Where to Go in 2026: Route 66 Turns 100—and Albuquerque Is Ready to Celebrate

This month on Unpacked, we’re diving into Afar’s just-released ⁠Where to Go list⁠—but this year’s picks are different. In 2026, we want to lessen the burden on overtouristed destinations and expand visitation to other parts of the world. Our editors carefully selected 24 emerging regions and overlooked locales that will inspire your next great adventure.

For Albuquerque, that means looking beyond a quick stop on the way to Santa Fe to discover what New Mexico’s largest city really offers—especially as Route 66 celebrates its centennial in 2026.

In this episode, host Aislyn Greene talks with Matt Kirouac, a writer who fell in love with Albuquerque several years ago during Balloon Fiesta and has returned many times since. He shares why this “flyover city” deserves a second look—from its 18-mile stretch of neon-lit Route 66 to native-owned breweries, centuries-old restaurants in Old Town, and petroglyphs scattered across dormant volcanoes.

Transcript

Aislyn Greene: I’m Aislyn Greene and this is Unpacked, the podcast that unpacks the world’s most interesting destinations and the deeper stories behind travel. This month, we’re diving into Afar’s annual Where to Go list, and this year’s list is a little different because in 2026, we want to lessen the burden on overtouristed destinations and help expand visitation to other parts of the world. And that’s why our editors carefully selected 24 emerging regions and overlooked cities that, I promise, will inspire you to start planning your next great adventure. We released the full list on December 4th, and on Unpacked over the next two months, we’re going to be exploring 15 of those destinations by talking with the writers who traveled to and shared our favorite new places.

In this episode, I’m talking with Matt Kirouac, a travel writer based in Oklahoma City. He’s also the author of the new book Secret Oklahoma! And as you’ll soon hear, Matt has spent a fair amount of time in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

I fell in love with Albuquerque a couple of years ago while reporting an episode. That link is in the show notes, so I was really excited to see it appear on our where to go list this year. If hot air balloons and Breaking Bad are your primary associations with the city, you are in for a wonderful surprise!

In this episode, Matt shares what’s on the horizon for the city in 2026, and there is a lot. The big news is the centennial anniversary of Route 66. Albuquerque has the longest urban stretch of the road in the country, so there are lots of cool activations tied to that, including large scale murals and interactive art installations organized by Meow Wolf and local artists. Plus, there’s been a push to revitalize the city’s historic neon signage and keep Albuquerque shining bright.

Matt, welcome to Unpacked. It’s so nice to meet you.

Matt: Thank you.

Aislyn: Before we go forward, I do love your sweatshirt. By the way, is that a pheasant?

Matt: It’s a roadrunner.

Aislyn: A roadrunner. That’s amazing. Yeah, it’s so good. We’re here to talk about Albuquerque. I spent some time there last year to do an Unpacked episode, and I just really fell in love with, like, the size of the city and the overall feeling of it. So I was curious to know what your relationship is with Albuquerque.

Matt: Yeah. I mean, I had the same kind of initial draw. I left Chicago in 2018, having lived there for 13 years, and was so used to these big, bustling, brassy cities. And I had moved into an RV and was traveling full time, and Albuquerque was one of my very first stops. I went there for the Balloon Fiesta in October of 2018. So I was there for the entire duration. It’s a 9 day event. I was there for a little bit longer than that in Albuquerque, and just really fell in love with the city. The size of it, the pace of it. I mean, the Balloon Fiesta was crazy and crowded. So an interesting first foray into Albuquerque.

I really loved the vibe. The people are so welcoming and friendly and proud of their city And there’s great food. There’s great nature. My favorite brewery in the country is there, Bow & Arrow.

Aislyn: Oh, yeah. I loved Bow and Arrow.

Matt: I adore it. Yeah. So I feel very comfortable there. Just really rejuvenated. It’s beautiful. It’s so sunny. It’s wonderful. Yeah.

Aislyn: It’s interesting that you say that, that sense of rejuvenation because it also feels kind of culturally rich. So it feels like you get both things like that slower pace of life, but also a lot to do and a lot to see and eat.

Matt: Yeah, very much so.

Aislyn: Well, so then you went back. It sounds like you’ve been back several times. Why do you think the Albuquerque so often gets overlooked?

Matt: People, yeah, I think do overlook it and see it just as a launching pad to like Santa Fe and Taos. And I love Albuquerque so much. I relate, I live in Oklahoma City now, and I think it’s similar, like for so many years it’s been looked at this flyover drive through city or something, but it’s so distinct and unique. It’s not like Santa Fe or Taos at all. There’s some overlap in terms of cuisine and Adobe architecture, but It’s really its own vibe, like Albuquerque feels to me like a big old city. Like you can feel the history of it, the heft of it. And it’s evident in like, Old Town Albuquerque quite clearly. But throughout the city, through the various neighborhoods and the petroglyphs and in the mountains, along the Rio Grande, it’s I don’t know, it just straddles the line very authentically between classic and contemporary. And I feel like it does a great job of preserving its history and celebrating it. And that’s evident in so many facets in museums on Route 66, in neon signs and galleries, on menus that have been there, operating for decades and decades. So yeah, it’s just entrancing. There’s some magic to it. And it’s so sunny, like again.

Aislyn: Like, I know.

Matt: I’m such a sun person, so it’s like blue skies and sun, even if it’s like 20 degrees. So it just feels right.

Aislyn: I’m with you. I’m from the Pacific Northwest and now I will, I can’t go back. I have to have my sun.

Matt: Yeah.

Aislyn: Well, so you mentioned Route 66, and Albuquerque is quite famous for the stretch that runs through it, which I believe is known as Central Avenue. And that was such a fun place to walk at night. So I’m curious to know the news that you mentioned, because there’s some interesting news on the horizon with the 2026 centennial anniversary. And then what does it feel like to you to walk down that historic street?

Matt: Yes. Oh my gosh, I love Route 66 so much. Ever since I was traveling the country for two years, and I live a block off of it now. So it’s a common thing in my life, and I just love going on scenic drives on Route 66, whatever the state. But Albuquerque is special for a variety of reasons. It has the longest urban stretch of Route 66 in the country, eighteen miles along Central Avenue, and much of that is lined with historic neon signs, motor courts, restaurants and old service stations, stuff like that.

And Albuquerque has a bunch of exciting activations that they’re planning for the centennial next year, including partnering with Meow Wolf, which is the famous immersive art experience in Santa Fe, that started in Santa Fe. And they’re partnering with Meow Wolf to align with local artists and create all these activations like street art and selfie stations all along that kind of 18 mile stretch of Central Avenue.

Also, Albuquerque is the only place in the entire route where Route 66 intersects with itself because there was a realignment in ‘37. It used to go through Santa Fe, so it realigned. And now this intersection where Central Avenue hits 4th Street. That 4th street also used to be the original alignment of Route 66. So now you can go to the only place in the entire route where it crosses itself north to south, east to west.

Aislyn: Yeah, I love that. There is the restaurant there that I think you mentioned in your story. Is it,⁠ M’Tucci’s⁠? Would you mind describing it for people?

Matt: Yeah. Great spot. And it always feels weird recommending first and foremost like an Italian restaurant. But it’s very good and original. They have some interesting items that you maybe wouldn’t expect or haven’t seen elsewhere, but what makes it so special is it’s in an old Route 66 service station, so you have that classic Americana vibe juxtaposed with amaro glazed ribs and arancini and stuff like that. And then there’s a speakeasy in the alley or access to the alley.

Aislyn: And then is there a new hotel coming? Did you mention that in your story as well?

Matt: Yeah, it’s been exciting for hotels in Albuquerque. Earlier this year, the Arrive Albuquerque opened, which is a very chic kind of renovation of a historic hotel from the thirties called the Downtowner. And it was like a motor court. And now it’s this very like southwest chic boutique hotel with a outdoor pool, a cocktail lounge and restaurant with pan-Asian and kind of southwestern influenced food. And there’s a gallery on site gallery called Secret Gallery, which puts emphasis on indigenous artists and local artists. And beautiful, beautiful place.

And then I was reading some more plans for new hotels. There’s the Hotel Andaluz, which is a rather historic property downtown. I’ve stayed there. I stayed there on the first night of my honeymoon, we were road tripping through New Mexico and we stayed there, and they’ve been undergoing some significant renovations and opened a rooftop kind of speakeasy style bar, as well as a wood fired restaurant called Char on the ground floor.

And then in Nob Hill, which is a very cute, eclectic, boutique filled neighborhood along Route 66. The vacant Highway House motel is being redeveloped as a one hundred room boutique hotel with a rooftop bar of its own, and they’re also revitalizing the original neon sign. So exciting stuff.

Aislyn: And it’s really exciting. Well, you mentioned Bow and Arrow, which I love that brewery so much. And I also spent some time at the Sawmill Market. I mean, there’s some really interesting ways to eat and drink your way through Albuquerque. Would you share some of your favorites and maybe a little bit more about Bow and Arrow?

Matt: Oh, absolutely. Yeah. It was one of the very first things I did in my RV when we parked by the Balloon Fiesta Park. I was just googling, like breweries or something, and that was one of the first results and it looked so stunning. So we’re like, we have to go there. And we went, it’s beautiful. It’s a gorgeous taproom. It’s this brewery that’s very southwestern inspired and influenced with local ingredients, and it’s native and women owned. I mean, it’s striking and artful and cans are beautifully adorned and they rotate pretty regularly. Very seasonal beers. They have a pilsner made with blue corn and, um, fun funky sours and saisons and stuff like that. There’s also great IPA selection, nice dark lagers. There’s cactus, dark lager, I believe. Something like that. Always fun. I always go there every time I’m in Albuquerque. I it’s a requisite.

So I’ve been there several times over the years. And then great food in Albuquerque, I think ⁠M’Tucci, the Italian restaurant we’re just talking about, is a great kind of newer example of something unexpected on Route 66. But in Old Town, I love Church Street Cafe. It’s in what is one of the oldest residential buildings built in Albuquerque shortly after it was established as a city, so 1700s, and now a restaurant. And it has that very well preserved atmosphere and vibe and the food to match. It has very traditional New Mexican Southwestern food. So like pozole and enchiladas and sopapillas and stuff like that. And it’s so delicious. And the environment is just really immersive and transportive.

And then similar with Mary and Tito’s Cafe, which is another kind of institution that’s known for its homespun, decades old recipes again, like sopapillas, tacos, burritos. And I must mention, the breakfast burritos in Albuquerque are exceptional. They’re very good. I only eat breakfast burritos in New Mexico for some reason, but they’re very good there.

Aislyn: Is there anything that makes them unique? Like what’s in the breakfast burrito? Because I feel like that’s very kind of polarizing for people.

Matt: Yeah, well, it’s some combination of eggs, potatoes and protein or vegetables, and I just feel like they do the ratio so right. And then it’s also the chili which makes a huge difference. The green chili or red chili, whichever way you want to go. But I had heard I don’t know if this is true, but like when I was at the Balloon Fiesta, people saying that breakfast burritos were invented at the Balloon Fiesta and they were big deal. There’s like breakfast burrito vendors all over the balloon festival, so I don’t know if that’s accurate. It’s become synonymous with, like, those early crisp Albuquerque mornings with all the balloons.

Aislyn: Well, I would love to talk a little bit more about events. I’m curious, would you recommend for first time visitors to go for Fiesta, or is that something you think is more a second time?

Matt: That’s a good question. I would say maybe not the first time because it is overwhelming. It attracts like a million people over the course of 9 days. So the city is really at capacity or it can feel like that. So it might be tricky to even find a hotel room, let alone an affordable one. I was just fortunate because I had my RV and my ex was like vending at the festival. So we had access to this giant parking lot where we just stayed.

But that can be tricky. It’s amazing. It’s beautiful and really inspiring and soul stirring, but that might be better on the second time around. Second chance. It’s always the first several days of October and they do it then because the weather is really optimal and beautiful. October and November.

So if I had to pick a season to hone in on, it would be fall. Summers can be hot, but it’s a dry heat and it’s high elevation and then spring. Spring is nice. I love spring there as well. Winter can be cold like, I don’t think people realize how cold it gets in New Mexico. I spent a lot of time in Santa Fe too, and I remember one time looking at my phone and it said that the temperature outside was negative zero. Like, that’s not a thing. But I’m like, This is New Mexico negative zero? Yeah.

Aislyn: Only the only place in the US. Well, for travelers who want more culture in their trip, where would you recommend? Because there’s a lot to do in Albuquerque on that side of things.

Matt: Yes. There is a lot to do both indoors and out. Some of my favorite things to do, which I do every time I’m there, is great hiking trails, really, of all hiking levels, you can do a rather hardcore 17 mile round trip to the peak of the Sandias, or you can take the tram to the top and go to a restaurant up there. It’s also great.

I love hiking around. There are all these, like Rio Grande river trails, mostly flat, and they weave just through the riverside forest. So you can have like, plenty of shade. There’s also just the gravelly wide path that is used by dog walkers, mountain bikers, stuff like that. And it’s really vast, robust trail system that goes all along the Rio Grande, which, you know, weaves its way through the city.

And then on the other side of town from the Sandias is Petroglyph National Monument, which is some of the largest intact preserved petroglyphs on the continent. And there’s like 25,000 of them that are strewn around these dormant volcanoes. And they’re not huge. Like when I say volcanoes, it’s not like Hawaii. Pretty low lying volcanoes that you can hike around and petroglyphs everywhere. So it’s really beautiful. And then I love Old Town Albuquerque. There’s the old church there, these galleries and boutiques filled with like turquoise jewelry and rugs and pottery. There’s a rattlesnake museum, the American International.

Aislyn: How did I miss that?

Matt: Yeah. So not for the faintest of hearts, but it’s so southwest. And I love, that area is just a touristy area, but it doesn’t pander to tourists. It’s not tacky in any way. Everything is so sincere and lived in from the restaurants to the museums. And then, especially with the centennial next year, Route 66 is going to be such a shining beacon, more than it’s ever been. They’re doing so many important and beautiful preservation efforts and artist collaborations. So you can see these historic sites that are along the route, like the Chemo Theater, which just last year underwent a significant renovation, and they do periodic movies and performances, concerts there. And then, just like all these cool sites like the El Vato Motel, which has been there for the better part of a century, and also went through a renovation in recent years and now has a taproom and live music and the on site plaza. So just lots of things to look at. There’s beauty, like just lurking where you wouldn’t expect it necessarily. Great art. I mentioned Secret Gallery at Arrive Albuquerque. I also love and highly recommend Anthony Heard. He has his namesake gallery. He’s a queer artist who does a lot of queer cowboy art.

Aislyn: Cool, yes.

Matt: Very subversive. He has these, like, butch cowboy types with these extravagant dresses, and they’re, like, often embracing each other romantically. It’s very wholesome and pure and vibrant. And he’s a lovely artist, great talent and just doing important work.

Aislyn: So I saw his work. I think it was on tour. I’m trying to remember which city I was in, but it was it was wonderful. I loved the colors and the themes. It was fantastic. Yeah. Yes.

Matt: Yeah. Me too.

Aislyn: Well, I’d love to. Kind of close with you. suggested, I think, times of year. But do you have any other advice for travelers who are looking to book a trip? I love cycling and I felt like it was a great city to rent a bike and just kind of noodle around on two wheels, if that’s what you’re into, because it’s so flat for the most part. But yeah. Any other tips for people who are going to go next year?

Matt: Well, it is definitely very bike friendly. My dad retired, he was a pilot, so he would bike everywhere he went and Albuquerque was definitely one of them. I just love walking around exploring on foot. It’s a great city for that as well. Even if you want some elevation and you want to kind of push yourself.

But in general, what I always say about Albuquerque is it’s a city that is well worth, you know, spending time in. It’s not just a place to start a trip and leave to fly and rent a car and go to Santa Fe or something. It’s wholly its own. It has its own history and vibe and feel and flavor. Festivals, art, so much vibrant Route 66 lore. So I think you’d be surprised if you slow down and actually experience it. Look around, talk to locals. I think you’ll walk away with a newfound appreciation for Albuquerque and for cities like this that were far too often fly over or drive through cities. I think the Centennial will showcase a new side of Albuquerque, and I’m excited for that.

Aislyn: Yeah. Me too. Well, thank you so much. Wonderful to be able to put a face to the byline. So thank you.

Matt: Yeah I know. I love it. Thank you.

Aislyn: Thank you so much for joining this special episode of unpacked. In the show notes, you’ll find links to the full Where to go list, as well as to the places that Matt suggested. We’ve also included links to Matt’s social handles and his book, as well as some other travel resources, so you can jumpstart your 2026 travel planning. We’ll release more Where to Go episodes through December 19th, and then again starting on January 1st. Happy travels!