Can you see Dexter peeking out from the trolley with us?
Breaking Bad fans with dogs, rejoice: The 2014 ABQ Trolley Tour season has begun and fans of the hit AMC series are gearing up to take to the Albuquerque roadways. The entire 38-mile, 3-1/2-hour tour geared specifically for the Breaking Bad mega fan is dog friendly!
Since Fidose of Reality prides itself on finding dog-friendly things to do and we are mega fans of the show, Breaking Bad, we had to get our paws on tickets. Though tickets are sold out through May, keep watching the ABQ Trolley Tour schedule for additional dates. However, there are other non Breaking Bad trolley tours that welcome you and your dog, so be sure to give them a peek if you plan to travel to the Albuquerque area.
Lots of fun!
What It Is
The ‘BaD Tour’ is the first ever Breaking Bad locations tour of Albuquerque. Breaking Bad is the Emmy-winning television series that was shot on location in Albuquerque, New Mexico. If you have no clue what Breaking Bad is or why it is so popular that it merits its very own tour, here’s a montage to whet your blue sky palate:
What You Do
Tickets are $65 per adult and you meet in the parking lot of the Hotel Albuquerque. The founders of the tour and co-owners of the company, Jesse Herron and Mike Silva, make the tour a Breaking Bad fan’s dream come true from start to finish.
They take pictures of you on the trolley, near the trolley, and are so hospitable and kind to be around. My spouse and I were immediately at ease. Mike even suggested we sit near the back of the trolley where there was more leg room and the dog would be comfortable.
Music from the series plays as you get on the trolley, wait for everyone to arrive, get seated, and to allow guests to get their “bad” on. Of course, folks wanted to meet Dexter and he was all too happy to oblige with tail wags in return.
Dexter sez, “Wanna cook?”
Where You Go
One of the guys drives the trolley while the other guy tells stories, facts about the show, and best of all: they stop at a variety of locations and show videos from the show on monitors at the front and middle of the trolley. This adds to the excitement and fan fare of being right on the exact spot where dramatic television magic occurred via Breaking Bad.
Featured Breaking Bad locations on the BaD Tour include: Walter White’s house & condo; Jesse Pinkman’s house & duplex; Gus’s house; The Car Wash; The Laundry; Saul Goodman’s law office; Tuco’s headquarters; The Railyards; The Crossroads Motel; Los Pollos Hermanos and more. The tour stops may vary from tour to tour, but you get the ultimate fan experience.
Here are some of the images of our many pit stops:
This is Tuco’s “office” where Walter White gave Tuco a fulminated mercury explosive present.
Hanging out with the fam at Los Pollos Hermanos aka Twisters
Remember Jesse Pinkman throwing money out the window near here and actually hanging out at this place? It is real and has great drive-in style food!
Anyone seen Wendy????
Jesse’s house
Pit Stops
Speaking of stopping, about an hour or so into the tour, there is a stop at Cocina Azul for delicious chips and salsa that the guys deliver in cute boxes right to your seat. Talk about curb service and a true flavor of the tour and atmosphere! Nice touch, guys!
The trolley also stops for drinks and pictures at the famous Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant, which is actually called Twisters. Fun fact: Producers of the show bought the restaurant out for a day at a time so they could film on location without customer interruptions.
Who recalls the famous “Creepy Cousins” scene at Los Pollos Hermanos where the cousins came to the restaurant and just stared at Gus? The guys of the ABQ Trolley Tour Company will take a photo of you recreating the scene. So, my spouse and I sat in the booth with our dog (who yes, was allowed in), and I posted it to Instagram. One of the brothers IRL (in real life) replied and liked the picture. Pretty cool!
So serious.
Gus Fring’s house is also a tour stop, and guests are invited to exit the trolley and even take pictures knocking on “Gus’s” door (the homeowner allows this and how cool is that!). We all had a blast with that and snacked on cookie-like biscotti snacks as we laughed, took pics, and mingled with other Breaking Bad mega fans.
Dexter sez, “Hey Gus, what’s for dinner?”
Trivia
Throughout the tour, there are Breaking Bad trivia questions and a contest held aboard the trolley. The guys give out great prizes like Breaking Bad merchandise and gift certificates to local sponsors. I won the best Jesse Pinkman impression and walked away with a Heisenberg t-shirt!
Mi familia
Tour Conclusion
At the end of the tour, guests are welcome to buy shirts that the guys sell from inside the Hotel Albuquerque lobby. Of course, we had to get our favorite character shirts!
Overall Review
Fidose of Reality gives the Breaking Bad ABQ Trolley Tour our Wigglebutt Seal of Approval for: Dog friendliness, overall experience, fun and engagement, keeping our attention, and immersing Breaking Bad fans in one of the best on-site tours period.
Should you go? Say my name, yo yo yo, Better Call Saul, run do not walk.
The trolley tour is a bingo score!
Bonus:
Since we saw the actual locations and knew where they were located, the next day we set out to get a better look at the famous Walter White family home that was featured in just about every episode of the series.
Well, as you can imagine the owner of the home isn’t too thrilled with folks wanting to take photos and trek onto her lawn at all hours of the day and night.
So, we kept a respectful distance and planned to take some images from across the street. Well, the homeowner saw us and that we had a dog, so she invited us over for dog treats for Dexter! We talked to her, found out that the interior scenes were shot on location at the studio, but that all exterior shots were filmed right there at her now famous house. She has lived there with her husband for 41 years and they selected her property because it also had a pool on site. Those of you who follow the show know that the pool was a key part of many scenes at Walter White’s house.
Carol and Dex in front of the Walter White house.
Here we are in front of the White family home. Who remembers the very riveting and gut-wrenching Walt taking Baby Holly from Skylar scene? This is THAT driveaway.
Break bad and drop a few bucks for this well-worth-it dog-welcoming trolley ride. You’ll have the time of your life. We sure did!
Oh and yes, we are fans – we even dressed like Walt, Jesse, and “Barking Bad” last Halloween, see?
Any Breaking Bad fans out there? Have you ever taken a pet-friendly trolley tour anywhere?
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