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Albuquerque by the dash panel at night.

Other than by plane, the best way to view the city lights in Albuquerque is on a cloudless night from the top of Sandia Crest, or from a hot-air balloon during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. (www.balloonfiesta.com) The next-best way to view the city lights (in my opinion) is traveling in on Route 66 from the West Mesa, heading east. This photo is the view heading east into town on Route 66, from around nine miles out of town. (There's also a decent view of town coming into Albuquerque traveling east on I-40, beginning at the top of nine-mile hill, but I much prefer the view from Route 66.)

You can't tell from the photo, and even the video I shot doesn't convey it well, but the lights are very bright, and sparkle and flicker as you gaze at them. I've seen lots of city lights in my time, but the clarity of the air here lends to a really brilliant light-gazing experience that is unsurpassed in my book.

note: I've only captured a tiny part of the panorama, as the lights extend past what can be captured using an ordinary camera, without resorting to a special camera, or panoramic software to combine multiple shots. There was a much better view of the lights as I drove further down Route 66, but, unfortunately, no good place to pull over and get some nice shots.

(and no, I wasn't driving on the shoulder of the road. I pulled over so we could get these shots.) :)