At the northern apex of the Rail Runner, I was faced with two options: get off the train and spend a few hours looking around Bernalillo, or keep riding it south, back to civilization.
Luckily, my explorer's instincts took over, and I found myself setting off into the sunset.
As I was walking down Camino del Pueblo - Bernalillo's main street of sorts - I quickly happened upon a restaurant.
With my stomach growling, I walked into The Range Cafe and was pleasantly surprised.
It was a large, open diner with lots of art.
A wall full of ceramics with lizards painted on them caught my eye. I chose a table in the corner near the artistic reptiles.
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With speedy and friendly service, I quickly consumed my huge bowl of green chile chicken stew and ordered the chocolate peanut butter pie.
After chatting with my waitress for a bit, I learned The Range Café was founded in 1992. In 1995, the establishment caught fire and briefly moved to an old convent building down the street.
She told me the restaurant had re-opened a year later in 1996 and has been a kickin' place ever since. In fact, the restaurant has two locations in Albuquerque: one on Wyoming Boulevard and one on Menaul Boulevard.
Next door, I found Silva's Saloon, a pub that looked like it came straight out of the Old West.
Sitting at the big oval bar, I ordered a Diet Coke.
The bartender gave me the rundown: Silva's Saloon was a family-operated business founded in 1933, the day after Prohibition ended.
He said the bar's alcohol license was the third granted by the State.
I noticed a red trucker hat hanging from the ceiling.
When I inquired, he said it belonged to an old bar patron. Another man sitting at the bar said the hat's owner was dead.
Decorated, as the locals say, like an upside-down landfill, the saloon features a hodgepodge of antique collectibles ranging from the hats of dead patrons on the ceiling to stuffed roosters to a gallery of license plates and fading topless pictures on the walls. The bartender said 80 percent of the décor had been donated.
Behind the bar were several bottles of alcohol. You could order anything from Herradura Reposado Tequila to Jack Daniel's or Courvoisier. There were also several bottles with thick layers of dust on them and even a jar of mescal worms.
As I walked out, I wished I was of legal age.
In hindsight, I'm glad I decided to get off the Rail Runner. What started as a ride on the train turned into a food and drink excursion of a lifetime.
So, if you have a spare $2 in your pocket, a trip to Bernalillo - if not just for the eats and drinks - is well worth the price.
