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The 10:30am Railrunner to Santa Fe

Yes! Yes! We were on it. And it was great! Sure, we did go r-e-a-l-l-y slow at one point, but the views were more than worth it. We weren't on any time limits or job deadlines so we didn't care. Commuters grumbled but did they really expect to get there on time the first day? The very first trip of the day was worse than ours from what I understand.

The new snow really made the view incredible. We were just a few feet from the traffic on the slushy highway but it was like being in a different world. It was easy to rumble along, staring out. Those are the moments when I realize how lucky we are to live here. There is, for me at least, an emotional, spiritual connection to land & place. The buildings & churches were beautiful. The snow hadn't been wrecked yet. Horses stood in pristine fields.

Being in the middle of the highway was also fun. We waved & waved. All the folks waved at us & we waved back. They tried to keep up with us, waving all the way. We waved some more. We waved at the news helicopter. We waved at each other.

Our group; three grown, responsible (debatable) women & a 17 month old sweet baby girl. We sat up top at seats with a table, just like being in a booth. One friend & I sat riding backwards with Mama & the baby across from us. We had also crammed a stroller in there somehow. The friend next to me, by the window, says, after all the waving & excitement, " I think riding backwards is getting to me". You have never seen three women, a baby & a stroller move so fast.

Rearranged, we arrived in SF, without further ado. We walked & strollered our way around the plaza. It was gorgeous & all of those other cliched things I've written about living in New Mexico. We ate a great lunch then looked at a lot of expensive stuff we're going to buy when we win the lotto. The beautiful snow was turned into mush by then & looking like it would be going straight to ice in the next hour or so.
The ride home wasn't as thrilling. It was dark outside. We looked out at reflections of ourselves. It was crowded (New Mexico crowded, not even close to New York City subway crowded). Lots of working people just wanting to get home. Us just wanting to get home.

All in all, a really fun day. I liked my railrunner experience but I do have a few tips unless you travel like we do & each somehow assume the others have a grip on schedules, maps & details. Get a schedule & actually look at the times. The Runner is aimed at working folks (as it should be) & they just don't leave work in the middle of the afternoon. Pack accordingly. Oh yeah, read the large print; the FREE days are Saturday & Sunday, not the day we were on. We did manage one student discount ($6.00). The other two of us were $8.00. I tried for the senior discount but Elizabeth, our friendly ticket taker, wasn't buying it (God bless her). The baby was free. Still, not a bad deal. Can't wait to do it in Summer.

The very best thing: It goes "beepbeep"!

Tags: beepbeep, railrunner

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Comment by Masshole in Fringecrest on December 18, 2008 at 2:06pm: Saturdays and Sundays are free? I thought the only thing was free was the first 3 months for Santa Fe County residents. Can You clarify?

Comment by cathyray on December 18, 2008 at 2:09pm: That is what Elizabeth told us. Saturday & Sunday free throughout December. They didn't have any flyers or schedules to give us but were s'pozed to have them today.

Comment by Alexis on December 18, 2008 at 2:19pm: Everyone rides free on weekends through January 4th. Check it out here.

Comment by Dave on December 18, 2008 at 3:36pm: So...how did you get from the train station to the Plaza? If you walked, how far of a walk is it?

Comment by Ryan Martin Stark on December 18, 2008 at 4:11pm: Dave: There's a free downtown shuttle from the Railyard station (similar to the D-Ride in ABQ). Last week when I rode the Rail Runner, they had maps with the shuttle and bus connections in downtown StFe.

Comment by cathyray on December 18, 2008 at 4:33pm: It didn't seem too far to walk. I know it is always colder in Santa Fe so of course just had on a sweatshirt & a long sleeve T.

Comment by Bret on December 18, 2008 at 5:06pm: You cracked me up with the waving thing.

Comment by John on December 18, 2008 at 5:13pm: I walked to the Plaza and it was nothing, even in the cold. Course, I'm a good walker. And I got in to the Palace of Governors for free when I showed my Rail Runner ticket! Yay for cooperation among state departments!

I forgot just how wonderful Santa Fe is. Before moving to ABQ a couple of years ago, my family lived up north and we always went to Santa Fe from general tasks, and we got pretty familiar with the museums and such there. Back then I totally took the gorgeous scenery and the culture and architecture in Santa Fe for granted, but having been at UNM without a car for made me forget about all the neat stuff Santa Fe had to offer.

My Rail Runner trip reminded me just how unique and special New Mexico really is. Not something I was expecting to get out of the train ride, but I'm thankful nonetheless.

Comment by FitzerMan on December 18, 2008 at 5:34pm: Awesome.

Comment by Lana on December 18, 2008 at 7:09pm: Thank you for posting this information!!!! We are planning on checking it out Saturday. We don't know Santa Fe well (we've only been there twice), so I wasn't sure how far the walk would be. I am really exited about our Saturday trip. I thought it didn't run on Sunday? I guess I need to re-check the schedule.