i'm here for a work conference this week, and wow, i am impressed. i now understand why people want to retire in the southwest.
the scenery here is just so BEAUTIFUL. and it's amazingly DRY (bye-bye bad hair days for me - LOL). And ridiculously CHEAP, unlike many other touristy places. and people (uber drivers, bus drivers, hotel staff, conference workers) are SO FRIENDLY. Like, they are actually interested in helping you vs. making you feel bad for not already knowing where something is. is that part of the tourist-locale thing?? i also like how the Native American culture/Mexican culture is celebrated here
Seriously, people talk about Southern hospitality and "slow pace" of the South but i've been in Dallas area 10 years now and i don't feel that AT ALL. lol. i actually feel like a lot of Dallas area is pretty snobby in many ways and tends to look down on people not from the area or on people without $$ (and i can't count how many times i've actually heard people say "if you don't like how we do things here, then leave!")
anyway i want to come back here to Albuquerque on vacation with my DH & kids. it seems very family-friendly. is October balloon festival a good time to visit? (or is it insanely crowded??) my kids 2 days off school for Columbus Day (monday and tuesday) so maybe something for long weekend?