Whenever it’s Summer in Albuquerque, I have our air conditioning constantly running.
It’s a far cry from Phoenix weather, as Albuquerque is the highest elevation city in the country at over 5,300 feet.
Although it’s in a desert valley, the valley itself is over 5,000 feet with Sandia Peak towering above from the east. I had never experienced living near mountains until I moved to Albuquerque. Growing up in the deep south only yielded swamps as well as farmland if you didn’t live near the ocean. It was also a lot hotter to live in the deep south because of the proximity to the tropics. I expected that moving to the desert in New Mexico would yield extreme heat beyond the likes of which I had ever seen, however our experience didn’t pan out appreciate that. The higher elevation is not a joke, especially when you try to adjust for the first time. Plenty of people use air conditioning here, however it’s not as necessary as it would be in Phoenix or Death Valley. There are some historic buildings in Old Town that don’t even have air conditionings. I don’t mind because there is usually a nice breeze coming through the windows if it ever gets too sizzling in the Summer season. Some of the Indian Pueblos in Albuquerque sell their goods as well as artwork in the shops of Old Town Albuquerque. I purchased breathtaking jewelry made from aquamarine as well as pearl for our romantic partner while I walked through Old Town yeahterday. It’s very our favorite place to shop in all of Bernalillo County. I don’t mind if these ancient shops have air conditioning or not.