In this first post since moving back to New Mexico, something festive is in order. And since the New Year is upon us, wanted it to be upbeat – considering the next 4 years will be HELL. Shame on you if you voted for Trump!! Yup I said it!
For the folks that were not offended by the above statement, may I welcome you to the annual River of Lights event held at the Albuquerque Botanic Gardens. What a visual treat this was and so beyond what I could have imagined!!
Being no stranger to holiday lights events at various Botanic Gardens, had no idea what to expect at ABQ’s River of Lights. Living on the Front Range of Colorado, Blossoms of Light at the Denver Botanic Gardens has been a fav along with Trail of Lights down at Chatfield Farms. Definitely worth it especially when there’s been a fresh snowfall. Makes everything more sparkly for sure!
There’s something to be said for bundling up and walking among incredible holiday light displays. Just don’t forget the hot cocoa!!! For you grown ups, a thermos of Peppermint Patties is nice (hot cocoa with good peppermint schnapps – yum!)
Taking the Train from Santa Fe to ABQ

For this little holiday adventure, I decided to hop on the Rail Runner Express train down from Santa Fe to ABQ and just chill and enjoy the ride. So worth it! That and the fact that I LOVE trains.
It’s so cool to have this as an option especially when you don’t feel like driving. For those that may poo poo public transportation, you’re definitely missing out!
Then venturing over to Old Town ABQ to wander around for a bit. Conveniently, the ABQ Botanic Gardens which hosts the annual River of Lights is within walking distance of Old Town. So perfectly located.
River of Lights – What to Expect…

Like with many holiday light display events, you’ll need to buy tickets in advance as often they sell out. You’ll need to select a time slot too. Being that I was new to attending this event, had no idea what to expect? So I went for a 6:00 pm time on a Sunday evening. Little did I know just how popular this annual event would be!!

To say it was crowded was an understatement! Tons of kiddos bundled up and looking in amazement at all the lights. Very cute to see. However, I was there to take photos and was wondering how this would play out for photo ops being so crowded??
As it turns out, folks were actually quite respectful and gave me a clear path to capture shots when they saw me stooping down for a photo. Was pleasantly surprised and extremely grateful for their consideration. Some even stopped to comment and say “That’s gonna be a good photo!”. Mind you, most were taking photos with their phones but few were utilizing an actual camera.
Allow me to preemptively state that my nighttime photography skills are not the greatest. Figuring out all the settings is tricky. Plus based on what I’ve read, for capturing nighttime photos, you really should utilize a tripod. There was NO way that was going to happen with all the people and there was SO much to see! But I now have a whole new appreciation for those who excel in things such as astrophotography.
Side Note: Would highly suggest going to ROL on a weeknight and at a later time say 8:00 pm. Less kiddos and the crowds will likely have dispersed by then.
Different Themes of Landscapes and Ecosystems

From the moment you enter, you visual senses begin to go on overload – in a good way. The layout was of different landscapes and ecosystems as you wandered through the gardens. The displays were incredible! From flora and fauna on the savanna to desert, aquatic displays and more!! Even fantasy and gnomes with a spaceship to boot! There were dinosaurs too – but I did not get any photos of those.
For someone like myself who loves photographing flowers, there were LOTS of those too. Since it’s gonna be a while before anything is in bloom, it was pure joy to see the lighted floral displays.

The added bonus was that it was a FULL MOON! Very few people seem to notice this and just figured it was part of the light display. I did not notice it initially until I was photographing the spaceship display as seen in the photo above. I realized that bright light in the sky was the full moon! I even pointed out to a woman who was taking photos with her phone. When I told her she was like OMG, it is! She got a great shot with her phone and was so excited she came over to show it to me. I said that’s the image for your next Christmas card!! We both laughed!!
On with the Light Shows…
So without further adieu, enter the different slideshows below to indulge your visual senses.
We’ll start with some of the birds lighted displays. You can use the arrows to move to the next image. However, I would suggest clicking on the image above to enter the slideshow for the best viewing experience.
Next we’ll move onto some of the aquatic displays. From fish to coral and even a pirate ship complete with a treasure chest! Again I would suggest clicking on the image to enter the slideshow for the best viewing experience.
Lastly we will conclude with a combination of fantasy, flowers and animals. Mind you, there were many more lighted displays to be seen. I simply could not photograph them all!
You’re NEVER too Old!
I was amazed at how awesome the River of Lights was and HIGHLY recommend going should you find yourself in the area. Yes it may seem like more of a touristy thing to do – but you won’t be disappointed! Enjoy the magic and the wonder! You’re NEVER too old to enjoy such holiday events. It’s OK to be a kid again 🙂

Cannot imagine how many hundreds of man hours it took to put this all together! Hats off to you ABQ Botanic Gardens. Your River of Lights holiday event was awesome and I WILL be back!
If you enjoyed this post, check out some of my other New Mexico adventures:
● Otherworldly Landscapes in Northwest New Mexico
● A Visit to Origami in the Garden Sculpture Exhibit
● Aspen Vista Trail – Fall Colors Above Santa Fe, NM