Traveling in Albuquerque

Albuquerque is a large city in the middle of the desert, right in the heart of New Mexico. It's the largest city in the state and has a lot to offer visitors. The city has a quaint downtown with a handful of good shops and restaurants. The surrounding area is quite beautiful and every fall the city hosts a famous and spectacular hot air balloon festival.
Albuquerque has a cold desert climate that is usually sunny and dry. There are on average 278 sunny days a year. There are four distinct seasons but temperatures are relatively mild in both the summer and winter. December and January are coolest months with lows dipping to around 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Spring can be windy but dry. Summers have low humidity highs in the 90s Fahrenheit. Fall can be pleasant or cold as winter approaches.
Neighborhoods & Around
Albuquerque is a planned city with residential areas surrounded by larger roads that are lined with businesses. The city is divided into four quadrants . The railroad tracks that run parallel to I-25 are the east/west dividing line and Central Avenue is the north/south dividing line. It's easy to orient yourself in the city based on the Sandia Mountains to the east. Central Avenue is the main east west artery in the city. The eastern part of town that is closest to the Sandia Mountains is the Heights. Uptown is a business and shopping district within the Heights. The South Valley is west of I-25 and south of downtown. The Westside is the suburban area on the western side of the river.
The city's Old Town is of particular interest to tourists. It's found between Central Ave and Mountain Rd to the west of downtown. The area has interesting adobe architecture and many shops, restaurants and museums of interest to tourists.
There are a couple of hostels and plenty of budget accommodation around Albuquerque. You generally don't need reservations, but many people prefer to have a destination in mind and find prices are cheaper if they book the room in advance. This is particularly true if you're planning to stay at a nicer hotel.