D2 -- Central Ave: 1000 West/Description

This is the western edge of Old Town, a shopper's and photographer's dream. Old Town is full of enticing nooks and crannies containing museums, galleries, and quaint merchant shops in the true southwestern style. Horse drawn carriage tours of Old Town circle back just before the bridge, allowing a romantic glimpse of what life may have been like 300 years ago.

The street is crowded with shops and street vendors; the Spanish and Pueblo influenced architecture is fresh and well-maintained. A brief walk away is the Albuquerque Biological Park complex, which encompasses the Aquarium and Botanic Gardens, as well as the Rio Grande Zoo.

To the southwest is Old Town Bridge, which spans the Rio Grande and takes one into the more rugged Atrisco area of Albuquerque. The greenery of the Albuquerque Country Club and Tingley Beach Park can be seen from the bridge, which is open for foot traffic as well as automobiles. A well-traveled trail leads down to the river bank.