Albuquerque a2k roundup, May 14-19, 2008

Thank you, Osso.

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Diane and I did a tour of picnic sites.

To review, there is interest in Tingley Beach, with the added possibility of a park area across Central Avenue. These are near the Rio Grande River and Central Avenue.
http://www.cabq.gov/biopark/tingley/
http://www.bosquerevive.com/Tingley/intro.htm

We had stopped by the Tingley Park site last week, but only for a short time. This time we still didn't see any swings, but the ponds are nice and there is run around room for Bean. There are a few picnic benches/tables, but most in the direct sun. (Accuweather saying 89 degrees on Sunday the 18th.) The trees are quite young yet in the grassy area. There is one covered concrete area, but people would have to bring chairs.. and it is not reservable.

We walked across the train track (a small cute train that takes people from Tingley Beach to the area north of Central where the other place we wanted to check out is.) And then down a path and through a nice tree section. One could sit on the ground, but we didn't see benches. Also, the path down to the main path is a little tricky and not HC accessible.
Bathrooms are in the building by the ponds/grass area.

We looked fairly extensively at park section said to have trees and benches north of Central. Yep, there was the train stop, and bathrooms.
We entered the grove of trees and eventually found quite a few picnic benches, and single benches. Some in sun or not, but there was some shade. This is a first come first serve situation, so we don't know if the most accessible benches would be available.. or indeed, any of them. Pretty place, we liked it.
Maybe Diane will remember more about the immediate accessibilty than I do. I remember our walking down a bike path to another path.

There is the first idea mentioned, which is the Rio Grande nature center, up near Rio Grande and Candelaria. At first none of us remembered if there were tables and benches.

rio grande nature center
Address: 2901 Candelaria Rd. NW Albuquerque, NM
Tel: 505-344-7240

http://www.rgnc.org/parkinfo.htm
http://www.rgnc.org/directions.htm

Yes, just by the parking lot we found four tables with benches and four other benches, with shade.
I called and spoke to a volunteer a few minutes ago, and she is going to send me a map of the trails. Why I want it is to figure out how far the bathrooms (in the main nature center building) are from the picnic tables and are they handicap accessible. Yes they are, it's a gravel path, she said. She can't say how long a walk it is, and I don't remember clearly. Might be a couple of hundred feet. Thus the request for the map,
Roger might have a sense of the distance. The distance can matter for some.

This is the same situation, we don't know that we would beat other folks to those picnic tables. I remember seeing single benches at odd places on the park trails in the past, but not where.

EhBeth found for us the Elena Gallegos park, which is up a bit in the Sandia foothills from Tramway and Simms Road (between Paseo del Norte and Academy).
We knew from the website that there were nice benched areas, and wanted to get a look at them and see if they were available on Sunday the 18th.

http://www.cabq.gov/openspace/elenagallegos.html

We really liked this park but didn't find a person to talk with..
Diane called them this morning, and I called a few minutes ago to double check about the one double roofed space that I think the website says is $50. to reserve (plus damage deposit). Well... turns out if we wanted that or the bigger Kiwannis area, we should have called last November. And all the other seven picnic spots fill up early, the park is very popular in May.

I don't know what I think, except that the Gallegos Park is a lot further from Old Town and, say, a beer or food at Little Anita's patio - or an ice cream cone in Old Town - than either the Nature Center or either Tingley Beach area.

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Thank you Jo and Diane for taking the park tour today. We really do appreciate your efforts.
I am looking back over notes in my Alb file. Yes I do have a file. The notion of something in a park has my fingerprints on it. The rationale was this: (1) Too many people coming to one home there for that person to handle (violation of rule #1 here-no burden on locals); (2) A perceived need for "neutral ground;" at (3) low cost. We could bring our own picnic.
I never thought of shade or accessibility or picnic tables or chairs.

I still like the idea of a Sunday late morning/early afternoon gathering someplace. Maybe some of us could go out Saturday night and steal some lawn chairs that we can park in the shade. No table needed.
Or whatever.

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I don't recall distances, either. For myself, I can navigate a mile or more if need be, on foot, if the terrain is fairly regular.

Thanks.

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roger wrote:

I don't recall distances, either. For myself, I can navigate a mile or more if need be, on foot, if the terrain is fairly regular.

Thanks.

I can't, hope you all do well on your trek.

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I don't want to dismiss a park out of hand, but there is that risk of no benches.

I want to call the Indigo Crow in Corrales. It is lovely, has a good patio, takes reservations, and isn't all that far from a place a few of us might enjoy visiting, the Anthro Pottery studio we've talked about before on a2k.

I know that in the afternoon they sometimes have only H''ordeuvres, but those are wonderful, and could just be shared. What I don't know is about those hours and when the Sunday brunch crowd is there.

And then there is Little Anita's, which I scorned way early in the thread for food, but is really ok, is in Old Town, is somewhat charming inside and has a nice patio.. and probably takes reservations. I might or might not have posted the menu before. We could do a mix of an Old Town walk and a snack fest.

On the Rio Grande Nature Center walk from benches to the Nature Center building, I revise my opinion to maybe even three hundred feet. At least one time I walked it, the gravel path had artist booths on boths sides of it, and was a little curvy, so I can't drag up a picture in my mind of, say, equal to a city block. Diane and I didn't pay to go into the park as we could see the benches before doing the ticket business - and, besides, I forgot about trying to pace that off. I think we both think it is a little far for Dys. And BBB would have to get her motorized cart in action. (We could see the top of the building). Anyway, maybe I can work out the scale from the site map the volunteer will mail me.

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We could write a book...

Revenge of the Lawnchairs*

Those might work in that Tingley Park extension with the trees...

* sly reference to A Richard Brautigan book

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Many pages ago someone mentioned that they were going to be staying at a B&B that had a nice yard. Close to downtown. I assume. Shaded, as I recall. Might that still be an option for the Invasion of the Lawnchairs?

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Edited to add about SEASONS.

ossobuco wrote:

I don't want to dismiss a park out of hand, but there is that risk of no benches.

I want to call the Indigo Crow in Corrales. It is lovely, has a good patio, takes reservations, and isn't all that far from a place a few of us might enjoy visiting, the Anthro Pottery studio we've talked about before on a2k. I. Crow IS crowded at brunch, for good reason, but maybe just after the main brunch hours.

I know that in the afternoon they sometimes have only H''ordeuvres, but those are wonderful, and could just be shared. What I don't know is about those hours and when the Sunday brunch crowd is there.

And then there is Little Anita's, which I scorned way early in the thread for food, but is really ok, is in Old Town, is somewhat charming inside and has a nice patio.. and probably takes reservations. I might or might not have posted the menu before. We could do a mix of an Old Town walk and a snack fest.

Diane and I also drove by Seasons in Old Town, the name of the restaurant we both remember but had forgotten the name of.
Looking back, I probably posted the website and menu before on this thread but didn't recognize the name. We think it's more expensive than Little Anita's, - we ate there one weekday lunchtime a couple of years ago - but menu checks would make sense. More yuppie, but we did like it. I seem to remember they have a rooftop deck/umbrellas.

On the Rio Grande Nature Center walk from benches to the Nature Center building, I revise my opinion to maybe even three hundred feet. At least one time I walked it, the gravel path had artist booths on boths sides of it, and was a little curvy, so I can't drag up a picture in my mind of, say, equal to a city block. Diane and I didn't pay to go into the park as we could see the benches before doing the ticket business - and, besides, I forgot about trying to pace that off. I think we both think it is a little far for Dys. And BBB would have to get her motorized cart in action. (We could see the top of the building). Anyway, maybe I can work out the scale from the site map the volunteer will mail me.

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You might direct a question to Eva or Pdiddie on the B&B

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That was the PDiddies, and I think another a2ker is staying there too, unless I misremember.

What I remember about their website is they have weddings there. So... surely we'd have to ask.
That's the Hacienda de Colores. Might be best if the ones who are guests did the asking.

For the first time I noticed that your hotel has an outdoor area, RJB. Rememeber, we had lunch there and looked at the lobby (small). This time I looked over as Diane was driving, and noticed trees sticking up from what must be the pool area. Hmmm. Probably not appropriate as an en masse group, but..

but the Hacienda de Colores might be.

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I'm staying there.

I'll be happy to ask if we can meet there. When? For how long? How big will our group be?

Yes, the website says they have weddings there...they have a chapel. I assume that is NOT where we want to meet...? Laughing

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To all my ABQ A2K friends, I wish I could be there, but I have commitments in Idaho Falls, St. George, Boise, and Baker City (Oregon) this month. Tell everybody hello from me, anyway!

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Is there still time for me to win Lotto, quit my job, sleek up and get there in time?

S'pose I should start with a ticket - and worry about those other things in that order!

Have fun, y'all!

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ossobuco wrote:

Diane and I did a tour of picnic sites. .......
<snipped for visual purposes..
..........Tingley Beach area.

Ok.
So I want to re-visit this post right quick.

It sounds and looks like Tingley beach is just out of the question.
I have no problem , and I had even planned on , getting there early and plopping down in the best area for everyone.. but it sounds like there really is not one.

And that park that is close by the mountains is completely reserved for next weekend?

I have been talking to my friend who currently lives there and is adding to my memory.. parks that have a lot of shade, good places to sit, and bathrooms that you dont have to drive to.

Apparently there are several in Rio Rancho...
Issue with that is I know I can navigate there ..no problem. Others may not. And it is about 40 minutes one way.

Rio Grand nature center sounds wonderful.... but on a Sunday.. ? My thought is that it may be full of birthday parties, families, and other groups like ourselves.. but that does not mean we can not get a good spot, especially if I get there early enough.

I was up last night until the wee hours of the morning using street view in Albq to help get my bearings straight and attempting to jog my memory of the city.

I may be thinking of the same park that Beth is .. but there is a park right at the base of the mountians that would serve as a wonderful meeting place . ( I have a seperate window open right now looking for it.. )

Im wondering if that would be too much of a drive for everyone though?
It seems that most people are staying a block or two from major roads, and ALL large roads lead to either Tramway blvd, or dead end/turn into another major raod that will take you straight to the mountains.
Even with directions.. if one gets lost.. just point your car at the mountains and drive Laughing

Tramway blvd goes along the base of the mountain and connects to all dirt roads, major streets, and side streets available..

So far ( and I am looking at more.. )

for an alternative I have found

http://stateparks.com/san_gabriel.html

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&safe=off&q=9901+Montgomery+Blvd+NE,+Albuquerque,+NM+87111,+USA&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&resnum=1&ct=title

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And then there is El Rancho park right close to you guys currently that.. just using street view with google, I can see a few shaded areas though I can not quite make out benches?? And I see a large building that may be where the bathroom is and it is not far from any of he possible places there are benches..

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but, so far the best I see.. AND it is right close to petroglyph park is Rinconada Park

street view shows 3 or more covered tables and 2 large buildings.. which I can only hope contain a loo..
if not.. there ARE bushes?! Laughing

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There is also the Santa Fe Village park but street view is so over exposed I can not see anything very clearly.
But the size of it.. and the amount of covered places I can see.. lead me to believe it may be accommodating as well

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BBB
There is a park about one mile from Dys-Diane-BBB's house. It's on Ladera just around the corner. The three of us drive by it every time we are in our cars. I've taken my dogs there and recall that there are tables and benches, lots of shade trees, good parking, etc. I don't remember if there are bathrooms. There are good walks, lawns, etc. It's a neighborhood park so it's not over-crowded and would be easy for everyone to find.

BBB

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All very interesting... we can check at least some of this out.

On the Indigo Crow and Little Anita's, I haven't called yet.

Shewolf, the Gallegos Park is pretty booked until November... and fully booked for the next month or two.
Not sure if there is another park over there - but it is a distance, though the beauty of Gallegos made the drive worth it if we could have gotten one of the great areas with tables.

Eva, hard to tell how many. If it were me asking, I might say something like ten to see if that would horrify them - it may be less and might be more - but it might go up to, what? sixteen? Perhaps RJB could give a closer guess...
We had been talking about something like 11 am to 2 pm...

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Albuquerque a2k roundup, May 14-19, 2008

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