1. Step back into the Old West.
Turning off Interstate 40 into Old Town is like entering a different world. The streets are lined with storefronts, restaurants, and a centuries-old adobe church. Daniel likes to watch the Native American street vendors make jewelry, and we always stop at the Church Street Café, a converted 1709 Mexican hacienda, for a plate of their delicious Nachos de Rio Grande (www.churchstreetcafe.com; all entrées, $4-$12).
2. Soar 4,000 feet into the air.
This is the biggest thrill of our trip -- dangling from the Sandia Peak Tramway some 900 feet above the most rugged, rocky landscape we've ever seen. The tramway ride to the top of Sandia Peak takes about 15 minutes, and the view of the city from 10,378 feet elicits a lot of "wows." Daniel is always eager to hike the trails along the mountaintop that lead to additional thrilling overlooks (www.sandiapeak.com; adults, $15, kids ages 5 to 12, $5).
3. Hang out with reptiles and dinosaurs.
I'd recommend saving an afternoon for the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, where you can walk through a simulated volcano (hot, rumbly, and steamy) and feel puny beside the skeleton of the 110-foot seismosaurus, the largest land animal ever discovered (nmnaturalhistory.org; adults, $16, kids ages 3 to 12, $3). It's equally hard to get Daniel out of The American International Rattlesnake Museum. An easy walk from Old Town, it is -- naturally -- filled with serpents, including a live, large ball python that brave visitors can "wear" around their necks (www.rattlesnakes.com; adults, $3.50, kids ages 3 to 12, $2.50).
4. See some "prehistory."
The boulder-strewn volcanic hillside at Petroglyph National Monument looks grand and untouched from a distance, but up close, we've discovered plenty of images carved into the rocks by the Native Americans who lived here more than 500 years ago. Start at the visitors' center, which provides a great overview of the site's history, then hit the trails, which are easy to hike and well marked. Daniel loves to interpret the images for us. Some shapes are obvious, such as birds and handprints, but others seem very mysterious -- one looks strikingly like a rocket ship, and Daniel is certain another is a rat holding a Ping-Pong paddle (www.nps.gov/petr; free).
5. Get cultured.
Try to catch one of the dance performances held twice a day on weekends (11 A.M. and 2 P.M.) at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. The center's museum is filled with displays about Native American culture and art that are interesting enough to hold the attention of a 'tween, and visitors can sample fresh-baked bread from the outdoor ovens (indianpueblo.org; 505-843-7270; adults, $4, kids ages 3 and up, $3).
