Participants will travel through the heart of Albuquerque, down luminaria-lined avenues in Old Town and past the glowing hot air balloons and spectacular holiday displays of the Country Club neighborhood. These areas limit their streets to automobile traffic on Christmas Eve, and together host the City’s largest concentration of lights and luminarias. Old Town also features the City’s annual holiday tree and the famous decorations / ceremonies of the San Felipe de Neri church.
‘Lights and Luminarias’ is the first professionally-led bicycle tour on Christmas Eve in Albuquerque, and allows participants to bypass the headaches and congestion historically faced by motorists. Tour packages may be customized with a number of options including twinkle-light bike rentals (each bike is wrapped with LED holiday lights), commemorative holiday ornaments, and extended rental packages. Participants will be served hot, spiced beverages and hand-made biscochitos (the state cookie of New Mexico) upon returning to Routes.
New Mexico is famous for its 200 year-old tradition of lighting luminarias (or farolitos) on Christmas Eve. Each luminaria consists of a brown paper bag illuminated from within by a votive candle. Thousands of luminarias are arranged in rows and patterns along streets, in plazas, and on rooftops throughout Albuquerque to create an unmatched display of flickering light.
“We are honored to share the holiday magic of New Mexico with our guests in such an intimate, unique way”, said Josh Arnold, who owns and operates Routes Rentals & Tours with his wife, Heather. “Albuquerque has one of the most impressive light displays in the United States, and the bicycle – this tour – allows total immersion. Lights and Luminarias is a beautiful new holiday tradition.”
Guests can purchase tickets for the ‘Lights and Luminarias’ tour on the Routes Rentals & Tours website by clicking the ‘Book Now’ button next to their preferred tour time, or by calling (505) 933-5667 during business hours. The tour is approximately one hour, and packages begin at $20. Customers may also choose to bring their own bicycles at a discount.
About Routes Rentals & Tours
Routes Rentals & Tours (www.routesrentals.com) is a family-owned bicycle tour and rental boutique in the historic urban core of Albuquerque, NM with a focus on providing unique, sustainable experiences and products for their patrons. Founded in spring 2011, Routes is the only company in Albuquerque to feature professionally-guided bicycle tours and rentals throughout the year. Daily, custom, and seasonal packages are available including ‘Lights and Luminarias’, ‘Tour de Frights’, ‘Fall Colors’, and ‘Bikes and Balloons’ in October. Routes offers a range of high-end bicycle types and sizes to choose from, including the company’s signature, yellow-tire city cruisers. Snowshoes are offered in winter months and can be enjoyed in the nearby Sandia Mountains (accessible via the Sandia Peak Tramway) or the Jemez Mountains.