Few things in life are this cheap anymore. For 3.50 round trip, you get a short ride with an amazing view. Yeah, it might be stuffy. Yeah, some of your fellow passengers might get some hot breath going on. But with a little planning and maybe waiting out a different car, you're going to have a neat, historical ride to the top and back on the cheap.
Stick around on the top and check out some more awesome views and some shopping. There's a map right across from the station highlighting the local stores and restaurants and if you're still confused, everyone we ran into was super friendly and willing to help.