My First Downtown Albuquerque Walking Tour - THANK YOU

Something funny happens when you finally let an idea go from sitting in your head to allowing it out into the real world…

Other people get involved.

It was about two weeks ago that I finally got the courage to share publicly an idea I’ve had for years: bringing my own free walking tours to downtown Albuquerque.

Within minutes of publishing the blog, people reached out with positive comments and encouraging messages. Some even reached out to have coffee or a meal to discuss how they could help. And some people even signed up to join me on a walking tour.

To everyone who reached out, to those of you reading this, and especially to those who took time this past Saturday to join my first tour: THANK YOU.

A total of nine adults and one child met me in Robinson Park for my very first Then & Now Downtown Albuquerque Walking Tour. Sure, I may have been related to some of them but I wouldn’t trade the support of my family for anything in the world.

Together, we explored the art and architecture of downtown, learned about Albuquerque’s history dating back to the arrival of the railroad in 1880, and saw which restaurants, cafes, and businesses are operating in the city’s core today.

My favorite comment from the entire tour didn’t come from one of the guests, though they all had good things to say about the experience, but rather it was something I overheard a passerby say under his breath as he crossed our path:

Tourists downtown? That’s something you don’t see every day.

I hope to use future walking tours to continue to push back on that sentiment and I invite you to help me, even and especially if you’re a local. The next few Saturday mornings are open for registrations right now. 

Learn more and sign up here.

I hope to see you on Saturday!

Hasta pronto!

Eric

Bringing Free Walking Tours to Downtown Albuquerque

Pursuing a passion project is scary.

Maybe that’s why I’ve been dragging my feet on an idea I’ve had for years, one inspired by my travels around the world:

I want to bring my own walking tours to downtown Albuquerque.

While I hope for success and growth in the future, I recognize the importance of starting small, and so I want to begin by offering you, the friends who have been around to watch my travels and other blogging endeavors, a chance to join me for a tour of my hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Like the walking tours I’ve done in Europe and Mexico, these tours will be offered completely free, with an option at the end to tip what you feel the tour is worth. I’ll offer a “Then & Now” look into Albuquerque, recounting the past through downtown architecture while offering insight into the city’s present offerings.

What do I need from you? Encouragement and accountability.

Yes, this is a naked plea for positive reinforcement, though if you have any constructive words of caution, please reach out to me directly. I also need accountability or else this idea will remain only an idea like it has for several years now. That’s why I’m publicly declaring a start date and need your help sticking to it:

Saturday, June 17th, 2023

On that day at 9 am, I will be at Robinson Park at 8th and Central, using the Downtown Growers’ Market Info Booth as a meeting point.

I invite you to join me for a leisurely one-hour tour running east along Central Avenue, covering about eight blocks and roughly 150 years of Albuquerque history. Together, we’ll explore the art and architecture along this stretch of Route 66, where I’ll cover how it got its start as Railroad Avenue, which buildings are still around from the turn of the 20th century, and what you can find inside them today.

I’m starting with three dates while keeping an eye toward future options based on demand:

• Saturday, June 17th at 9 am
• Saturday, June 24th at 9 am
• Saturday, July 1st at 9 am

Interested? Sign up for one of these time slots right now using this form.

A reservation is not strictly necessary for joining the tour but will be helpful for planning purposes and for my own encouragement.

Sign up now>>

Even if you can’t make it, I appreciate that you read through to the end. Maybe you can catch pics and videos from a walking tour on Instagram (@followeric.blog) or Facebook (/followericblog).

Either way, I still owe you all some blogs from this year’s travels.

Hasta pronto!

Eric

An Unexpected End to My Slow Travel Journey

This isn’t a blog I expected to write but I want to share why I chose to bring my slow travel journey to an abrupt end.

For those who have been following along this year, you’ll know that in mid-January I walked across the border to Juarez and started a slow travel journey through Mexico.

I spent a couple of weeks in Mexico City before meeting up with friends in Puerto Vallarta. I spent over a month in Guadalajara before bouncing around the Yucatan Peninsula. Then, about two weeks ago, I touched down in South America.

In Medellin, Colombia, I met up with friends and it started off similarly to my adventures in other countries, eating local cuisine and sightseeing. And, like I’ve done in all seven other cities I’ve visited during this year’s travels, I went out to see what Medellin’s nightlife had to offer.

I won’t be going into detail about what transpired. I’d really prefer not to and I’m still waiting for investigations from my financial institutions to conclude. What I will say is the day after going out I realized I no longer had my phone or debit card.

I had contingency plans for a lost card and I had ways of dealing with a missing phone but the combination one-two punch was more than I had bargained for. I decided it was best to head back home.

It was not an easy decision and neither was navigating the logistics of getting from Medellin to Albuquerque but I believe it was the best choice under the circumstances.

Thank you to each of you who reached out directly to check on me. It means a lot to know how much you care and I can assure all of you that I am doing okay. Trust me, I’d rather be exploring some new South American country right now but spending Easter with family is pretty nice too.

For those of you in Albuquerque, I hope to see your faces soon! For those I met during my travels, thank you for making my trip special and meaningful. I hope to see your faces again someday, too!

And to those of you who have reached out because you have upcoming travel plans, including trips to Mexico and South America, let me assure you that I would return to the road in a heartbeat, and that includes Colombia. There was nothing unique to Medellin that made me feel any less safe than I did in any other city or country. All of the common safety tips apply as they would in any city, including those in the United States, and I urge you to keep your guard up.

• Stay aware of your surroundings at all times.
• Don’t draw attention to yourself.
• Drink responsibly and keep an eye on your beverages.
• Be aware of common scams.
• Watch your surroundings when using an ATM.
• Know the local number for emergency services.
• Only use reputable transportation companies.
• Store your cash and cards in multiple locations.
• Keep a backup credit card for emergencies.
• Always keep an eye on your belongings.

Also, be sure to stay in touch with friends and family regularly during your travels so if you run into trouble someone is more likely to realize it quickly.

I consider myself lucky to only be dealing with lost possessions and not physical harm or worse. I’m home, I’m healthy, I’m safe and I feel grateful.

I’m grateful for the 78 consecutive days of travel I was able to experience this year and I can’t wait to get out there to explore more of this world. For now, I will enjoy my time home in Albuquerque with friends and family and I’ll be reminiscing on the memories and friendships I’ve made in the eight different cities I visited over the course of 11 weeks. It’s been an incredible journey and it’s been a pleasure to share it with you.

That said, I have quite a cache of stories, including everything after Guadalajara, and I look forward to finding ways to share them with you. Keep an eye out for them here as well as on Facebook and Instagram.

Hasta pronto!

Eric