The commuter train between Santa Fe and Albuquerque was a new addition during our time here. It’s been a topic of much debate, praise, and mockery, opening new opportunities for commuters, blocking traffic, sitting mysteriously idle, stranding partyers, and generally attracting attention. We figure we should ride it before we leave town.

One of our curiosities is what route the train takes when departs from the I-25 corridor. We experience a route that snuggles up to the Gallisteo River, and sneaks through some reservation pueblos. The reservations don’t look unusual to me, but an announcement prohibits photography on those undefined stretches, and some fellow passengers tell us they were told “not to look”. I will miss some of New Mexico’s eccentricities. The GPS tracker reveals the details of the route:

When we arrive we’re hungry, and wandering around downtown Albuquerque we’re surprised to find nearly everything closed. We have to laugh when we end up at the Flying Star Cafe, which has a new location at the Railyard in Santa Fe! It doesn’t matter, this has a totally different feel, and we can walk to the Rio Grande afterward. We improvise a nice loop, our only failure being to find some espresso in time to make our return train.

Friends can peruse Ann’s photos.