Author Ashley M. Biggers is a native Burqueña that loves her hometown so much, she wrote a book about it.
She joined me to discuss her book, “Secret Albuquerque: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful and Obscure”
Ashley M. Biggers
“I love Albuquerque,” said Ashley. “There are so many great things here to see and do that sometimes the natives forget they are here.”
Secret Albuquerque is full of amazing stories about The Duke City:
In the chapter, “Nah, I’m Gonna Stay at the Disco,” Ashley introduces us to entrepreneur Ashley Fathergill, who runs “YogaZo” – a mobile yoga class that offers a high-tech, ‘silent disco.’ In the chapter, “Barely a Dent,” she recounts the story of Albuquerque’s own ‘Broken Arrow’ incident, when the U.S. Air Force accidentally dropped an atomic bomb on the city – luckily it didn’t have its nuclear capsule attached. The city survived, a crater was made, and sadly, a cow paid the ultimate price.
“Broken Arrow” and other stories from the book
Ashley effortlessly weaves stories of modern Albuquerque while sharing its past in a fun, engaging way. The chapters are short, informative, and the layout of the book makes it easy to skip back and forth between chapters, which is a lot of fun. I started turning to random pages to see what I’d find and haven’t been disappointed yet.
“I love Albuquerque,” said Ashley. “There are so many great things to see and do, sometimes the natives forget they exist.”
Did you know: Albuquerque has the world’s first active heated solar commercial building, there are cannons on display in Old Town from when the Confederate Army briefly occupied the city, Burque is home to an over 70-year-old anthropological hoax, and there’s even a house in town that used to be lived in by a man that passed atomic secrets to the Soviet Union after World War II.
Advice for visiting couples and families
If you are looking for an informative, fun guide to Albuquerque, this is the book. I’ve already added some bookmarks for things I want to see, and can’t wait until I can get out and see it all in person.
How to buy the book
If you’re interested in buying Secret Albuquerque, it is available at independent bookstores in Albuquerque, Amazon, and on Ashley’s website: Ashley M. Biggers Bookstore.