saw its beginnings as a way station on the old Chihuahua trail, the lifeline between Santa Fe and Mexico City. Take a walk through this history, the serene village that has been the focal point of community life since 1706. Quiet hidden patios, winding brick paths, gardens and balconies await your discovery. Wrought iron and adobe benches beckon you to rest in the shade and watch people stroll by. Visit historic San Felipe de Neri Church and relax in the Rose Garden. Shopping here is a truly delightful experience. Unique items from around the world, as well as those that are distinctly Southwestern, can be found in more than 150 shops, boutiques, galleries and artist studios. And when in Old Town, eat like New Mexicans! Try delightful chile dishes, which evolved from a combination of Indian and Spanish recipes, or enjoy one of the many restaurants featuring everything from the All-American hamburger to fine Continental cuisine. Old Town has been the crossroads of the Southwest for almost 3 centuries, an Historical Zone, and home for many families whose ancestors founded the town. This is a “Can’t Miss.”

Just minutes north of Albuquerque (off of I-25, exit 242) in Bernalillo, is Coronado State Monument where Francisco Vásquez de Coronado—with 300 soldiers and 800 Indian allies from New Spain—entered the valley while looking for the fabled Seven Cities of Gold. Instead they found villages inhabited by prosperous native people. Coronado's party camped near the Tiwa pueblo of Kuaua, one of the many villages encountered by the explorers. Kuaua, was first settled around 1300 A.D. by American Indians who had long known about the fertile land near the Rio Grand. Successful at agriculture elsewhere, many of Coronado’s party moved into the area, allying themselves with the local population. The resulting pueblo flourished and grew, as did the many neighboring villages along the life-giving Rio Grande.

Try to attend the 5th Annual Globalquerque Music Festival, September 25-27, 2009, just the weekend before the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. This little gem of a festival is held each year at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque. The pervasive theme of this festival is unique: “So many artists (18 this year), from so many parts of the world (>12 countries), performing so many styles of music, often drawing on multiple traditions at the same time says something extraordinary and profound about human creativity, culture, and spirit (Dirty Linen, March/April, 2008).” This year’s festival only strengthens that established tradition.

Humans have probably inhabited the Jemez Valley since 2500 B.C. The name "Jemez" is from the Native American Tanoan dialect for "people." Recorded history of the area began when the Spaniards arrived in 1540. When Coronado made his headquarters near present day Bernalillo, he sent exploring parties in a number of directions. Captain Francisco de Barrionuevo reported visiting 7 Jemez towns and some historians believe there may have been as many as 20 Jemez pueblos in the Jemez Valley at one time. Guisewa ("place of boiling water") was one of the largest of the Jemez pueblos in the area. Natural mineral hot springs are located throughout the Jemez valley. Some are on public land while others are on private land and open to the public for a fee. The following springs are on public land and are administered by the US Forest Service headquartered at the north end of Jemez Springs: Soda Dam, McCauley Warm Springs, Spence Hot Springs, San Antonio Hot Springs. Come take a dip!

Tent Rocks became a national monument in January 2001. Kasha-Katuwe is a Keresan phrase meaning 'white cliffs,' Keres being the traditional language of the pueblo tribes of northern New Mexico. The teepee-like formations are quite remarkable and unique; hundreds of white, pinkish or grey spires, sharply conical in shape, lacking any covering vegetation, that occur in several groups on the east side of Peralta Canyon, on the Pajarito Plateau, 40 miles west of Santa Fe. The rocks were formed by erosion of thick layers of pumice and tuff. Since the overlying sandstone strata are more resistant to erosion, residual pieces form caprocks over the ash which, being so soft, erodes rapidly downwards, creating tall spires. If a cap rock is dislodged, the spire quickly (geological timescales) weathers away, though new ones gradually form further up the hillside. The tuff is a remnant of explosive volcanic eruptions 6-7 million years ago, as are pieces of obsidian, a translucent, brown/black volcanic glass known locally as Apache Tears, which can be found scattered over the washes and cliffs of the monument and especially around the river in the main valley. However, collecting samples is not allowed. National Hispanic Cultural Center (http://www.nationalhispaniccenter.org/index.php) National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC) is dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and advancement of Hispanic culture, arts, and humanities. Since opening in 2000, there have been >25 art exhibitions and 500 programs in the visual, performing, and literary arts. Venues are provided for visitors to learn about Hispanic culture throughout the world. The beautiful campus is located along the banks of the Rio Grande in the historic Albuquerque neighborhood of Barelas

A museum that will change the way Americans look at their history. The Museum began as the development of a storage facility for collections, at the Palace of the Governors, decades ago and has evolved into a first-class museum, spurred by the national rethinking of the role history museums play in communities. They are no longer attics or basements full of long-forgotten objects, but rather places that partner in education, civic engagement, and social change and the NM History Museum epitomizes that change. On the Historic Plaza in Santa Fe, next to the Palace of the Governors.

Explore an ice cave, stand inside a "live" volcano or ride the "Evolator" back to the Age of Dinosaurs-the museum offers fun and interest for the entire family. Visit exhibits on zoology, botany, geology and paleontology.

A park preserve for the riverside wildlife of the bosque, the cottonwood groves that line the river. Enjoy the visitors center, exhibits on local ecology, geology and history, and nature trails.

Explore an African savannah, tropical rain forest, primate island, lobo woods, a birds of prey aviary, and more.

The 2.7-mile ascent to the 10,378-foot peak of the Sandia Mountains is a thrilling, can't-miss attraction. The adventure begins as you board the tram, already high above the city in the foothills of the dramatic Sandia Mountains. Immediately you will be amazed as you ride the 2.7 mile Sandia Peak Tramway and are whisked gently over the canyons and lush forests that lie beneath Sandia Peak. During the day you might see mule deer, black bears or bobcats roaming the forest beneath you, while hawks, golden eagles and even the occasional hang glider coast through the air. Once atop the peak, you can see a panorama of more than 11,000 square miles of spectacular beauty. At night, the city lights below sparkle like a million jewels.

Santa Fe is not only the capitol of New Mexico it's also the oldest capitol city in the USA, established in 1598 (as the capitol of Nuevo Mexico, a province of New Spain). The unique State Capitol is a round building that forms the shape of the Zia Indian Sun symbol (the symbol that's also on the flag, the license plates, and state road signs). It's the only round state capitol building, one of the few without a dome! Considered by many to be the most attractive and historic town in the Southwest, Santa Fe town centre has a charming small-town feel, with all the main shops and old buildings within walking distance of each other, and the distinctive adobe architecture is used almost universal - houses are painted in subtle, officially-approved shades of pale brown, with characteristic clay walls and protruding wooden ceiling posts. Banks, restaurants, art galleries, the police station, even the local McDonald's - all are built in the same style.