IN THE NEWS

Santa Fe is the capital of New Mexico but has a population of only 70,000. At 7,000 feet, it is the highest state capital in the US and, having been founded in 1607, it is also the oldest. 

It is renowned as a center for art, music, and food, and has a long, fascinating history and wonderful scenic beauty. Board  Sky Railways Sunset Serenade for a magical ride thru Santa Fe into the high desert!

Sure, you could head to a remote dark-sky park and fiddle with a fancy constellation app to decipher what exactly it is you’re seeing. Or, make your next outing on one of a number of nighttime train rides that give you those same breathtaking Milky Way views alongside a glass of champagne and some expert astronomical advice. You’ll be able to get away from light pollution but then back to civilization (and your hotel bed), and maybe even get to peep through a high-quality telescope along the way. Book any of these four after-dark train excursions and let the lulling hum of the caboose teleport you to another world.

Think you’ve done everything there is to do in Santa Fe? Think again, and get ready to board Sky Railway for a magical ride thru Santa Fe into the high desert!

Formerly the Santa Fe Southern Railway, this historic railway was reborn in 2020 as the Sky Railway. Several investors, including George R.R. Martin, banded together to bring the line back to its former glory and to resume excursion trains – with a twist. Each experience is unique, and is very much an adventure! Rides are immersive, and usually include live performances by musicians, dancers or other performers…

Sky Railway, the train-travel adventure provider based in Santa Fe, is less than a week away from making its debut. And company officials say interest is high, with nearly 1,500 guests booked for the month of December.

Its first short-voyage trips are scheduled for next weekend, with trips running anywhere from an hour and 15 minutes to four hours in duration. The cost is between $60 to $129 for adults and $40 for children. Infants ride for free.

SANTA FE— A generation or two ago, youngsters were enthralled with trains, from assembling toy train layouts in their homes to waving to trains as they passed by.

Nineteen-year-old Spencer Bobb did both and at an early age, deciding working on the railroad was what he wanted to do when he grew up. The son of Kenneth and Cindy Bobb didn’t face any resistance, even as he decided not to head to college after graduating from high school.

A few minutes after the train pulls to a slow stop, the diesel engine cuts off and leaves the gasps of passengers and their shuffling feet as the only sounds. Without fail, people step onto the open-air car and crane their necks toward the sky to utter something awestruck—the pinpoints of light over their heads too numerous and amazing to absorb in silence.

That’s when astronomer Peter Lipscomb takes his cue, climbing onto a short stool and pointing a green laser beam from the spot in the Galisteo Basin toward Venus on the horizon. The thin line of light stretches inconceivably from the train car to the heavens and he launches into a lecture about the cosmos.

David Manzanares recalls the early days of Oppenheimer in New Mexico.

In some ways, they weren’t far different from physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer’s early days in New Mexico: full of mystery, uncertainty, and eventually, success.

Manzanares, the field producer at Ghost Ranch, recalled a location supervisor contacting him in October 2021 to pick his brain about spots in the state that might be a match for a film about a historical event that took place in New Mexico. Those involved in the production divulged only small details, nuggets like the movie’s historical period was set in the 1940s.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — There are a lot of ways to get into the holiday spirit here in New Mexico – and that now includes riding the rails.

Throughout December, you can ride on Sky Railway’s “Pablo’s Holiday Train in Lamy.” It’s an hour-long journey through the desert sets off from the historic Lamy depot and begins with a festive sing-a-long.

In between songs, passengers can enjoy some local treats and hot chocolate. There’s even a special menu just for the adults to enjoy.

Ride the Fantasy Rails: Sky Railway with George R.R. Martin – Travels with Darley

PBS Great Scenic Railway Journeys 30th Anniversary