Do you know the new way to Santa Fe?

Business travelers were long gone on wee-hour trains when we arrived for our leisurely 10:35 a.m. departure. Our double-decker train on this hot summer Friday soon was packed with tourists, noisy schoolchildren and ladies who would lunch and shop in what is arguably the Southwest's greatest lunch-and-shop capital: Santa Fe, N.M.

Having grown up in Albuquerque, about 60 miles south, I've grown accustomed to questions about my home state. Thankfully, it's been years since someone asked me if I need a passport to travel there. But I still get one question all the time: How do I get to Santa Fe?

My new answer: The New Mexico Rail Runner Express.

With round-trip service between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, this sleek silver-and-red train featuring the beloved state bird, the roadrunner, isn't just a means to reach cultural experiences. It's a cultural experience itself.

Yes, you can rent a car at Albuquerque International Airport and drive to Santa Fe in about an hour. But as I leaned back in my comfortable seat and watched the stunning Southwest reveal itself to me, I thought: Why drive?

Purple mountain peaks to the right, valleys to the left, blowing tumbleweed, pueblos (where you are asked to kindly refrain from taking photographs), ranches and junkyards. New Mexico through and through.

Redevelopment of the 100-mile commuter line, including 18 miles of new track, began in 2004 and came together in record time. The first 50 miles, including points south of Albuquerque, were completed in 2006; the 50 miles north to Santa Fe opened in 2008.

Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis which, in tourist-packed summer months, is good to remember. A small perk is that you don't have to buy your ticket beforehand. Friendly ticket-takers come by your seat for payment, and major credit cards are accepted. Prices are unreal. My round-trip fare was $8 (yes, you're reading that right). My ageless mom, who falls into the senior realm, paid $6 round-trip. Go online and you'll pay even less. Kids under 10 ride free.

Siblings Taylor, 8, Aimee, 6, and Nicole, 3, were among them. They drove with their parents, Kevin and Tia Randall, from Burlington, Iowa, to visit relatives in Albuquerque. They're considering a move to New Mexico where Tia, who has asthma, "doesn't have to worry about breathing. It's nice." Relatives told them about the Rail Runner, and they were among the first in line.

"I love the old Southwestern-type housing, the desert, the beautiful architecture," said Kevin, a firefighter.

For added proof that our big world is really tiny, we were seated a few rows from three well-dressed, smiling women including Margie Bodley, whose husband, Dr. James Bodley, was a University of Minnesota Medical School biochemist. The Bodleys left the Twin Cities and built a house on the eastern edge of Albuquerque in 2003.

Bodley, who was traveling with two girlfriends, planned to have lunch at the historic La Fonda hotel, "then hit the shops on the square."

My mom, a Rail Runner veteran, recalls one trip when a young man jumped on with his bicycle -- and a tuxedo. He was heading to a restaurant job in Santa Fe.

As I said, New Mexico through and through.

Gail Rosenblum • 612-673-7350