If you have a whole day to shop while you’re in Albuquerque,
here’s what I recommend. Start in Old Town, where you can see a lot of the very
traditional Southwestern shopping Albuquerque has to offer and get a sense of
history. Old Town has a great variety of galleries for authentic Southwestern
art, pottery and jewelry. You can also pick up some distinctive keepsakes like
chile pepper Christmas ornaments, piñon incense and hot air balloon
refrigerator magnets.
Then hop in the car or walk the short distance to Downtown,
stopping at one of the contemporary galleries for some affordable,
non-Southwestern art. Maybe buy a Stetson at the Man’s Hat Shop. Then drop in
to Skip Maisel’s where you’ll find a huge collection of Native American art and
crafts.