What's your reason for coming to Albuquerque, New Mexico? Are you on vacation? Are you moving to the city for a job interview? Did you set up a golf date with Dennis Gartman to talk about your financial future? Whatever the reason that brought you here, why not stay a few days and enjoy the sights? Despite the seemingly barren desert landscape, this is not a sleepy small town. It's a thriving city with tons of things to do. Here are some of the more popular.

Culture

Who would have guessed that an out of the way place like Albuquerque could be such a hub for the arts? But the with the combination of Native American, Mexican, and European cultures that make up Albuquerque's demographic, there ended up being over 300 organizations devoted to the arts. Learn a faux painting technique at a visual arts school, see a professionally produced play, or attend a concert of traditional music. These are all options open to you.

Festivals

Regardless of the time of year your visit falls in, there's bound to be a seasonal event occurring while you're in the city that you might like to check out once you're through discussing current gold and silver prices at your conference. If you visit in April, be sure to check out the Gathering of Nations PowWow, which features art, music and dance from 500 Native tribes across two continents. October is also a great time to visit, because it's the time of the annual hot air balloon festival, the largest one in the world.

Outdoors

If you've never seen a real live cactus or absorbed the quiet solitude of an old desert battlefield, buy a women's sweater to keep off the cold night wind and go for a stroll in one of the city's many parks. You can hike or bike the miles of trails winding in and out of the Sandina Mountain foothills and see why Albuquerque is one of the fittest cities in the country. While you're out, don't forget to visit the unforgettable Petroglyph National Monument.

Sports

While there are no major league professional sporting teams in Albuquerque, the city has its fair share of minor league and university teams playing games and running ice hockey camps you can watch if you enjoy sports. There are teams in baseball, arena football, basketball, minor hockey, NCAA football, and NCAA basketball. There are also numerous golf courses and sport parks you can visit if you want to play a sport.