Albuquerque or Sun Valley?

Neither place is a beach destination, and both sit far inland on high ground. Albuquerque's Rio Grande is not for swimming, so it means pools or a drive to Cochiti Lake.

Sun Valley edges ahead in summer thanks to Redfish Lake under the Sawtooths, which has a sandy shore, though the water stays cold. Its heated outdoor pools are the more dependable swim.

Albuquerque gives you a cuisine worth travelling for: red or green chile, carne adovada, blue corn enchiladas and sopaipillas from long-running family places in the valleys and along Route 66, plus late-summer chile roasting and a solid brewery scene.

Sun Valley eats well for its size, with Ketchum's après-ski grills and a few kitchens cooking trout, lamb and elk, but there is no local food tradition to seek out and cheap meals are rare.

Albuquerque gives a culture trip real substance. Old Town's adobe plaza and its colonial-era church, the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center where the Pueblos tell their own history, the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Barelas, the nuclear science museum, Route 66 neon around the KiMo Theatre and the petroglyphs on the western edge add up to a good couple of days.

Sun Valley's story is shorter and narrower: the railroad resort of 1936 that introduced the world's first chairlifts, and Hemingway's last years in Ketchum. An afternoon at the lodge, his grave and a small museum covers it.

Albuquerque is no party city, but it has a choice: downtown's bars and weekend dance clubs on Central Avenue, or calmer cocktail bars and taprooms in Nob Hill, with patio evenings through the warm months.

Sun Valley's nights are après-ski in Ketchum's saloons and wine bars, sometimes with a band, and there are no clubs at all. Outside winter and midsummer, the evening ends soon after dinner.

Albuquerque has fine landscape on its doorstep: the tramway to the Sandia crest above 3,000m, the La Luz Trail, the cottonwood bosque with wintering cranes and volcanic escarpments to the west. Most of it needs a car, and summer heat limits the low trails.

Sun Valley is built around the outdoors in every season. Bald Mountain's long fall-line runs, Nordic and backcountry skiing in winter, then singletrack, fly fishing, Salmon River rafting and the Sawtooth lakes in summer give it a range and intensity Albuquerque cannot match.

Albuquerque is a strong base for excursions. Santa Fe alone fills a day, reachable by train as well as car, and beyond it lie Acoma's Sky City, Bandelier's cliff dwellings, Chimayo and the Turquoise Trail villages.

From Sun Valley the outings are mostly into wild country rather than to places. Hailey and log-cabin Stanley are pleasant, Shoshone Falls is two hours off, and Boise is too far for a comfortable day.

Albuquerque has more aimed squarely at children: the BioPark's zoo, aquarium and garden, Explora and the dinosaur halls, rockets at the nuclear museum and the dawn launches of the October Balloon Fiesta. The catch is driving between them.

Sun Valley suits families who ski or hike, with a separate beginners' hill, a good ski school and quiet streets. Without those interests, though, there is little for rainy days or bored teenagers.

Albuquerque is spread out for the car. Old Town is walkable and a bus runs along Central Avenue, but the mountains, petroglyphs and day trips all mean renting at the airport, which is at least close and easy.

Sun Valley works better on foot within its compact resort: Ketchum's small grid, a free bus to the village and lift bases and a valley bike path mean many visitors never drive. Trailheads and the Sawtooths still need a car, and reaching the valley itself takes effort.

Albuquerque is clearly the better place to shop, because it sells something you won't easily find elsewhere. Its Native and Southwestern craft runs from turquoise and silver jewellery to Pueblo pottery, Navajo weaving and kachina carvings. Look around Old Town's plaza and at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, and buy from the artists themselves or from established dealers to be sure a piece is genuine. A few independent and secondhand shops in Nob Hill and a string of dried chile to take home round it out.

Sun Valley offers resort shopping, a few streets of Ketchum aimed at people who already own a house in the valley. Its galleries and its ski and fly-fishing outfitters are good at what they do. Beyond gear, art and upmarket knitwear, though, there is little to browse, and nothing comes cheap.

Albuquerque is moderately priced by American standards, with fairly priced hotels and free sights such as Old Town and the foothills, though a rental car and tips add up. Balloon Fiesta week is the costly exception.

Sun Valley is in another bracket altogether. Rooms, meals and lift access are priced for a wealthy crowd, and even staying down the valley in the off-season only softens the bill.

The stage runs all year in Albuquerque but only in summer in Sun Valley. In Albuquerque, Popejoy Hall brings Broadway tours and the philharmonic, the Pueblo Deco KiMo Theatre stages film and concerts, flamenco runs unusually deep, and the Pueblo Cultural Center has Native dances at weekends. In summer, Santa Fe's open-air opera is within an evening's drive.

Sun Valley's season is short but memorable, with free orchestral concerts on the lawn by the lodge and skaters performing on the outdoor rink. For the rest of the year there is very little.

Sun Valley is the more restful stay. Resort spas, outdoor heated pools under falling snow and rough creekside hot springs up the Warm Springs valley sit close to town, and the pace slows once the lifts close.

Albuquerque's relaxation means a resort spa on Pueblo land outside the city or a drive to the mineral pools at Jemez Springs and the bathhouses near Santa Fe. Its dry air and big skies are calming, but rest is rarely the point of a visit.