I can’t believe how much there was to see and do in Albuquerque! We found ourselves there for a week with only a days notice before going, so planning things to do and stay was all a little on the fly, literally as we drove West out of Texas! I was so excited to see that the Colorado Rockies AAA minor league team, the Albuquerque Isotopes, had a homestand while we were there, and we immediately made plans to go!
I love Minor League Baseball! In our culture of mega-stadium, the smaller and more personal stadiums really appeal to me, and seem to be much more child-friendly! They also seem to work a little harder to draw in the crowds, having much more fan interaction and activities than their Major League counterparts! If you haven’t been to a minor league game, definitely check one out, there are 8 in Texas, alone!
Like most of the Minor League Ballparks, the berm in the outfield is a great place to watch the game, spread out a little, play some catch between innings and hopefully catch a home run ball, or just snag one from the outfielders! It’s one of our favorite things at the game!
Isotope Park also has a fun kids area, also in the tradition of most Minor League Parks! There were bounce houses, a few rides and much more. We purchased a wrist band that allowed my son to ride, jump and play as much as he wanted!
An approaching Summer Storm eventually delayed our game for a few minutes, but I loved the sky before it arrived sometime after dark!
My husband goes nuts in baseball stadiums for the food! They had all your typical ball park food, along with some interesting New Mexico cuisine such as Navajo fried bread tacos and local beer!
While the name Isotopes comes from the fact that Albuquerque is a world-leader in nuclear energy, and home to the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History, it’s also a very tougue-in-cheek reference to The Simpsons animated television show, which has a baseball team named the Isotopes in their fictional city of Springfield.
We had so much fun playing around with the different photo ops, too, during the rain delay!
While the Isotopes apparently do not have a licensing agreement with Fox, which runs the Simpsons, they seem to have a good understanding with each other!
I’d love to tell you that my kids, who only watch 29.5 minutes of PBS television a day, have no idea who The Simpsons are, but every bit of that would be a lie.
We missed seeing the Mariachis, the Istopes alter-ego, play the day before. The same team, the Mariachis games are fun and full of a blend of Mexican heritage and baseball, with fun, hispanic themed activities such as flamenco dancers, mariachi bands, pinatas and more! Click HERE to see their schedule and read more.
There is also a fun little gift shop! If you’re ever in Albuquerque, definitely check out a game!
Things To Do in Albuquerque
Play
We absolutely loved Old Town, with great shops, restaurants and much more!
The Sandia Peak Ski and Tramway takes you to the top of Sandia Peak, which can be as much as 30 degrees cooler than in Albuquerque! The new summit restaurant, Ten3, is scheduled to open late Summer 2019. The NM Ski Museum is located at the base of the tram.
The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is owned by the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico, and is a museum with hands on exhibits, Native American dances every weekend, authentic cuisine and hand made art.
Eat
The New Mexico cuisine is so amazing, with so many traditional foods, and in summer hatch chilies are everywhere! We loved the Navajo Tacos at Church Street Cafe in Old Town, the amazing savory sopapillas from Stuffed Lust Food Trucks! I loved the Carne Adovada, which is a sweet roasted pork in red sauce at Cocina Azul and the most amazing food at Campo, the restaurant at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm, which had huge lavender fields and as with everything on the menu, their chilaquiles were amazing! My husband loved trying as many as he could of the 30 breweries in Albuquerque, with Marble Brewery in Downtown turning into our go-to place!
Stay
We stayed at Best Western Plus Old Town, which we really enjoyed. Old Town has some great hotels and VRBO’s in historic adobe pueblos, or check out the Inn at Los Poblanos or the Sandia Resort and Casino with golf and a spa.
Isotopes Baseball at Isotopes Park
1601 Avenida Cesar Chavez SE, Albuquerque, NM
Click HERE to visit their website.
Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!
Michelle
Having Fun in the TEXAS Sun is on PINTEREST! Use it as a quick resource to find activities in different Texas towns! Click HERE!
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