Why go?

• Albuquerque is flanked on the city’s east side by The Sandia Mountains, which rise to more than 10,600 ft in elevation. Albuquerque sunsets are famous for their watermelon pink color in front of the soft purple-colored mountains.
• Do you like Mexican food? Strap in for New Mexican food, which is characterized by a fusion of Pueblo Native American, Spanish, and Mexican fusion. Oh, and lots of chile peppers, as New Mexico makes up ~30% of US chile production.
  

• Albuquerque is most famous for the International Balloon Fiesta, an annual celebration that fills the sky with hot air balloons and takes place each October.
• Visitors can enjoy a trip on the Sandia Peak Tramway, an aerial trolley through the Sandia Mountains with the world’s third-longest single span, year round.
• Find some quick touristy tips with the help of The New York Times’ ”36 Hours in Albuquerque” guide, Marie Claire’s “Instagrammable guide to ABQ,” this list of bars you’ll only find in ABQ, and Eater’s 21 Essential Restaurants list.

• Kansas vs. Texas Women’s Basketball | Tuesday, Jan. 16 | 7 p.m. | The Moody Center, 2001 Robert Dedman Dr., Austin | $9-$15 | You know the drill — horns up.
• Albert Castiglia | Tuesday, Jan. 16 | 8 p.m. | Antone’s Nightclub, 305 E. 5th St., Austin | $16 | Alastair Greene will also perform at this Downtown show.

• Cacti & Succulents | Wednesday, Jan. 17 | 10-11:30 a.m. | Zilker Botanical Garden, 2220 Barton Springs Rd., Austin | Free | Join the Yaupon Garden Club to learn from the garden’s curator, Jeff Pavlat.

• The American Presidency: Pivotal Elections | Thursday, Jan. 18-Thursday, Feb. 15 | 4 p.m. | LBJ Presidential Library, 2313 Red River St., Austin | Free | Dig into some of the most important presidential elections in American history — this week’s lecture discusses the election of 1968 with Luke Nichter.
• Kool & The Gang | Thursday, Jan. 18 | 6:30-8 p.m. | ACL Live, 310 W. Willie Nelson Blvd., Austin | $76-$298 | The group behind iconic hits like “Celebration” and “Cherish” will perform alongside Zach Person.

• Are you 18-44 and experiencing hair thinning?
• Do you lead a plant-based lifestyle?
• Experiencing signs of peri- and post-menopause?

• ERCOT is asking Texans to conserve electricity from 6-9 a.m. today “due to continued freezing temperatures, very high demand and unseasonably low wind.” The request marks the second day in a row that residents were asked to watch their power usage. (KUT)

• At least 104 flights were canceled yesterday at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport as the arctic snap continues across Texas. The halted trips amounted to less than 20% of Austin’s total flights, but Dallas Love Field and San Antonio International Airport also reported delays + cancellations. (Austin American-Statesman)

• The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District will install two scientific monitoring wells in Zilker and Garrison parks this month. The wells will be used to study water and gather data on the endangered Barton Springs salamander and Austin blind salamander.

• Rose Bakery — by French pastry chef and Académie Culinaire de France member Julie Myrtille — is now open at 10000 Research Blvd., Unit 123 in the Arboretum. Stop by for brioche bread, petit fours, macarons, madeleines, homemade jams, and more.

• Ford F-150 — that’s the most popular used car in Austin, Texas, and the US. The rest of the top five include the Chevrolet Silverado, Toyota Camry, Ram 1500, and Toyota RAV4. (KXAN)

• Ready to pay with the tap of a phone? Apple Pay + Google Pay could come to H-E-B “in the future.” The beloved grocery store currently doesn’t offer either of those services, so keep those wallets on-hand. (Austin American-Statesman)

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• Two bottles of H-E-B Mi Tienda habanero salsa taquera
• Two bottles of H-E-B Mi Tienda roja salsa taquera
• Two “Keep Austin Weird” stickers from BookPeople
• Two photos of Bevo, rolled up and tied with a ribbon
• A warm hug to signify some Texas hospitality