Albuquerque, New Mexico - December, 12 2011 - This holiday season Routes Rentals & Tours takes you through the heart of Albuquerque, down luminaria-lined avenues in Old Town and past some of the most impressive light displays in the state. Our unique and intimate bike tours are the perfect way to experience the holiday sights, sounds, scents, and magic of New Mexico without the traditional headaches of heavy traffic and parking.

For Routes Rentals & Tours inaugural Holiday Bike Tour, there are two options available, and both are great for families!

The Bugg Light Show tour is a mix between walking and bicycling and takes approximately 1 hour, while the Old Town Luminaria tour is experienced solely by bicycle and averages 45 minutes to an hour of riding time. The Bugg Light Show has been a family tradition for many in Albuquerque throughout the years. Norman and Joyce Bugg collected and built it in their Northeast Heights front yard over more than 30 holiday seasons. Now housed at the Menaul School, the Bugg Lights are a Christmas attraction that encompass more than over 200,000 lights and characters such as Snoopy, Raggedy Ann and Andy, Eskimos and penguins.

Your Routes Holiday Bike Tour of the Bugg Light Show will include a leisurely cruise through several beautifully lit Albuquerque neighborhoods before arriving at the Menaul School where you can park your bike and enjoy a stroll through the breath-taking light show that made the Bugg house so popular and heart-warming. After heading back to the Routes shop, warm up with a steaming cup of hot cocoa and select holiday teas featured by some of our favorite local shops.
The whole tour (walking and biking) will be approximately one hour, and costs $15 per ticket with a bike rental and $7 per ticket if you supply your own bike.

Another of Albuquerque\'s holiday traditions can be found right down the street from Routes Rentals & tours! Old Town Albuquerque closes its streets to automobile traffic on Christmas Eve, and hosts one of the most extensive luminaria displays in the state. The neighborhood is also home to the City’s holiday tree and the famous decorations / ceremonies of the San Felipe de Neri church.

Your breath-taking, Christmas Eve bike tour begins with a relaxing ride through Old Town and around the San Felipe de Neri church to view the city\'s largest concentration of Luminarias. We then proceed into the Country Club neighborhood, where every street is twinkling with holiday cheer and impressive light displays, after which we return to Routes Rentals & Tours to fill up on even more holiday cheer in the tasty form of hot cocoa and specialty teas.

The entire Old Town/Country Club tour will be approximately one hour in length and experienced from the comfortable seat of our signature cruiser bicycles. The cost of the Christmas Eve bike tour is $15 per ticket with a bike rental and $7 per ticket if you supply your own bike.

Tickets for each tour include a hot beverage and a commemorative holiday ornament. Our rentals come with a helmet and set of bicycle lights. *Please note, if you use your own bike, we do require you to provide a front and rear bicycle light to participate (Rental pairs are available for $5).

Tour Schedule:

Friday, December 23
5:30pm - Bugg & Neighborhood Light Tour
7:00pm - Bugg & Neighborhood Light Tour
8:30pm - Bugg & Neighborhood Light Tour

Saturday, December 24
5:30pm - Old Town Luminaria & Country Club Light Tour
7:00pm - Old Town Luminaria & Country Club Light Tour
8:30pm - Old Town Luminaria & Country Club Light Tour

Join Routes Rentals & Tours this holiday season and experience Albuquerque\'s lights and luminaria's in a whole new, magical way - from the seat of our signature yellow-tire cruisers! Reservations can be made either online at http://www.routesrentals.com or by calling the shop during business hours at (505) 933-5667 (M-Th 9a-5p, F-Su 9a-6p).

Routes Rentals & Tours is a family-owned boutique in the historic core of Albuquerque, New Mexico with a focus on providing unique, sustainable experiences and products for our patrons. Routes features full-service bicycle and snowshoe rentals accompanied by custom maps, accessories, gifts, and concierge-level service. Whether you are a visitor to Albuquerque or a local, the goal of our team is to serve as an invaluable resource for all events, locations, secret gems, and things Albuquerque / New Mexico. We love and support our unique community, and are excited to share the best of Albuquerque with you.