Albuquerque or Jackson Hole?

Neither place is anywhere near the sea, but Jackson Hole at least has a summer swim. Shallow, sandy-bottomed String Lake warms enough in late summer for a real dip beneath the Tetons.

Albuquerque's Rio Grande is not for swimming, so cooling off means a pool or a drive out to Cochiti Lake.

Albuquerque has a cuisine of its own. Red and green chile, carne adovada, blue corn enchiladas and sopaipillas are served in family kitchens in the South and North Valleys, chile roasts in late summer, and taprooms fill old industrial buildings.

Jackson eats well for a small town, with elk, bison, trout and huckleberries in chef-led dining rooms around the square. But the choice is narrow and almost nothing is cheap, so Albuquerque gives you more to explore and more variety at the table.

Albuquerque has two or three good days of sightseeing. There is the 1793 church on the Old Town plaza, the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, the National Hispanic Cultural Center, the nuclear science museum, neon along Route 66 and the rock carvings of Petroglyph National Monument.

Jackson's sights fit into a single day between hikes. The antler arches on the square, the National Museum of Wildlife Art, Mormon Row's barns and the log chapel framing the peaks are lovely, but they are few and small.

Neither is a place to come for nights out, but Albuquerque has more going on. There are bars and a few dance clubs downtown at weekends, calmer cocktail bars in Nob Hill, and taproom patios on warm evenings.

Jackson's evenings follow the seasons. Après-ski is loud in Teton Village in winter, there is two-stepping in a saddle-stool saloon, and the town is in bed well before midnight, with bars nearly empty in spring and autumn.

Albuquerque has fine country close by. There is the tramway to the Sandia crest, the La Luz Trail, the cottonwood bosque where cranes winter, and volcanic cones west of the river.

Jackson Hole is in another league. The Tetons rise sheer from the valley, Grand Teton and Yellowstone are on the doorstep, and grizzlies, moose, bison and thousands of wintering elk can be seen. Add Snake River rafting, fly fishing and some of the steepest lift-served skiing on the continent, and this is a place you choose for the outdoors alone.

Albuquerque is an excellent base for a region. Santa Fe's plaza, Canyon Road and museums are an hour away by car or train, and Acoma's mesa-top Sky City, Bandelier's cliff dwellings, Chimayo and the Turquoise Trail villages each make a strong day out.

From Jackson, excursions lead into the landscape rather than to other towns. Victor, Driggs and Pinedale are pleasant drives but not destinations, and Yellowstone's old lodges belong to a park trip.

Both work well for families, but in different ways. Albuquerque has places built for children: the zoo, aquarium and botanic garden of the BioPark, Explora's hands-on science, dinosaur halls, and the dawn Balloon Fiesta in October.

Jackson Hole's appeal is the outdoors itself. Children spot moose and bison, earn Junior Ranger badges, float the Snake and ride sleighs through the elk herd. It has no zoos or rainy-day fallbacks, and the long drives and altitude can wear out young children.

Jackson has the easier base. Shops, restaurants and lodgings sit within a few blocks of the Town Square, a bus runs to Teton Village in ski season, and the airport is a short drive away.

Albuquerque sprawls across a wide valley. Only Old Town is easy on foot, and the Central Avenue bus links a handful of districts. In both places a car is needed for the parks, trailheads and day trips, and in Jackson winter driving calls for care.

Albuquerque has more to buy and more that is distinctive. Pueblo pottery, Navajo weaving, silver and turquoise are sold around Old Town and at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, with chile ristras to take home and some vintage shopping in Nob Hill.

Jackson's boardwalk blocks focus on galleries of Western and wildlife art, handmade cowboy hats and high-end mountain gear, plus T-shirt shops and a few upscale boutiques.

The gap is wide. Albuquerque is no bargain once you add sales tax, tips and the near-essential rental car, but rooms are fairly priced outside Balloon Fiesta week and much of what you see is free.

Jackson Hole is among the costliest places to stay in the country, with resort prices for rooms, meals, lift tickets and guided trips. The trails and roadside wildlife are free, and staying over the pass in Idaho or coming in the quiet shoulder months helps a great deal.

Albuquerque offers more all year round. Popejoy Hall hosts Broadway tours and the philharmonic, the Pueblo Deco KiMo Theatre stages shows, the city has a deep flamenco tradition, and Pueblo dances are performed at weekends, with Santa Fe's open-air opera a summer evening's drive away.

Jackson comes alive mainly in summer, when the Grand Teton Music Festival fills its timber hall with orchestral players and chuckwagon shows add cowboy music. The rest of the year is quiet.

Jackson Hole is the better place for a soak at the end of the day. There is a hot spring pool in a forested canyon, reached by dog sled in winter, a riverside park of soaking pools near town, and resort spas used to sore skiers.

From Albuquerque, the mineral pools of Jemez Springs and the bathhouses around Santa Fe mean a drive. In the city itself, relaxation comes down to hotel spas and the slow pace under big skies.