What's going on, Albuquerque?

Why does it smell like cookies?!?

Many know that I commute from our beloved Duke City to Santa Fe every day for work. In the summer months I tend to drive quite a bit due to my schedule going particularly wonky, but in the winter I ride the railrunner every day. I park and ride from the Los Ranchos/Journal Center station, and have noticed something in that neighborhood that is really toying with my chubby emotions - the strong scent of cookies.

Seriously, driving to or from, day or night, going east or west on Paseo del Norte or El Pueblo Road. A crazy strong scent of cookies. Warm, Sweet, Tasty cookies. Is there a cookie/baking factory nearby?

It reminds me of a friend back in my home-county who had this great duplex in Burlingame, just across the 101 from the It's-It factory. I LOVED visiting her - her house always smelled AWESOME.

So, help put me out of my curious & chubby misery. What is making that delectable smell??!

Tags: cookies, paseo, railrunner

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Permalink Reply by Brendan on January 12, 2011 at 2:23pm

Would you say it smells like Cookies or Cookie Crisp? There's a general mills plant nearby.

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Permalink Reply by once banned twice shy on January 12, 2011 at 2:24pm

I am pretty sure you are smelling the General Foods cereal plant just north of the station there. You can't see it from the station, but it is there. I am not currently remembering what cereals they make there, but indeed, the air is often redolent of sweet goodness of some sort over there--and south of there, when the wind is out of the north.

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Permalink Reply by ramon t on January 12, 2011 at 2:25pm

General Mills plant on the North Side of Paseo Del Norte. Probably making Count Chocula!

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Permalink Reply by RiRiSynCyr on January 12, 2011 at 2:29pm

no wonder I had no idea what the smell was!! My mom NEVER let us have any of those awesome sugary cereals :(

I'd have already figured it out if it were something bland, gross, organic, macrobiotic.....lol.

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Permalink Reply by misterhinkydink on January 12, 2011 at 2:29pm

I drive by the 'It's It' factory on my way to the airport but have never smelled anything. I'll have to pay more attention next time.

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Permalink Reply by RiRiSynCyr on January 12, 2011 at 2:31pm

oh hinky....roll down the window and stick your whole face out - it's worth it!!! It's hard on some of those windy days on the peninsula - everything is diluted by ocean air. But warm summer days are THE BEST!

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Permalink Reply by SweetCaroline on January 13, 2011 at 8:33am

I'm a native San Franciscan. I've been here for 18 years. We used to drive over the Bay Bridge to the Mysterious East Bay and smell the coffee! Seriously, Hills Bros. Coffee used to (still? roast and you could smell it as you left The City,.

When we drove to Tahoe and passed Vacaville towards Sacratomato, you could smell onions! They grew there and the packing sheds were there. My brothers and I always smelled them and thought of Hamburgers! LOL

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Permalink Reply by psychomom on January 12, 2011 at 3:03pm

Live and work near GM where Coco Puffs & Trix scents fill the air. I'm not a big chocolate fan but I do enjoy taking a big whiff of them Coco Puffs.

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Permalink Reply by Patricia on January 12, 2011 at 4:18pm

I love when they're making Cookie Crisp! Berry Berry Kix used to be the oddest smell.

Back in the day, they used to have what seemed like a schedule. Cookie Crisp on Friday nights, Cheerios in the mornings. It just felt like a pattern. Either way, I've always thought it was a fun little thing while driving down Paseo.