Albuquerque?

[Wade Lippman]

Any extraordinary stores there?

5 years ago on vacation in Tucson I bought a turning block out of the clearance bin and turned the nicest bowl I ever made. It was some sort of curly burl; stunning piece of wood for $2. I keep trying to recreate the magic. Who knows; it is worth a try if there is anyplace good there.

[Bruce Page]

Lumber wise? Not really. We have a few hardwood dealers that sell the typical fare. There’s a good one in Santa Fe called Alpine Builders Supply. All of them are overpriced compared to what you pay in the southeast.
We do have Woodworkers Supply that has taken a lot of my money over the years. We had a Woodcraft store for a few years but the crash of ’08 took them out, bad timing. Overall woodworking in NM is an expensive hobby.

[Edwin Santos]

I've never found NM to be a wood haven. As Bruce mentions, Woodworker's Supply is there.

You might be better off devoting your energy to the restaurant scene. Los Pollos Hermanos is legendary.

There's nothing in the world quite like NM green chile. If you get up to Santa Fe, look into Horseman's Haven if you want to taste the real deal. Too hardcore? Then go to Tomasita's and get the chile rellenos. I heard they opened a location in ABQ not long ago.

[Frederick Skelly]

There's nothing in the world quite like NM green chile.

+1. Do not miss the green chiles. The flavor is delightful and it's not "burn your face off" hot. It's a New Mexican specialty you shouldn't miss.

[John K Jordan]

Any extraordinary stores there?

5 years ago on vacation in Tucson I bought a turning block out of the clearance bin and turned the nicest bowl I ever made. It was some sort of curly burl; stunning piece of wood for $2. I keep trying to recreate the magic. Who knows; it is worth a try if there is anyplace good there.

What size of blanks are you looking for and what species of wood did you get before? If you will be driving, swing by East TN on the way back - I have wood and can also take you down to Jefferies Woodworks which has a huge variety and stock. My green wood is free (depending on what I have, cherry, maple, poplar at the moment). Nothing at Jefferies even approaches free. :)

https://jeffries-wood-works.business.site/

JKJ

[lowell holmes]

The pictures remind me of Sutherland's in Dickinson, Texas.
We are both blessed to have such a lumberyard nearby.

[Wade Lippman]

You might be better off devoting your energy to the restaurant scene. Los Pollos Hermanos is legendary.


It sure looks good on Breaking Bad!

I am renting a house by 45 and 423. Any "not to miss" restaurants near there?

The tram will be down for maintenance while I'm there :( but my wife really​ wants to drive up the backside anyhow.

[Chuck Saunders]

406617This is why I am moving to Placitas. Been a long time since Albuquerque High School.
Chuck

[Wade Lippman]

Had a great time there, with perfect weather. Kasha-Katuwe and San Lorenzo Canyon are two of the best hikes I have been on. The tram was closed, so we drove up Sandia Crest. Food was uniformly excellent; the tamale appetizer at Hot Tamales was extraordinary.
But we will never go back, as there are no good woodworking stores.

[John K Jordan]

Had a great time there....
But we will never go back, as there are no good woodworking stores.

Here's a business opportunity for someone: travel hotspots for wood people. Imagine a specialty travel agent or web site where you could sort locations by wood type and availability, tools and such, classes/schools, special events like symposiums or demos, clubs, galleries, etc. Specify in your areas of interest: furniture, rustic, woodturning, musical instruments. Book a tour in a factory or a visit to a private shop. Pinpoint creekers there and en route. Get info on the climate, restaurants, housing, and non-wood attractions for traveling partners.

My Lovely Bride is amazing at putting trips like that together. She's in the middle of a planning a New England tour at the moment. When planning our trips overseas she always somehow locates wood working, turning, carving, pottery, glass, fiber and other interesting crafts places and museums for us to visit, better than any travel agent I've heard of! She often finds things even the locals don't know about. Of course, she researches and plans for months for every trip.

JKJ