Rio Grande (company)

West Mesa Airport, also known as Western Air Express Airport, TWA Airport, or Cutter-Carr Airport, was an airport on the West Side of Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States, which was the city's main commercial aviation facility during the 1930s. It was built in 1929 by Western Air Express as a stop on the airline's Los Angeles–Kansas City route, with a hangar and passenger terminal added in 1930. It was the city's second airfield after the original Albuquerque Airport, which was used by a rival airline, Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT). The two airlines merged in 1930 to form TWA, moving all of their operations to the West Mesa field. The merger gave TWA control of the nation's first coast-to-coast passenger airline route and allowed it to secure a lucrative federal airmail contract.West Mesa Airport provided commercial passenger service on TWA's Los Angeles–New York route, with direct flights to Los Angeles, Winslow, Arizona, and Amarillo, Texas. The airport was also served by the El Paso–Pueblo, Colorado route operated by Mid Continent Air Express (later Varney Speed Lines and then Continental Airlines). All commercial airline service moved to the new Albuquerque Municipal Airport when it opened in 1939. The unused West Mesa Airport was subsequently used as a nightclub and auto racing venue for a brief period before being leased to Cutter-Carr Flying Service in 1940. The airport remained in use for general aviation until the 1960s, last appearing on aeronautical charts in 1967. It was subsequently abandoned and razed. A section of runway 11 and some foundations were still visible until 2021. The airport was located about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Downtown Albuquerque, on the north side of Central Avenue at what is now Airport Drive. The airport had four unpaved runways arranged in the shape of an eight-pointed star, the longest of which was the 6,300-foot (1,900 m) runway 16/34. The main buildings were the 125-by-150-foot (38 by 46 m) hangar, which was designed to house two Fokker F-32 aircraft, and the Pueblo-style passenger terminal. When built, the location on the West Mesa was surrounded by empty desert, though it has mostly been filled in with new development since the airport closed.

West Mesa High School (WMHS) is a public senior high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico, located on the city's West Mesa. It is a part of the Albuquerque Public Schools. The school colors are scarlet, royal blue and white, and their mascot is the Mustang.

Mac's La Sierra is a New Mexican cuisine restaurant in the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is a landmark restaurant on U.S. Route 66.

The El Campo Tourist Courts is a historic motel on Central Avenue (former U.S. Route 66) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which is notable as one of the best-preserved prewar Route 66 motels remaining in the city. It was built in 1939 by M. H. McGraw and was one of the westernmost Albuquerque motels, located about 3 miles (4.8 km) west of the city center. The motel was later converted into an apartment complex. The property was added to the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties in 1993 and the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.The motel consists of two one-story buildings, one rectangular and one L-shaped, with a total of 11 rooms. Both buildings step down towards the rear of the property due to sloping terrain. The rectangular building has an office and store space at the front which is oriented at 45 degrees to the rest of the building, facing the entrance. A two-story addition was built on the front of the L-shaped building in the 1990s. The motel's architecture is southwestern vernacular, with Pueblo Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival elements.

The Hilltop Lodge was a historic motel on Central Avenue (former U.S. Route 66) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which was notable as one of the best-preserved Route 66 motels remaining in the city. It began as a small three-unit lodging in 1941, and was expanded to 12 units by owner E. H. Stopple in 1946. The property was added to the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties in 1997 and the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. The motel was demolished in 2003 after being shut down by the city as a nuisance property. The remainder of the site, including the neon sign, was cleared around 2017 for a realignment of Yucca Drive due to the Albuquerque Rapid Transit project. The motel was a one-story, L-shaped building with 12 rooms. The office and manager's residence were at the front of the building, which had a decorative stepped parapet and a small porch.

La Academia de Esperanza (LADE) is a charter school in Albuquerque, New Mexico. LADE has two campuses: one at the Desert Hills Treatment Center and the other campus in Albuquerque's South Valley at the intersection of Coors and Old Coors. La Academia de Esperanza has a charter through Albuquerque Public Schools. La Academia de Esperanza was founded in 2003 to serve "the growing population of 'at risk' youth" in Albuquerque.According to the school's website: "La Academia de Esperanza provides quality academic and vocational learning for students ages 11 to 18 in preparation for their roles as socially responsible individuals, within a community-based, ethnically and culturally-sensitive educational environment."

Ladera Golf Course is a municipal golf facility in owned by the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is located on the West Mesa of Albuquerque and was opened in 1980.Ladera includes an 18-hole golf course, a 9-hole executive course, a driving range, practice putting greens, and four lakes.Measuring 7,107 yards from the longest tees, Ladera has the longest playing yardage of any municipal course in Albuquerque.

The ABQ Biopark Botanic Garden is a 36-acre (15 ha) botanical garden located at 2601 Central Avenue NW in Albuquerque, New Mexico, beside the Rio Grande. The garden showcases plants of the Southwest and other arid climates, and includes a 10,000-square-foot (930 m2) conservatory. One wing of the glass conservatory houses plants native to the Mediterranean climates zones of Spain, Portugal, Turkey, South Africa, Australia, Chile and California. A second wing features xeric plants from North American deserts. The garden also features various exhibitions showcasing plants of different local habitats in New Mexico, medicinal plants, a butterfly pavilion and other attractions. The Garden's design was awarded as the 2019 Architecture + Community Award by the New Mexico Architectural Foundation.

Rio Grande High School is a public high school located in the south valley of Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. It is part of the Albuquerque Public Schools system.

The ABQ BioPark Aquarium, located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States is a facility of the Albuquerque Biological Park and is located next door to the ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden. The ABQ BioPark Aquarium exhibits Gulf of Mexico and South Pacific saltwater species from a variety of habitats, including surf zone, shallow waters, coral reefs, open ocean and deep ocean. The highlight of the aquarium is a 285,000 U.S. gal (1,080,000 L) shark tank with a 38-foot (12 m)-wide, 9-foot (2.7 m)-high, 8-inch (200 mm)-thick acrylic viewing window. Jellies: Aliens of the Sea, featuring moon jellies and Japanese sea nettles, and the Pacific Coral Reef Tunnel are popular with aquarium visitors. The South Pacific Gallery features seahorses, pipefishes, and colorfully patterned reef fish. The Rio Grande at Central Bridge exhibit in the aquarium lobby offers visitors an opportunity to compare the kinds of fish that lived in the Albuquerque reach of the Rio Grande 100 years ago and those found today. The Shark/Ray Encounter allows guests to have a guided, up-close experience with bamboo sharks and stingrays. The Albuquerque Biological Park is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

The El Vado Auto Court is a historic motel in Albuquerque, New Mexico, located along former U.S. Route 66. Built in 1937, it operated until 2005 and reopened in 2018 after renovations. The motel was listed on the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties and National Register of Historic Places in 1993, and was also designated an Albuquerque city landmark in 2008.After nearly 70 years in business, El Vado was purchased in 2005 by a new owner who intended to clear the site for redevelopment. After a lengthy legal battle, the motel was designated a landmark by the Albuquerque City Council, granting it a measure of protection. Ultimately the property was sold to the city in 2010, launching the renovation efforts.The motel consists of a pair of long, one-story buildings separated by a landscaped courtyard (originally a parking lot). It is an example of Pueblo Revival architecture, with stepped massing, irregular parapets, vigas, and buttressed, stuccoed walls. The 2016–18 renovations added a new swimming pool as well as several small retail spaces and a tap room.

The Gavino Anaya House, at 2939 Duranes Rd., NW in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was listed on the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties in 1983 and the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.It is a terron building with a flat roof, two-foot thick walls, and low doors and windows, with no foundation. It was probably built in a linear style of a row of rooms, probably one at a time; two rooms added later transformed it to an L-shaped plan.It was assessed by historian Bainbridge Bunting to have been built in the early 1800s, and it is "possibly the oldest least-altered house in the city. Because of its probable age and since it is one of only five minimally altered traditional early L-shaped homes still standing in Albuquerque, the Gavino Anaya House is of local significance."