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About New Mexico's biggest city:  Albuquerque is a vibrant city with a diverse people, culture and history. No matter your interests, the city has countless opportunities for you to explore. Sample traditional New Mexican cuisine that takes minutes to make and hundreds of years to prepare, experience world-class museums, stroll along Central Avenue under the vintage neon glow of Route 66, or soar high above the city in the hot air ballooning capital of the world.

The city’s climate features 300 sunny days a year, while temperatures are moderated by its mile high elevation.  ABQ (aka The Duke City) enjoys four seasons with potential snow in the winter and sunny days in the 90's during the summer. Enjoy the city’s 286 urban parks and 113 miles of urban trails including 16 miles of trails through the Rio Grande’s cottonwood bosque (forest).  Looming directly to the east are the Sandia Mountains that reach over 10,000 feet and are great for hiking, trail running, mountain biking, and skiing. In the spring, kayakers and rafters flock to whitewater stretches of the Rio Grande and Rio Chama and it's the hot air balloon capital of the world. All told, New Mexico features ~27,000,000 acres of public lands.

Fun facts about where Albuquerque ranks:    

• #1 City in the Southwest (Sunset Magazine)

• Top 10 cities for active life and active families (Time & Outdoor Magazine respectively)

• Top 10 cities for achieving work-life balance (Zippia.com)

• Top 10 best up-and-coming towns for college grads (CBS News)

• Top 10 most bikeable cities in America (Walk Score)

• Top 20 big cities for open space land (Trust for Public Land).  

• Top 20 cities for beer lovers (Travel and Leisure).  

• Top 20 hippest US cities (Insider) and one of America's next trendy cities (Travelocity)

• Top 10 most friendly cities in America (Travel and Leisure).

• Top 10 most wildlife-friendly cities in the USA (USA Today).

• Top 20 LGBT friendly cities (SeniorAdvice.com)

• A top global destination in 2018 (NY Times, LA Times & Travel and Leisure

About the Southwest Region:  The Southwest’s distinctive landscapes provide habitat for a wide variety of remarkable native plant and animal species, including nearly 200 species listed under the Endangered Species Act. In Arizona, wildlife adapts to environments ranging from lowland deserts to scenic mountain peaks. New Mexico’s vistas intertwine with ancient cultural landscapes accommodating many species sacred to Native Americans. From the gulf coast beaches to the plains of the panhandle, Texas is home to a wide variety of species including whooping cranes, the Kemps Ridley sea turtle, and the lesser prairie-chicken. Oklahoma’s expansive landscapes include species that represent the historic character of the West, where prairie dogs, elk and bison still roam the plains. Weaving through all of these landscapes are hundreds of species of migratory birds that migrate through the Southwest Region.