By Harriet Baskas

On the Web Airport Web site Terminal maps: See the airport site for details. Ground transportation Established in 1937, Albuquerque International Sunport (airport code: ABQ) is, as its name implies, a bright, sunny spot to catch a plane. The facilities are decked out in welcoming Southwestern colors, and top-notch artwork by Native American, Hispanic, and other contemporary artists is displayed throughout the terminal.

Get oriented Take care of yourself Take care of business Explore the airport Go into town

Get oriented Baggage note Luggage carts rent for $2 in the parking garage and in the baggage claim areas. You'll get 25 cents when you return a cart to the rack. Albuquerque International Sunport has one easy-to-maneuver, T-shaped terminal with three levels. Baggage claim and transportation are on Level 1. Ticketing is on Level 2, along with Concourses D and E, which serve commuter and regional airlines. On Level 3 you'll find shops, restaurants, and concourses A and B, which serve the major airlines. United, Southwest, and Northwest airlines operate out of gates on Concourse A. Concourse B serves America West, American, Continental, Delta, Frontier, and Skywest. Rio Grande Air and Great Plains operate out of Concourse D, while Mesa Airlines operates out of Concourse E. (There is currently no Concourse C.) It's very easy to get around ABQ—it should take you no longer than 7 to 10 minutes to walk from one of the terminal buildings to the other. Take care of yourself Eat: ABQ has two table-service restaurants: A branch of the locally-adored Gardunos Mexican Restaurant (pre-security, level 3) and the Route 66 Microbrewery (post-security, by the food court between concourses A and B). Gardunos opens at 6 AM, and in addition to its regular menu offers a hearty daily lunch buffet 11 AM to 2 PM. Route 66 Microbrewery opens at 7 AM and features a full menu. Food note Best bet for a carry-on meal: Black Mesa Coffee Company wraps up sandwiches, soups, and salads. Best sinful snack: Ice cream from Baskin & Robbins. A tasty green-chile chicken soup was developed at ABQ and is now served by two on-site concessionaires: the Black Mesa Coffee Company, pre-security on Level 3, and Comida Buena, in the food court. Both of these outlets also serve sandwiches, salads, pastries, and other items. Black Mesa has coffee carts on the baggage claim level and on Concourse A. The food court between concourses A and B (post-security) also features Baskin & Robbins ice cream, La Hacienda Express, and Pizzeria Express. Down the corridor on Concourse A, by the Southwest gates, you'll find a Quizno's Sandwich Shop. Relax and refresh: ABQ has plenty of comfortable chairs and some out-of-the-way seating areas in the ticket lobby, the baggage claim area, and the gate areas. Most appealing is the observation deck, an unmarked area located upstairs from the food court at the intersection of concourses A and B (beyond security). A floor-to-ceiling glass wall provides great views of the airfield, and there are plenty of tables, chairs, and couches conducive to eating, working, or napping. If you need to tidy up, you'll find a beauty parlor/barbershop on the second level of the terminal near the Rio Grande Air and Great Plains ticket counters. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 8:30 AM to 4 PM, this old-fashioned spot offers haircuts for men and women. For more serious tidying up, you'll find the Wyndham Hotel Albuquerque Airport right on airport property. The hotel offers a day rate of about $45 and features a small fitness facility and outdoor pool. It's within walking distance from the terminal, but a free shuttle service is also available. If you'd like a bit of fresh air, there's a small grassy park area (built as a Vietnam War Memorial) on the walkway just before the Wyndham Hotel. Head out of the terminal on the baggage claim level, turn left, and follow the sidewalk. Smokers, you're in luck: The Route 66 Microbrewery, at the food court post-security, has an enclosed smoking room. Smoking is also allowed at the bar on Concourse B. Take care of business There are currently no airline club rooms at ABQ and no business services to speak of beyond a few data ports in each bank of pay phones. There is a branch of Wells Fargo Bank on the second level of the terminal, but the hours are limited: Monday–Friday, 9 AM–1 PM. Airport officials say they're working on expanding the business services, but dates are not yet firm. Explore the airport Shop: There are three gift shops and several gift carts scattered in the terminal and along the concourses: Shopping note Best souvenir under $10: Puerto de Avila (in the lobby on level 3) sells make-at-home packages of the green-chile chicken soup made famous by airport concessionaires ($5.99). Puerto de Avila is a Southwestern specialty shop located on the third level before the security checkpoint. It carries jewelry, ceramics, soaps, and other items made by local Native Americans. The shop also features a nice selection of Southwestern books and various foods and gift items. Sagebrush Gift and News, next door to Puerto de Avila, carries magazines, newspapers, sundries, a wide variety of souvenirs, and an extensive selection of books. A smaller, but similar shop is located beyond security, by the food court. Five gift carts located throughout the terminal building carry T-shirts, jewelry, coffee cups, and all manner of New Mexico logo items. Sightsee: In the early 1940s, the airport purchased 10 paintings by Taos Pueblo artist Pop Chalee. Now Sunport's collection includes more than 100 works of fine art from more than 80 New Mexican artists. Look for sculpture, paintings, jewelry, pottery, and other works throughout the terminal building, in the walkway leading to the parking garage, and in the off-site car rental customer service building. In addition to all the great artwork, look for the Cavalcade of Wings, an extensive model airplane display on the walls of the second level lobby. Not far from the model airplanes, you'll see a vintage biplane hanging from the ceiling. The display includes historical information about the aircraft, which was used in acrobatic exhibitions at county fairs between 1914 and 1916. You'll also find maps and descriptions of Albuquerque's sister cities behind the escalators on the baggage claim level. Like music? If you're flying in or out on a Friday, there might be a "Sunport Serenade" in progress. The airport hosts more than 85 free concerts a year, usually on Fridays, 11 AM–1 PM and 4–6 PM in the Great Hall on the ticketing (second) level of the terminal. The music ranges from barbershop quartets and jazz to marimba, mariachi, and western swing. Lookout: You'll get a great view of the airfield from the observation deck and from windows in the corridor leading to the food court and concourses A and B. Play around: Kids will enjoy the model airplane displays and the biplane on the second level of the terminal. Older kids might enjoy seeing the wide variety of art and sculpture throughout the airport. Go into town A taxi ride to downtown Albuquerque, 5 miles away, will cost $14 to $16 and will take about 20 minutes. An airport shuttle runs shared vans to the downtown area for $12 for the first passenger and $5 for each additional passenger. Tel. 1-505-765-1234. Public buses (Route 50) operate Monday through Saturday. Fare: $1 for adults, 35 cents for seniors. For schedules and information, see http://www.cabq.gov/transit, or call 1-505-843-9200.  Guides to more than 65 airports are available online from Expedia's Airport Information page, or buy the whole book, Stuck at the Airport: A Traveler's Survival Guide, at Amazon.com.

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