title: Great American Railroad Journeys

Specials

title: Manhattan Island – Series 1 Reversions

overview:
Michael Portillo crosses the Atlantic to ride the railroads of America with a new travelling companion. Armed with Appleton's General Guide to the United States, published in 1879, Michael begins his American adventure on Manhattan Island.

Starting at New York's Grand Central Terminal, he boards the Manhattan subway system, the busiest rail transit system in the US. He learns about Manhattan's iconic skyscrapers, then heads to the Financial District where, over a lobster newberg, he finds out how the dodgy political dealings of the era's most prominent industrialists earned them the nickname 'Robber Barons'.

In an urban oasis, Michael finds out how a swampy wasteland was turned into one of the largest and finest parks in the world - Central Park. A celebrity welcome from the resting actors of Broadway awaits him at Ellen's Stardust Diner. In the Lower East Side, Michael is drawn into a scrap with one of the neighbourhood's infamous historic gangs, and he visits the grim tenements where thousands of immigrants lived and worked.

Michael then heads by ferry to Ellis Island, the gateway to America for many millions seeking a new life in the new world. He finishes this leg of his journey with a tour of the gleaming new transport hub under construction close to the site of Ground Zero.

title: Manhattan Island – Series 1 Reversions

title: La isla de Manhattan – Series 1 Reversions

overview: Michael Portillo cruza el charco para montar en los ferrocarriles estadounidenses con un nuevo compañero de viaje: la Guía General de los Estados Unidos de Appleton, publicada en 1879. La aventura americana va a comenzar en Manhattan.

title: Brooklyn to Montauk – Series 1 Reversions

overview:
From Manhattan, Michael follows his Appleton's General Guide east to Long Island. Beginning in Brooklyn, he hears the moving story behind the construction of the world's first steel suspension bridge high above the East River. Below ground, he investigates the arrival of New York City's first subway and the dangers faced by the men who built it - the sandhogs.

At the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Michael discovers the dry dock where warships were built to defend American trade against the British and tastes the modern day moonshine now produced there. Michael follows in the footsteps of thousands of early 20th-century holidaymakers to what was once America's playground, Coney Island.

Continuing on the Long Island Railroad to Queens, Michael investigates the site of an ambitious engineering project that will transform New York City's rail network. A model town built by an Irish immigrant who became one of the richest men in America is Michael's next stop before he heads to the island's Gold Coast. There, Michael relives the fun of the roaring twenties at Oheka Castle, a vast private residence once home to a rail tycoon before becoming a weekend retreat for New York City's garbage men. In East Hampton, Michael discovers Home Sweet Home before ending his journey at the Montauk lighthouse on Long Island's easternmost tip.

title: De Brooklyn a Montauk – Series 1 Reversions

overview: Desde Manhattan, Michael sigue su Guía General Appleton rumbo al este, hasta llegar a Long Island. En Brooklyn conoce la conmovedora historia de la construcción del primer puente colgante de acero del mundo, sobre el East River.

title: New York City to Albany – Series 1 Reversions

overview:
Michael follows America's iconic River Hudson north through New York State. Beginning at New York City's Penn Station, Michael rides the national rail carrier service Amtrak. He hears from Amtrak's police chief how railroad policing began to tackle the nation's most notorious train robbers, among them Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Upriver at Tarrytown, Michael is spooked by a famous American ghost story, the legend of Sleepy Hollow. On the east bank of the Hudson, he stops at Garrison, where he hears about the greatest turncoat in American history and the many generals trained at West Point, the United States Military Academy.

In Poughkeepsie, Michael visits a university built just for women. Now co-educational, as a women's college, Vassar counted Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Meryl Streep among its former students. He discovers the tumultuous history of the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge and follows the train line to the Catskill Mountains, where he bravely admires the scenery from an altogether different type of line, a zip wire. Back on safe ground, he learns how the magnificent landscape inspired artists of the Hudson River School. Arriving in New York's state capital, Albany, he samples a drop of Albany Ale before rubbing shoulders with the state senator.

title: De Nueva York hasta Albany – Series 1 Reversions

overview: Michael sigue el icónico río Hudson hacia el norte, atravesando el estado de Nueva York. Lo hace a bordo del servicio nacional de trenes Amtrak, desde la estación neoyorquina de Penn Station.

title: Schenectady to Niagara Falls – Series 1 Reversions

overview:
Michael Portillo braves the awesome power and drenching spray of Niagara Falls in the Maid of the Mist to share what artists, daredevils and millions of tourists have billed as one of the most spectacular experiences on the planet.

Continuing his American journey heading west through New York State, Michael has a lightbulb moment in Schenectady, when he discovers how Thomas Edison's General Electric Company also leads the way in modern rail technology. In Utica, he investigates lock 20 of 57 along the early 19th-century Erie Canal, 325 miles of waterway which connected the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Coast via the Hudson River.

A yellow brick road beckons Michael to Chittenango, where a Kansas farm girl introduces him to a lion and a tin man. On a hillside near Palmyra, Michael finds out about farm boy Joseph Smith and his Book of Mormon, from one of the 15 million believers who follow his religion today.

Further west in Rochester, Michael discovers a famous 19th-century name still trading today - George Eastman, who launched mass market photography with his Eastman Kodak company. Reaching Buffalo, he lunches on the city's famous Buffalo wings and discovers it was once the centre of the world's grain trade. Touring Silo City, Michael learns about the invention which propelled the port of Buffalo into its dominant position, the grain elevator, and how the railroads sealed the deal.

title: De Schenectady al Niagara – Series 1 Reversions

overview: Michael Portillo va dispuesto a empaparse al acercarse a la impresionante fuerza de las cataratas del Niágara a bordo del Maid of the Mist, una experiencia a la que artistas, valientes y millones de turistas han declarado como una de las más espectaculares del planeta.

title: Philadelphia to Gettysburg – Series 1 Reversions

overview:
Michael Portillo embarks on a new railroad journey, informed by his 1879 Appleton's guidebook, from the City of Brotherly Love south to the first permanent English colonial settlement in North America, Jamestown.

He feasts on a gargantuan Philly cheesesteak, then looks to work off the calories with a run past the city's famous landmarks, in homage to one of Philadelphia's most famous sons, Rocky Balboa. All pumped up, he heads to Pennsylvania University to tackle the football team under the instruction of a fearsome coach. In the cradle of American independence, Michael discovers how, in 1776, liberty was proclaimed throughout the land yet millions remained enslaved. Alone in a cell at the Eastern State Penitentiary, Michael reflects on the 19th-century Pennsylvania system of incarceration, before heading to the gambling resort of Atlantic City.

Michael hitches a ride with the Amish in a horse-drawn buggy, through rich Pennsylvania countryside. In Traintown USA, he joins the crew of the Strasburg Railroad. After oiling the magnificent engine, he rides on the footplate of the vintage steam locomotive.

Next stop is the 'sweetest place on earth', where Michael learns about the world's largest chocolate factory and the town that bears its name.

His last stop on this leg is Gettysburg, the most famous battlefield of the American Civil War, where, in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln made a momentous speech.

title: De Philadelphia a Gettysburg – Series 1 Reversions

overview: Michael Portillo emprende un nuevo viaje en ferrocarril siguiendo su guía Appleton de 1879, esta vez desde la ciudad del amor fraternal (Philadelphia) hasta el primer asentamiento permanente inglés en Norteamérica, Jamestown.

title: Wilmington to Fort McHenry – Series 1 Reversions

overview:
Armed with his Appleton's Guide, Michael Portillo reaches a milestone on his American journey: the boundary between the northern and southern states, known as the Mason-Dixon line. He discovers the origins of what became, for black Americans, the border between slavery and freedom in an 18th-century English dispute over land.

On the heritage Wilmington and Western Railroad, Michael meets Phoebe Snow, created to reassure passengers that clean burning coal wouldn't make their clothes dirty. Michael uncovers the explosive history of gunpowder production in Delaware and then takes a boat trip up the Susquehanna River, following the route taken by one of the first English settlers, John Smith.

In Baltimore, home of the first railroad in the United States, he discovers how the first American steam engine owed much to pioneering British technology and how a historic telegraph message was received.

Michael investigates race relations in the troubled city, taking a drive downtown with a former drug dealer, now a teacher. On the city's beautiful east coast, Michael discovers the impressive star-shaped Fort McHenry and learns how the Star Spangled Banner national anthem was born.

Medics at the city's Johns Hopkins Hospital show Michael how their institution has grown from its 19th-century foundation by the railroad magnate into a world-leading centre for healthcare. And at the city's Lexington Market, Michael learns what gives a Maryland crab cake the edge.

title: De Wilmington a Fort McHenry – Series 1 Reversions

overview: Equipado con su guía Appleton, Michael Portillo llega a un punto clave de su viaje estadounidense: el límite entre los estados del norte y del sur, conocido como la línea Mason-Dixon.

title: Washington to Mount Vernon – Series 1 Reversions

overview:
Michael Portillo arrives in the nation's capital, Washington DC, centre of political power in the world's most powerful country. He discovers how it was built from scratch after a political compromise between north and south.

At the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Michael meets the man responsible for engraving the portrait of President Abraham Lincoln on the current five-dollar bill and gets his hands on more money than he has ever held in his life.

In the offices of The Washington Post, Michael learns how, at the time of his guidebook, the newspaper commissioned a march which won a place in the hearts of Americans. He hears how more recently, Washington Post journalists toppled a president. Michael sees for himself the site where President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in 1865 and, at the vast memorial to him, seeks to understand his legacy.

He soaks up some old-school jazz where Duke Ellington began his career and grabs a bite at the diner chosen by President Obama for a snack before his inauguration. At the United States Naval Observatory, Michael discovers the railroad origins of the time zones in operation across the US. Heading south to Alexandria, Virginia, Michael explores a former slave market and hears how African-Americans were once bought and sold. He ends this leg in Mount Vernon, the Palladian home of the nation's first president, George Washington, where he gets into a spot of bother at an archaeological dig.

title: De Washington a Mount Vernon – Series 1 Reversions

overview: Michael Portillo llega a la capital de la nación, Washington DC, centro del poder político del país más poderoso del mundo. Allí descubre cómo se construyó la ciudad desde cero tras un acuerdo político entre el norte y el sur.

title: Manassas to Jamestown – Series 1 Reversions

overview:
Steered by his 1879 Appleton's General Guide to the United States, Michael Portillo arrives in Manassas, scene of two crucial battles during the American Civil War.

In Fredericksburg, Virginia, he tries his hand at bottling bourbon corn whiskey and learns how it became the nation's spirit. In Richmond, a plate of ham and eggs with southern grits sets Michael up for a tour of the Virginia state Capitol building, where he learns about the terrible dilemma faced by one of its most famous sons, General Robert E Lee. Charmed by the English heritage of this former colony, Michael puts on his dancing shoes and heads for a cotillion ball, where it seems manners are the name of the game. The choir of the First Baptist Church in Petersburg, Virginia, is in fine voice as Michael discovers how coded messages were once delivered in church to slaves who hoped to escape via the so-called underground railroad.

Michael ploughs his own furrow in a field in colonial Williamsburg, where he learns from costumed re-enactors what life was like for both master and slave. It's battle stations in Norfolk, home to the United States Atlantic fleet, where Michael is invited on board the USS Wisconsin. Michael reaches the end of this American journey in Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America, where he finds out about the early settlers' grim struggle for survival.

title: De Manassas a Jamestown – Series 1 Reversions

overview: Siguiendo su guía Appleton de los Estados Unidos de 1879, Michael Portillo llega a Manassas, escenario de dos batallas cruciales durante la Guerra de la Secesión estadounidense.

title: St Louis to Jefferson City, Missouri – Series 2 Reversions

overview:
Michael Portillo crosses the Atlantic once more to ride the railroads of North America with his faithful Appleton's Guide to the United States and Canada. Amid breathtaking scenery, he encounters magnificent beasts, joins intrepid explorers and witnesses unique customs on an awesome 1,500-mile journey to recapture the excitement and promise of the 19th-century American Frontier.

In St Louis, Michael ascends America's monument to the Wild West, the astonishing Gateway Arch, the tallest free-standing monument in the United States, and makes a delightful discovery inside it. And on the banks of the Missouri River, he is invited aboard a magnificent replica of the original keel boat used for a historic expedition.

In Washington, Missouri, he attempts to craft a corn cob pipe and in the Missouri state capital, Jefferson City, he finds an enormous fortified building that served as the gaol for the entire Wild West.

title: De San Luis a Jefferson City, Misuri – Series 2 Reversions

overview:
Michael comienza su viaje en tren hacia el oeste partiendo de San Luis para llegar a hasta Jefferson City, Misuri, siguiendo las huellas de los colonos europeos en el siglo XIX. Comienza esta etapa en el lugar de nacimiento de un ícono rural en Washington, Misuri, donde intenta fabricar una pipa de mazorca de maíz.

En Hermann, Misuri, Michael se mete en bratwurst mientras descubre que los descendientes de colonos alemanes en la ciudad continúan con sus tradiciones hoy día. Y en la capital del estado de Misuri, Jefferson City, Michael encuentra un enorme edificio fortificado que sirvió como cárcel para todo el Lejano Oeste.

title: Sedalia to St Joseph, Missouri – Series 2 Reversions

overview: Following in the footsteps of European settlers, Michael Portillo rolls westwards across the United States. With true frontier spirit, he discovers the hidden pleasures of 19th-century railroad workers in Sedalia and discovers the birthplace of ragtime. Aboard a horse-drawn wagon in Independence, Michael confronts the hardships faced by early pioneers on the wagon trail. He's the only man in pink in Paola, Kansas, where he auctions livestock and dines out on smoky spare ribs. In St Joseph, Missouri, he discovers the Pony Express and gets kitted out with a stetson before investigating the treacherous death of outlaw Jesse James.

title: De Sedalia a St Joseph, Misuri – Series 2 Reversions

overview:
Siguiendo los pasos de los colonos europeos, Michael Portillo va camino del oeste a través de los Estados Unidos. Con verdadero espíritu de frontera, descubre los placeres ocultos de los trabajadores ferroviarios del siglo XIX en Sedalia, conocida como la Sodoma y Gomorra del Oeste y descubre el lugar de nacimiento de ragtime y su compositor más famoso, Scott Joplin.

Michael Portillo llega al centro del territorio cowboy en la antigua capital de empaque de carne de América, Kansas City, Misuri. En Paola, Kansas, Michael asiste a una subasta de ganado para luego cenar en costillas ahumadas.

En el distrito West Bottoms, explora la herencia irlandesa de la ciudad y descubre el primer negocio irlandés abierto en Estados Unidos, que sigue siendo de propiedad familiar y está dirigido por la bisnieta del fundador. En St. Joseph, Misuri, Michael descubre el legendario Pony Express, que no un tren sino un servicio de correo, e investiga la traicionera muerte del proscrito Jesse James.

title: Lawrence to Lamar, Colorado – Series 2 Reversions

overview: Michael Portillo continues his 1,500-mile journey through the American Wild West armed with his Appleton's Guide. In Lawrence, Kansas, he joins the Jayhawks basketball team before travelling through 'tornado alley' to Topeka to meet one of the first storm chasers in America. Driving out on the Great Plains, Michael comes face to face with a herd of wild buffalo. Following the Santa Fe trail, Michael's first stop is Dodge City, queen of the cow towns, where he is caught up in a gunfight at the notorious Long Branch saloon. He finds the Dodge City Cowboy Band performing at the city depot and breaks bread with a descendant of a railroad land agent who sold thousands of acres of land to 19th-century European settlers. Near Lamar, Michael visits the scene of a terrible massacre of Native American Indians, who found themselves in the way of white settlement of the Great Plains.

title: De Lawrence a Lamar, Colorado – Series 2 Reversions

overview:
En Lawrence, Kansas, Michael disfruta de un baile de pollo de la pradera con un estudiante de la Universidad de las Naciones Indígenas Haskell y aprende cómo los indios nativos americanos fueron tratados en el siglo XIX. Michael viaja a través del Tornado Alley a Topeka para encontrarse con uno de los primeros cazadores de tormentas de Estados Unidos. Al salir a las Grandes Llanuras, Michael visita la Pradera Tallgrass donde se encuentra cara a cara con una manada de búfalos salvajes.

La primera parada de Michael Portillo a bordo del Southwest Chief es Dodge City, Kansas, una famosa ciudad fronteriza del Viejo Oeste, donde visita el notorio Long Branch Saloon, escenario de muchos tiroteos.

Encuentra a la Dodge City Cowboy Band actuando en la ciudad y parte el pan con un descendiente de un agente de tierra ferroviario que vendió miles de acres de tierra a los colonos europeos del siglo XIX.

Cerca de Lamar, Colorado, Michael visita la escena de una terrible matanza de indios americanos, que se encontraron en el camino de la colonización blanca de las Grandes Llanuras.

title: La Junta to Colorado Springs – Series 2 Reversions

overview:
Michael Portillo reaches Colorado, where he follows in the footsteps of 19th-century East Coast dudes, who came to experience the cowboy life.

At Bent's Old Fort, Michael is transported back to the Mexican American War of 1848 and finds himself inspecting the troops. In Raton, Michael discovers the guns that won the West. At Canon City, Michael hits the Rocky Mountains, from where he heads out into the spectacular gorge of the Arkansas River aboard the historic narrow gauge Royal Gorge Railroad. He comes face to face with a terrifying T-rex and hears how 19th-century prehistoric discoveries in the mountains sparked a bitter scientific war. At the foot of Pike's Peak, a choir sings an iconic American hymn, inspired by the magnificent views to be seen from the summit. Michael heads up 14,000 feet to see for himself, aboard the Pike's Peak Cog Railway.

title: De La Junta a Colorado Springs – Series 2 Reversions

overview:
Michael Portillo entra en territorio ranchero en el condado de Las Animas, Colorado, donde sigue los pasos de los colonos del siglo XIX de la costa este que llegaron a experimentar la vida como vaqueros.

En Bent's Old Fort, Michael descubre la Guerra México-Estadounidense de 1848 y también analiza la relación de Estados Unidos con armas de fuego en un centro de tiro de la NRA en Raton, Nuevo México, además de descubrir cómo las armas ganaron el oeste.

Michael Portillo llega a las Montañas Rocosas de Colorado en Canon City, desde donde se dirige a la espectacular garganta del río Arkansas a bordo del histórico ferrocarril de vía estrecha Royal Gorge Railroad. En el camino, se entera de cómo la controversia sobre la construcción del ferrocarril hizo que las balas volaran.

En Colorado Springs, Michael descubre un puesto avanzado británico inesperado donde se alista para unirse al equipo de cricket.

title: Santa Fe, New Mexico, to the Grand Canyon – Series 2 Reversions

overview:
Michael Portillo arrives in the state capital of New Mexico, once the capital of the Spanish Kingdom of New Mexico. He explores the beautiful colonial architecture of the city and is privileged to be invited to visit a Native American pueblo. He eavesdrops on rehearsals at the glorious Santa Fe Opera House and at the Governor's Palace, discovers the author of the biblical epic Ben Hur. At La Fonda Hotel, Michael catches up with the famous Harvey Girls and hears about the railroad caterer from Lancashire who made his fortune in America.

In Albuquerque, New Mexico, on the Rio Grande River, Michael discovers the headquarters of the Acheson, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad and lends a hand with the restoration of an enormous locomotive. He feels the heat of New Mexico's most famous produce, the chilli pepper, and learns how to make enchiladas. In Williams, Arizona, Michael picks up the Grand Canyon Railway to his journey's end, one of the greatest sights on earth, and learns how the spectacular seven-million-year-old gorge of the Colorado River was preserved for the nation.

title: De Santa Fe al Gran Cañón – Series 2 Reversions

overview:
Michael Portillo llega a Santa Fe, la capital del estado de Nuevo México, y una vez la capital de un reino español. Explora la hermosa arquitectura colonial de la ciudad y es invitado a visitar un pueblo nativo americano en lo alto de un risco de piedra arenisca a 367 pies de alto.

Michael escucha a escondidas los ensayos de La chica del dorado oeste de Puccini en la gloriosa Casa de la Ópera de Santa Fe, y en el Palacio del Gobernador aprende sobre el autor de la epopeya bíblica Ben Hur. Michael alcanza a dos de las famosas Harvey Girls en el Hotel La Fonda para escuchar sobre Fred Harvey, el proveedor de servicios ferroviarios de Lancashire que hizo su fortuna en Estados Unidos.

Michael Portillo se encuentra en Albuquerque, Nuevo México, una ciudad situada en el Río Grande. Además de las sedes de Acheson, Topeka y Santa Fe Railroad, Albuquerque tiene tesoros en la tienda para los aficionados al ferrocarril, incluida una enorme locomotora que pesa más de 450 toneladas. Michael luego siente el calor del guindilla de Nuevo México en un restaurante y aprende cómo hacer enchiladas.

Michael se une al Ferrocarril del Gran Cañón en Williams, Arizona, para llegar a uno de los lugares más espectaculares de la Tierra y aprende cómo se conservó la garganta del río Colorado, que tiene 7 millones de años de antigüedad.

title: Minneapolis - St Paul – Series 2 Reversions

overview:
Michael Portillo embarks on a new American rail journey that begins and finishes on the Mississippi River. It takes him 1,000 miles from the home of F Scott Fitzgerald and The Great Gatsby to Elvis Presley's Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. He discovers how Minneapolis harnessed the awesome power of the mighty Mississippi to become a great industrial centre, the Mill City of the nation. And he finds how the city became the artificial limb capital of the world.

In St Paul, Michael explores the birthplace of F Scott Fitzgerald and meets a jazz-age trumpeter and Fitzgerald fan who introduces him to the lifestyle of Fitzgerald's hero, Jay Gatsby. Michael discovers the tom tom beat of Hiawatha and his lover Minniehaha. He meets a Dakota Sioux expert on Native American culture to learn about a dark chapter in United States history and hears how it is marked today. Michael's diplomatic skills are tested at a Swedish American lunch, where the centrepiece of the menu is reconstituted dried cod. Chasing the Golden Age of luxury rail travel, he bounces on the bed in a beautifully restored Pullman carriage of the Lambert's Point.

title: De Minneapolis a St Paul – Series 2 Reversions

overview:
Michael Portillo comienza un nuevo viaje desde las ciudades gemelas de Minnesota en el norte de los EE. UU. Hasta Memphis, Tennessee, en el sur profundo.

En esta etapa, Michael descubre cómo Minneapolis, parte de un área metropolitana con su vecino inmediato, St Paul, aprovechó el poder del poderoso Mississippi para convertirse en un gran centro industrial.  Michael descubre la historia de Hiawatha y su amante Minnehaha, un poema cuyos personajes son indios americanos. Luego conoce a un experto de la tribu de los Dakota Sioux en la cultura de los nativos americanos para conocer un capítulo oscuro en la historia de los Estados Unidos y cómo todavía afecta hoy.

Michael tiene que poner a prueba sus habilidades diplomáticas en un almuerzo sueco-estadounidense, donde el plato principal del menú es el bacalao seco.

title: Minnesota - Wisconsin – Series 2 Reversions

overview: Steered by his Appleton's guidebook, Michael Portillo continues his rail journey along the Upper Mississippi to Red Wing, Minnesota, and the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of Little House on the Prairie. Picking up the Empire Builder rail service, he travels to Winona, where he takes to the water to find out how in the 19th century, the US Army Corps of Engineers made the Mississippi navigable and how the river is maintained today - not just for freight but for bald eagles and pelicans. Michael joins in the dancing at a tribal gathering of the Dakota Sioux and hears about efforts towards reconciliation. In La Crosse, Michael learns about the Native American origins of the fast-moving, combative sport. A new take on pizza toppings including dirt and worms has Michael squirming before he moves on to Tomah, Wisconsin, where he wades in to harvest the nation's most important berry from the marshes at a century-old farm. He travels to Wisconsin Dells, where an innovative photographer first captured motion, then takes the plunge in the waterpark capital of the world. In Baraboo, he discovers the circus is in town and it travels by train. Guided by a former clown and ringmaster, Michael explores the spectacular wagons.

title: De Red Wing a Portage – Series 2 Reversions

overview:
Michael Portillo continúa su viaje desde el estado norteño de Minnesota hasta el sur profundo. Siguiendo su Guía de Appleton, Michael viaja a lo largo del Alto Mississippi a Red Wing, Minnesota, el hogar de Laura Ingalls Wilder, autor de Little House on the Prairie.

Al unirse al servicio ferroviario Empire Builder, viaja a Winona, donde descubre cómo en el siglo XIX el Cuerpo de Ingenieros del Ejército de los EE. UU. Hizo navegable el Mississippi. Michael se une a la danza en una reunión tribal de los Dakota Sioux, y en La Crosse se entera de los orígenes de los nativos americanos de un deporte combativo y de rápido movimiento.

Michael llega a Tomah, Wisconsin, donde ayuda a cosechar arándanos, un cultivo importante para los EE. UU.

Al embarcar en el servicio ferroviario Empire Builder una vez más, viaja a Wisconsin Dells y encuentra una agradable sorpresa en Baraboo: el circo está en la ciudad y viaja en tren. Guiado por un ex payaso y maestro de ceremonias, Michael explora los espectaculares vagones del tren.

title: Milwaukee to Chicago – Series 2 Reversions

overview: Michael Portillo is in Milwaukee, the cream city on the shore of Lake Michigan and home to an American icon: the Harley Davidson motorcycle. Michael learns how the first machine was built in 1903 and hitches a ride. German gymnastics is Michael's next challenge as he joins the Ladies' Auxiliary Exercise Class at the Turner Hall, a legacy of Milwaukee's 19th-century German settler community. In Racine, Michael discovers a man who knew how to sort the wheat from the chaff and made a business out of it. Michael is blown away by the skyscrapers in Illinois's Windy City, where he discovers how modern Chicago's skyline replaced a largely wooden city, destroyed in a fire shortly before his Appleton's Guide was published. Michael steps up to the plate with the Joliet Slammers, stars of the US national game of baseball, then sings for his supper at a quintessentially American restaurant bearing his name! Downtown at the Moody Church, Michael tracks down a pair of evangelists who toured Britain and the United States by rail at the time of his guide.

title: De Milwaukee a Chicago – Series 2 Reversions

overview:
Michael Portillo continúa su viaje desde el estado norteño de Minnesota hasta el sur profundo. Michael llega a Milwaukee, ubicado en la orilla del lago Michigan y el hogar de la Harley-Davidson. Aquí Michael aprende acerca de la historia de la mítica marca de motocicletas, la primera de las cuales se realizó en 1903, y se monta en la parte trasera de una versión moderna.

Michael Portillo es impresionado por los rascacielos de Chicago, la Ciudad de los Vientos de Illinois, donde descubre cómo el horizonte moderno de Chicago reemplazó a una ciudad en gran parte de madera, destruida en una gran fuego poco antes de que se publicara su Guía Appleton. Entrenando con los bomberos de la ciudad, Michael descubre que el departamento de bomberos de hoy responde a medio millón de llamadas de emergencia por año.

title: Chicago to Champaign, Illinois – Series 2 Reversions

overview:
Michael Portillo continues his 1,000-mile journey from the northern state of Minnesota to the home of the blues in Memphis, Tennessee. In the nation's rail capital, where tracks pass underground and over ground and are elevated into the air, he investigates the ultimate marshalling yard. At the ornate Palmer House Hotel, Michael recreates the original chocolate brownie, invented by Bertha Palmer in 1893. He discovers the origins of the Sanitary and Ship Canal and uncovers the history of an incredible civil engineering project which raised the city to new heights. Heading deep underground, Michael inspects a modern-day scheme on a similarly awesome scale, described by the boss as the largest toilet in the world!

On the trail of one of America's most famous railroad names, Michael heads south to Pullman to investigate the legacy of its founder, George Pullman. Beside the Kankakee River, Michael is invited to visit the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house that changed the face of American architecture. On the platform at Kankakee station, Michael parties with the locals as they celebrate the City of New Orleans rail service, immortalised in song by Arlo Guthrie. He gets his hands on a vintage hooter riding on the Monticello Heritage rail line and in Champaign learns a thing or two at a railroad university.

title: De Chicago a Champaign – Series 2 Reversions

overview: Hoy, en la capital ferroviaria de la nación, donde las vías pasan bajo tierra y se elevan al aire, Michael investiga el último patio de maniobras. En el adornado Palmer House Hotel, Michael se une al chef para recrear el brownie de chocolate original, inventado por Bertha Palmer para la Exposición Mundial de Chicago en 1893. Descubre los orígenes del Canal Sanitario y del Barco y descubre la historia de un increíble proyecto de ingeniería que elevó a la ciudad a nuevas alturas.  En plena actividad en el fairway del Flossmoor Country Club, Michael descubre cómo los adinerados hombres de negocios de la ciudad se reunían para jugar y cómo los ferrocarriles fomentaban el crecimiento de la vida suburbana. Junto al río Kankakee, Michael está invitado a visitar la casa diseñada por Frank Lloyd Wright que cambió la arquitectura estadounidense. En la plataforma de la estación de Kankakee, Michael festeja con los lugareños mientras celebran el servicio ferroviario de la ciudad de Nueva Orleans, inmortalizado en la canción de Arlo Guthrie y en Champaign aprende una o dos cosas en una universidad del ferrocarril.

title: Illinois to Tennessee – Series 2 Reversions

overview:
Michael Portillo continues his 1,000-mile journey from Minnesota to Tennessee, beginning and ending on the Mississippi River. Riding the mainline of mid-America, Michael stops at rural Mattoon, where he gets a taste of the tough early life which shaped President Abraham Lincoln. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Michael struggles to split one rail compared with Lincoln's estimated 700-a-day. Basket in hand, Michael joins the Schwartz family apple harvest in Centralia and learns how to make apple butter. He uncovers industrial unrest in the coal mines of Carbondale, then heads to Kentucky and the banks of the Mississippi, where a bloody conflict unfolded, which proved decisive in victory for Lincoln's Union.

Aboard a paddle steamer on the lower Mississippi, Michael hears about the life and work of former riverboat captain Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain. In the city of Memphis, Tennessee, he visits the historic Elmwood Cemetery, where he uncovers the story of a devastating epidemic. In the home of the blues, Michael meets contemporary musician Cedric Burnside in the studio before joining millions of Elvis fans at Graceland. Fellow rail fans at Memphis Station share their passion, and an invitation to a duck palace and the honorary position of Duck Master carry curious responsibilities at the 19th-century Peabody Hotel.

title: De Matoon a Memphis – Series 2 Reversions

overview:
Viajando por la línea principal de la Norte América Central, Michael se detiene en la zona rural de Mattoon, donde se da cuenta de la dura vida que dio forma al presidente Abraham Lincoln. Limpiándose el sudor de la frente, Michael se esfuerza por dividir un riel en comparación con los 700 estimados que hacía Lincoln por día. Cesta en mano, Michael se une a la cosecha de manzanas de la familia Schwartz en Centralia y aprende cómo hacer mantequilla de manzana. Descubre los disturbios industriales en las minas de carbón de Carbondale y luego se dirige a Kentucky y las orillas del Mississippi, donde se desarrolló un sangriento conflicto que resultó decisivo para la victoria de la Unión de Lincoln.

Michael Portillo recorre el bajo Mississippi a bordo de un barco de vapor para conocer la vida y obra del ex capitán de un barco fluvial, Samuel Clemens, mejor conocido como Mark Twain. En la ciudad de Memphis, Tennessee, Michael visita el histórico cementerio de Elmwood, donde descubre la historia de una devastadora epidemia que se cobró la vida de miles de personas. Descubre uno de los mayores centros de transporte ferroviario de Estados Unidos y en el hogar del blues, se encuentra con el artista contemporáneo Cedric Burnside en el estudio antes de unirse a millones de fanáticos de Elvis en Graceland.

title: Reno To The Napa Valley – Series 3 Reversions

overview:
Steered by his 19th-century Appleton's guidebook, Michael Portillo embarks on a one thousand-mile American adventure through California. Along the way he discovers how the railroads conquered the wild landscapes of the west and how California became America's richest state. Beginning in the Silver State of Nevada, Michael takes to the skies over the dramatic Sierra Nevada mountain range. At Lake Tahoe, he hears of the first European explorer, known as 'The Pathfinder', whose discovery opened up the west for settlement.

Travelling on the historic Virginia and Truckee heritage line, Michael investigates the vast deposits of silver and gold ore on which Virginia City was built. At Chollar Mine, he finds out about the short-lived mining boom and meets a quirky relic of the period - the pistol packin' preacher. Crossing the border into the Golden State of California, he ascends the 7,000ft granite cliffs to the Donner Pass where ambitious plans to carve a rail route through the rugged terrain were made a reality by Chinese immigrant labourers. In Colfax, Michael swaps his customary iron horse for the real thing and saddles up for a lesson in cowboy dressage. At Sutter's Mill, close to Sacramento, Michael pans for gold at the very spot that triggered the 1848 gold rush and enjoys a saucy show at California's first public theatre.

Venturing underground, he discovers how the streets of Sacramento were raised following the Great Flood of 1862 and visits the $900 million dam under construction to improve the city's flood defences. It is a first for Michael in the kaleidoscopic sweet factory of an iconic American confectionery brand that traces its roots to the 19th century. And, taking a cue from his guidebook, he samples the fruits of the Napa Valley in a gourmet lunch on board the Napa Valley wine train.

title: De Reno al Valle de Napa – Series 3 Reversions

overview:
Michael Portillo se embarca en una aventura estadounidense de mil millas a través de California. En el camino, descubre cómo los ferrocarriles conquistaron los paisajes salvajes del oeste y cómo California se convirtió en el estado más rico de América. Comenzando en el estado plateado de Nevada, Michael se dirige a los cielos sobre la espectacular cordillera de Sierra Nevada. En el lago Tahoe, oye hablar del primer explorador europeo, conocido como 'The Pathfinder', cuyo descubrimiento abrió el oeste para el asentamiento.

Viajando en la histórico linea de Virginia y Truckee, Michael investiga los vastos depósitos de mineral de plata y oro sobre los cuales se construyó Virginia City. En la mina Chollar, se entera del auge de la minería de corta duración y se encuentra con una reliquia peculiar de la época: el predicador del paquete de pistola. Cruzando la frontera hacia el Estado Dorado de California, asciende los acantilados de granito de 7.000 pies hasta el Paso Donner, donde los ambiciosos planes para abrir una ruta ferroviaria a través del terreno accidentado se hicieron realidad por los trabajadores inmigrantes chinos. En Colfax, Michael cambia su habitual caballo de hierro por el de verdad y prepara una lección de doma vaquera. En Sutter's Mill, cerca de Sacramento, Michael busca oro en el mismo lugar que provocó la fiebre del oro de 1848 y disfruta de un espectáculo en el primer teatro público de California.

Al aventurarse bajo tierra, descubre cómo se levantaron las calles de Sacramento después de la Gran Inundación de 1862 y visita la represa de $ 900 millones en construcción para mejorar las defensas contra inundaciones de la ciudad. Es la primera vez que Michael en la fábrica de dulces caleidoscópicos de una marca icónica de confitería estadounidense que se remonta al siglo XIX. Y, siguiendo el ejemplo de su guía, prueba los frutos del Valle de Napa en un almuerzo gourmet a bordo del tren del vino del Valle de Napa.

title: San Francisco – Series 3 Reversions

overview:
Armed with his trusty Appleton's Guide, Michael Portillo reaches San Francisco, where he boards one of the city's iconic cable cars. Behind the scenes in the engineering powerhouse, he uncovers the street cars' secret to scaling the city's famously steep hills. In the Presidio neighbourhood, a leading publisher introduces Michael to San Francisco's long tradition of fine printing and book-making. Michael takes the opportunity to have his own treasured book appraised.

Hitching a ride on a hippy 'love bus' to the heart of the city's gay district, Michael traces the roots of the city's LGBTQ scene back to the era of the gold rush and meets the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. At Fisherman's Wharf, Michael samples a local seafood speciality brought to the city by Italian immigrants. Across the bay at Sausalito, he boards a schooner to hear the story of Matthew Turner, the most prolific shipbuilder of his time. In Chinatown, Michael hears about the huge contribution Chinese immigrants made to the Californian economy, both as miners and in building the transcontinental railroad. He discovers an entrepreneurial community who overcame discrimination and finds that fortune favours the brave when he learns to create an iconic Chinese treat.

Intrigued by a reference in his guidebook, Michael visits the Sutro Baths, where he learns the story behind an ugly 19th-century incident of racial discrimination, which prompted an African American to sue one of the richest white men in the state. A trip out into the Bay with the San Francisco Police Department's marine unit, established in 1864, shows Michael how the force continues to keep the waters safe.

title: San Francisco – Series 3 Reversions

title: San Francisco – Series 3 Reversions

overview:
Michael Portillo llega a San Francisco, donde se sube a uno de los emblemáticos tranvías de la ciudad y descubre el secreto de los tranvías para escalar las famosas colinas empinadas de la ciudad. En el vecindario de Presidio, un importante editor introduce a Michael a la larga tradición de impresión fina y creación de libros en San Francisco.  Enganchando en un “bus de amor” hippie al corazón del distrito gay de la ciudad, Michael rastrea las raíces de la escena LGBTQ de la ciudad hasta la era de la fiebre del oro y se encuentra con las Hermanas de la Indulgencia Perpetua. En Fisherman's Wharf, Michael prueba una especialidad local de mariscos traída a la ciudad por inmigrantes italianos. Al otro lado de la bahía en Sausalito, aborda una goleta para escuchar la historia de Matthew Turner, el constructor naval más prolífico de su tiempo. En Chinatown, Michael se entera de la gran contribución que los inmigrantes chinos hicieron a la economía de California, tanto como mineros como en la construcción del ferrocarril transcontinental. Descubre una comunidad empresarial que superó la discriminación y encuentra que la fortuna favorece a los valientes cuando aprende a crear un tratamiento chino icónico.

Intrigado por una referencia en su guía, Michael visita los Baños de Sutro, donde aprende la historia detrás de un desagradable incidente de discriminación racial en el siglo XIX, lo que llevó a un afroamericano a demandar a uno de los hombres blancos más ricos del estado. Un viaje a la bahía con la unidad marina del Departamento de Policía de San Francisco, establecida en 1864, muestra a Michael cómo esta fuerza continúa manteniendo las aguas seguras.

title: Berkeley to Santa Cruz – Series 3 Reversions

overview:
Following his Appleton's guide, Michael Portillo makes a trip to the jewel in the crown of America's National Parks, Yosemite, to behold its towering granite cliffs, its giant sequoia trees and cascading waterfalls. He discovers how early conservationists fought to protect it in law and encounters a 'buffalo soldier' in the heart of the forest. In Berkeley, Michael uncovers a catastrophic event, which hit the city of San Francisco hard in 1906. He heads for the University of California's department of seismology to hear of a devastating earthquake and the inferno which followed it and to find out what's being done to secure the region against future damage.

In Stockton, Michael discovers tractor heaven and learns how caterpillar tracked vehicles were developed to work the deep peat soils of the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta. Continuing south through the heart of Silicon Valley, Michael visits a high-tech bar, where the waiters are robots. He discovers the origins of modern-day search engines and social media in a Californian institution founded by a railroad baron. At tech giant Intel, Michael glimpses the future on a test drive in an autonomous car.

At San Jose, the biggest city in the valley, Michael visits Japantown to meet members of a far eastern community who settled here peacefully during the 19th century but faced hostility during the mid-20th. He is then beaten over the head and body by youngsters a third of his age as he attempts to learn the martial art of kendo. A ride aboard the Roaring Camp and Big Trees Railroad takes Michael through groves of mammoth trees - the magnificent California redwoods. Emerging from the forest on a second vintage railroad, Michael hits the beach and takes to the waves - on a surfboard.

title: De Berkeley a Santa Cruz – Series 3 Reversions

overview:
Michael Portillo realiza un viaje a la joya de la corona de los Parques Nacionales de América, Yosemite, para contemplar sus imponentes acantilados de granito, sus gigantescas secuoyas y sus cascadas. Descubre cómo los conservacionistas tempranos lucharon para protegerla y se encuentra con un "soldado búfalo" en el corazón del bosque. En Berkeley, Michael descubre un evento catastrófico, que golpeó duramente la ciudad de San Francisco en 1906. Se dirige al departamento de sismología de la Universidad de California para enterarse del devastador terremoto y el infierno que lo siguió y descubrir qué se está haciendo para asegurar la región contra daños futuros.

En Stockton, Michael descubre el cielo de los tractores y aprende cómo se desarrollaron los vehículos de oruga para trabajar en los suelos de turba profunda del delta Sacramento-San Joaquín. Continuando hacia el sur a través del corazón de Silicon Valley, Michael visita un bar de alta tecnología, donde los camareros son robots. Descubre los orígenes de los motores de búsqueda modernos y las redes sociales en una institución californiana fundada por un barón del ferrocarril. En el gigante tecnológico Intel, Michael vislumbra el futuro en una prueba de manejo en un automóvil autónomo.

En San José, la ciudad más grande del valle, Michael visita Japantown para reunirse con miembros de una comunidad del lejano oriente que se establecieron aquí pacíficamente durante el siglo XIX, pero enfrentaron hostilidad a mediados del siglo XX. Luego, es golpeado en la cabeza y el cuerpo por jóvenes de un tercio de su edad cuando intenta aprender el arte marcial del kendo. Un paseo a bordo del Roaring Camp y Big Trees Railroad lleva a Michael a través de arboledas de árboles gigantescos: las magníficas secoyas de California. Al salir del bosque en un segundo ferrocarril de época, Michael llega a la playa y se lanza a las olas, en una tabla de surf.

title: Monterey to Los Angeles – Series 3 Reversions

overview:
Steered by his late 19th-century Appleton's guidebook, Michael Portillo continues through southern California aboard the Coast Starlight rail service. In the historic port of Monterey, Michael raises the Bear Flag of the one-time Republic of California and above it, the Stars and Stripes. He discovers the city's Spanish and Mexican heritage and traces how the former fishing port described as 'stinking and decrepit' in John Steinbeck's novel, Cannery Row, has become a beacon for tourists. And how, in place of fish-processing canneries, there now stands a gleaming, state- of-the art aquarium, where Michael is invited to feed the fish.

Michael's next stop is Paso de Robles, where he tours the magnificent Hearst Castle, dream home of the newspaper baron, William Randolph Hearst, to hear the tale of its creation. Onward to San Luis Obispo and the hills of Morro Bay and Michael joins avocado farmer Jim Shanley amid his 4,000 avocado trees to harvest the pears and then learn how to make guacamole. His next stop is Rancho Camulos, a former cattle ranch owned by a prominent Hispanic family and the setting for a best-selling romantic novel of the 19th century.

Arriving in Los Angeles Michael, like many a Hollywood hopeful before him, he heads for the Warner Brothers studio, founded on Sunset Boulevard at the time of his Appleton's, with dreams of stardom ahead. His role as a fearless all-action hero is assured. For the view from the top he takes the Skyslide from the 70th floor of one of LA's tallest buildings, before striding out on the Walk of Fame. At the pioneering 19th-century Union Ice company, Michael discovers how Californians have kept their cool. He sees how ice blocks of titanic proportions are made and brings Christmas to LA with a giant snowmaker. Outside the city, Michael heads for San Marino to visit The Huntington, a cultural and research centre with more than a dozen botanical gardens. In the cactus garden, Michael discovers more about the founder, nephew of a railroad baron and himself a pioneer of street cars and trolleys. Michael explores the city's latest initiative to break the legendary rush hour gridlock on Los Angeles freeways - a rail link with seven new stations on the LA metro.

title: De Monterey a Los Angeles – Series 3 Reversions

overview:
En el puerto histórico de Monterey, Michael levanta la Bandera del Oso de la antigua República de California y, por encima de ella, las barras y estrellas. Descubre la herencia española y mexicana de la ciudad y describe cómo el antiguo puerto pesquero descrito como 'apestoso y decrépito' en la novela de John Steinbeck, Cannery Row, se ha convertido en un faro para los turistas. Y cómo, en lugar de las conserveras de procesamiento de pescado, ahora hay un acuario reluciente y de vanguardia, donde Michael es invitado a alimentar a los peces.

La siguiente parada de Michael es Paso de Robles, donde recorre el magnífico castillo de Hearst, la casa de ensueño del barón de los medios, William Randolph Hearst, para escuchar la historia de su creación. Hacia San Luis Obispo y las colinas de Morro Bay y Michael se une al agricultor de aguacates Jim Shanley en medio de sus 4,000 árboles de aguacate para cosechar y luego aprender a hacer guacamole. Su siguiente parada es Rancho Camulos, un antiguo rancho ganadero propiedad de una prominente familia hispana y escenario de una novela romántica de gran éxito de ventas del siglo XIX.

Al llegar a Los Ángeles, Michael, como muchos otros aspirantes a Hollywood, se dirige al estudio Warner Brothers, fundado en Sunset Boulevard en el momento de que escribió la guía Appleton, con sueños de estrellato por delante. Su papel como intrépido héroe de la acción está asegurado. Para la vista desde la cima, toma el Skyslide desde el piso 70 de uno de los edificios más altos de Los Ángeles, antes de caminar en el Paseo de la Fama. En la pionera compañía Union Ice del siglo XIX, Michael descubre cómo los californianos han mantenido la calma. Ve cómo se hacen los bloques de hielo de proporciones titánicas y lleva la Navidad a Los Ángeles con un gigante fabricante de nieve. Fuera de la ciudad, Michael se dirige a San Marino para visitar The Huntington, un centro cultural y de investigación con más de una docena de jardines botánicos. En el jardín de cactus, Michael descubre más sobre el fundador, sobrino de un barón del ferrocarril y él mismo, un pionero de los tranvías. Michael explora la última iniciativa de la ciudad para romper el legendario atasco de la hora punta en las autopistas de Los Ángeles, un enlace ferroviario con siete nuevas estaciones en el metro de Los Ángeles.

title: Los Angeles to San Diego – Series 3 Reversions

overview:
Michael Portillo strikes oil in the suburbs of Los Angeles, contemplates his navel in the orange groves of Riverside, makes a California roll and paints a pretty picture in Laguna Beach. It is Mexican Independence Day and the locals are celebrating the country's hard-won independence from Spain in the early 19th century. There is dancing, singing and feasting in the streets and Michael joins the party. He learns that half of the population of LA is Latino, mainly of Mexican descent, and hears how after only a few decades, Mexico lost half its territory and California became part of the United States.

Michael learns the secrets of backyard oil drilling in Los Angeles, home to the largest urban oil field in the United States. Nodding donkeys are everywhere - in residential neighbourhoods, parking lots and burger joints. Michael sports a zesty orange jacket to visit the Citrus Variety Collection and learns the difference between a pummelo and a papeda. Alongside oil, the citrus fruit industry, he discovers, is one of the bedrocks of the state's economy. At Laguna Beach, Michael learns how artists from the east coast travelled west on the Transcontinental Railroad to found a colony of 'plein air' painters attracted by the beautiful coastline and glorious light to paint outside.

Clad in khaki boiler suit and sporting dark glasses, he joins the US Navy at Pacific Fleet, birthplace of the elite flying academy, Top Gun. In San Diego, he picks up the trail of the industrialist and property speculator, John D Spreckels, who made the city boom in the 19th century and built a pavilion to house the largest outdoor pipe organ in the world. Michael is offered the chance to play it. Appletons recommends a trip to a huge structure, completed in 1888, on which San Diegans have depended for water for 130 years - the Sweetwater Dam.

title: De Los Angeles a San Diego – Series 3 Reversions

overview:
Michael Portillo encuentra petróleo en los suburbios de Los Ángeles, contempla su ombligo en los naranjales de Riverside, hace un rollo de California y pinta un bonito cuadro en Laguna Beach. Es el Día de la Independencia de México y los lugareños celebran la difícil independencia del país de España a principios del siglo XIX. Hay bailes, cantos y banquetes en las calles y Michael se une a la fiesta. Aprende que la mitad de la población de Los Ángeles es latina, principalmente de ascendencia mexicana, y oye cómo, después de unas pocas décadas, México perdió la mitad de su territorio y California se convirtió en parte de los Estados Unidos.

Michael descubre los secretos de la perforación petrolera en el patio trasero de Los Ángeles, hogar del campo petrolero urbano más grande de los Estados Unidos. Los asnos asaltados están en todas partes: en vecindarios residenciales, estacionamientos y restaurantes de hamburguesas. Michael luce una sabrosa chaqueta naranja para visitar la colección Citrus Variety y aprende la diferencia entre un pomelo y una papeda. Junto con el petróleo, la industria de los cítricos, descubre, es uno de los pilares de la economía del estado. En Laguna Beach, Michael aprende cómo los artistas de la costa este viajaban hacia el oeste en el Ferrocarril Transcontinental para fundar una colonia de pintores "plein air" atraídos por la hermosa costa y la gloriosa luz para pintar en el exterior.

Vestido con traje de caldera color caqui y gafas oscuras deportivas, se une a la Marina de los EE. UU. En Pacific Fleet, lugar de nacimiento de la academia de vuelo de élite, Top Gun. En San Diego, sigue el rastro del industrial y especulador de propiedades, John D Spreckels, quien hizo el auge de la ciudad en el siglo XIX y construyó un pabellón para albergar el órgano de tubos más grande del mundo. A Michael se le ofrece la oportunidad de tocar. Appletons recomienda un viaje a una enorme estructura, completada en 1888, de la que los habitantes de San Diego han dependido del agua durante 130 años: la presa Sweetwater.

title: Boston to Concord – Series 3 Reversions

overview:
Armed with his 19th-century Appleton's guidebook to the United States and Canada, Michael Portillo embarks on a 1100-mile railroad journey from Boston, Massachusetts, across the border to Toronto in the Canadian province of Ontario.

At risk of being uncovered as a Tory spy, Michael joins the Sons of Liberty aboard ship in Boston harbour. Will he help rebels jettison 112 crates of East India Company tea? On the route of one of the earliest railroads in the United States, he reaches Lowell, the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. An historic streetcar conveys him to the Boott Cotton Mills, where he discovers a flagrant act of industrial espionage and militancy among the thousands of women and girls who worked there.

Michael's guide sets him on the trail of the second largest organ in the world, located now in Haverhill. He is rewarded with a rousing rendition of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, courtesy of the 19th century Handel and Haydn Choir. In the fine dome atop Massachusetts General Hospital, where no-one could hear the screaming, Michael discovers the scene of grisly surgery, first made bearable, in 1846, by a miraculous new substance. North of Boston, in Salem, Michael is caught up in a witch hunt. He gets a taste of the hysteria which gripped the town in the 17th century and how events were reinterpreted at the time of his guide. And in Concord, where the first shots of the American Revolution were fired, Michael discovers the home of the celebrated author of the coming of age classic Little Women and hears the story behind the novel.

title: Boston to Concord – Series 3 Reversions

title: De Boston a Concord – Series 3 Reversions

overview:
Michael se une a los Hijos de la Libertad a bordo del barco en el puerto de Boston. ¿Ayudará a los rebeldes a deshacerse de 112 cajas de té de la East India Company? En la ruta de uno de los primeros ferrocarriles de los Estados Unidos, llega a Lowell, el lugar de nacimiento de la Revolución Industrial Americana. Un tranvía histórico lo lleva a los molinos de algodón de Boott, donde descubre un acto flagrante de espionaje industrial y el trabajo y vida de las miles de mujeres y niñas que trabajaban allí.

La guía de Michael lo pone en el camino del segundo órgano más grande del mundo, ubicado ahora en Haverhill. Es recompensado con una conmovedora versión del Himno de batalla de la República, cortesía de Handel y Haydn Choir, del siglo XIX. En la elegante cúpula del Hospital General de Massachusetts, donde nadie podía escuchar los gritos, Michael descubre la escena de una cirugía espantosa, que en 1846 se hizo soportable por primera vez por una sustancia milagrosa. Al norte de Boston, en Salem, Michael está atrapado en una cacería de brujas. Conoce la histeria que se apoderó de la ciudad en el siglo XVII y cómo se reinterpretaron los eventos en el momento de su guía. Y en Concord, donde se dispararon las primeras tomas de la Revolución Americana, Michael descubre el hogar del célebre autor de la clásica Mujer de la mayoría de edad y escucha la historia detrás de la novela.

title: Plymouth to New London – Series 3 Reversions

overview:
Guided by his Appleton's and tracing the footsteps of the Pilgrim Fathers, Michael Portillo heads for Plymouth, the 'home town' of America. He learns how indigenous tribes of Wamponoag people taught newly arrived settlers to live off the land, inspiring one of the biggest holidays in today's American calendar.

Michael boards the Cape Cod Central heritage railroad, bound for Hyannis, a favoured presidential holiday spot. Catching a ferry to Martha's Vineyard, he discovers that ardent Methodists put the island on the map in the early 19th century by establishing the country's first religious summer camp. On the island of Nantucket, Michael discovers how hardy New Englanders made vast fortunes from whale oil in what was once the whaling capital of the world. He joins conservationists and whale spotters out at sea, hoping for a glimpse these magnificent creatures. On the banks of the Providence River, Michael discovers a dining club that traces its roots back to the 1840s and is invited to join an open-air 'clambake'.

In Providence, the capital of Rhode Island, Michael finds a pen company that counts among its customers the Presidents of the United States. The elite US Coast Guard Academy, established in New London, Connecticut, in 1876, trains cadets to defend the American coastline. Michael joins them on the drill ground. At the childhood summer home of the Nobel prize-winning American playwright, Eugene O'Neill, Michael discovers the setting for one of his greatest plays.

title: De Plymouth a New London – Series 3 Reversions

overview:
Siguiendo la guía appleton Appleton y los pasos de los Padres Peregrinos, Michael Portillo se dirige a Plymouth, la "ciudad natal" de América. Aprende cómo las tribus indígenas de Wamponoag enseñaron a los colonos recién llegados a vivir de la tierra, inspirando uno de los días festivos más grandes en el calendario estadounidense de hoy.

Michael se embarca en el ferrocarril central de Cape Cod, con destino a Hyannis, un lugar predilecto de vacaciones presidenciales. Al tomar un ferry a Martha's Vineyard, descubre que los Metodistas ardientes pusieron la isla en el mapa a principios del siglo XIX al establecer el primer campamento de verano religioso del país. En la isla de Nantucket, Michael descubre cuán resistentes son los neoyorquinos que ganaron enormes fortunas con el aceite de ballena en la que fue la capital mundial de la caza de ballenas. Se une a los conservacionistas y observadores de ballenas en el mar, con la esperanza de echar un vistazo a estas magníficas criaturas. A orillas del río Providence, Michael descubre un club de restaurantes que se remonta a la década de 1840 y es invitado a unirse a un "pastel de pescado" al aire libre.

En Providence, la capital de Rhode Island, Michael encuentra una empresa de bolígrafos que cuenta entre sus clientes con los Presidentes de los Estados Unidos. La élite de la Academia de la Guardia Costera de los Estados Unidos, establecida en New London, Connecticut, en 1876, capacita a cadetes para defender la costa estadounidense. Michael se une a ellos. En la casa de verano de la infancia del dramaturgo estadounidense ganador del Premio Nobel, Eugene O'Neill, Michael descubre el escenario de una de sus mejores obras.

title: New Haven to Plattsburgh – Series 3 Reversions

overview:
Armed with his Appleton's guide, Michael Portillo continues his rail journey through Connecticut and New England. He takes a crash course in rowing in New Haven, where college teams from Yale and Harvard have battled for victory on the water since 1852. In Vermont, Michael visits a 19th-century farm, where the rich milk from prized Jersey cows imported from the British Isles supplied a thriving butter industry. In New Hampshire, Michael ascends the steep slopes of Mount Washington aboard the world's first mountain climbing cog railway, at whose summit an extraordinary weather station has recorded the mountain's extreme weather since 1870.

In Burlington, Vermont, a busy timber port at time of his guidebook, Michael ventures into the forest to learn how sustainable and technological innovations have transformed the state's billion dollar logging industry. Following the old trade route across Lake Champlain, he hears of a pivotal battle during the War of 1812 where a British defeat gave the United States new confidence on the world stage. In Plattsburg, Michael learns of the surprising origins of a classic Christmas carol. In the wilderness of the Adirondack Mountains, Michael discovers the luxurious camps of the rich and famous elite of Appleton's day. In Lake Placid, Michael braves the steep curves and speeds of an Olympic bobsleigh run. Last stop is an American fort mistakenly built in Canada!

title: De New Haven a Plattsburgh – Series 3 Reversions

overview:
Armado con su guía de Appleton, Michael Portillo continúa su viaje en tren a través de Connecticut y Nueva Inglaterra. Toma un curso intensivo de remo en New Haven, donde los equipos universitarios de Yale y Harvard luchan por la victoria en el agua desde 1852. En Vermont, Michael visita una granja del siglo XIX, donde la rica leche de las preciadas vacas de Jersey importada de la Las islas británicas suministraron una próspera industria de la mantequilla. En New Hampshire, Michael asciende por las empinadas laderas del Monte Washington a bordo del primer tren de cremallera montañoso del mundo, en cuya cima, una estación meteorológica extraordinaria ha registrado el clima extremo de la montaña desde 1870.

En Burlington, Vermont, un puerto de madera ocupado en el momento de su guía, Michael se adentra en el bosque para descubrir cómo las innovaciones tecnológicas y sostenibles han transformado la industria estatal de la madera de mil millones de dólares. Siguiendo la antigua ruta comercial a través del lago Champlain, se entera de una batalla crucial durante la Guerra de 1812, donde una derrota británica le dio a Estados Unidos una nueva confianza en el escenario mundial. En Plattsburg, Michael se entera de los sorprendentes orígenes de un villancico clásico. En las montañas Adirondack, Michael descubre los lujosos campamentos de la rica y famosa élite. En Lake Placid, Michael desafía las curvas pronunciadas y las velocidades de una carrera olímpica de bobsleigh. ¡La última parada es un fuerte estadounidense construido erróneamente en Canadá!

title: Montreal to Ottawa – Series 3 Reversions

overview:
Following a special 1899 Canadian edition of his Appleton's guide, Michael Portillo leaves the United States to embark on the next leg of his rail journey in Canada. In the vibrant metropolis of Montreal, he discovers how French and British colonial roots have influenced the city's construction, cuisine and culture. Undaunted by his guidebook's description of the treacherous Lachine Rapids, Michael gets a thorough soaking on a white-knuckle boat ride down the St Lawrence River.

At the city's prestigious McGill University, Michael learns of its role as a pioneering medical establishment in the 19th century and volunteers to be a guinea pig for the university's cutting-edge neurology department. A behind-the-scenes tour of an icon of modern French Canadian culture follows at the headquarters of Cirque du Soleil, where Michael is transformed into a bright green bug and has a lesson in 'spin'. Venturing into the wooded hills of Vaudreuil, Quebec, Michael unearths the sweet secrets of Canada's maple syrup. Heading west into Ontario he reaches Alexandria, where a tartan army escorts him to the 70th annual Canadian Highland Games. His Scottish roots entitle him to put on a kilt and he attempts to toss the caber!

In the Canadian capital, Ottawa, Michael visits the country's parliament to hear about the birth of the new nation after Confederation in 1867. And at Ottawa's historic Central Experimental Farm, Michael hears of the pioneering discoveries that launched a Canadian wheat boom.

title: De Montreal a Ottawa – Series 3 Reversions

overview:
Michael Portillo abandona los Estados Unidos para embarcarse en la siguiente etapa de su viaje en tren por Canadá. En la vibrante metrópolis de Montreal, descubre cómo las raíces coloniales francesas y británicas han influido en la construcción, la cocina y la cultura de la ciudad. Sin desanimarse por la descripción que hizo de su guía de los traicioneros rápidos de Lachine, Michael se sumerge a fondo en un bote de nudillos blancos por el río San Lorenzo.

En la prestigiosa Universidad McGill de la ciudad, Michael se entera de su papel como un establecimiento médico pionero en el siglo XIX y se ofrece como un conejillo de indias para el departamento de neurología de vanguardia de la universidad. Un recorrido detrás de escena de un ícono de la cultura moderna canadiense francesa sigue en la sede del Cirque du Soleil, donde Michael se transforma en un insecto verde brillante y tiene una lección de "spin". Al aventurarse en las colinas boscosas de Vaudreuil, Quebec, Michael descubre los dulces secretos del jarabe de arce de Canadá. Hacia el oeste, en Ontario, llega a Alejandría, donde un ejército de tartán lo acompaña a los 70 Juegos anuales canadienses de las Tierras Altas. ¡Sus raíces escocesas le dan derecho a ponerse una falda escocesa y él intenta arrojar el caber!

En la capital canadiense, Ottawa, Michael visita el parlamento del país para conocer el nacimiento de la nueva nación después de la Confederación en 1867. Y en la histórica Granja Experimental Central de Ottawa, Michael se entera de los descubrimientos pioneros que iniciaron el auge del trigo en Canadá.

title: Thousand Islands to Toronto – Series 3 Reversions

overview:
Steered by his 1899 Appleton's guide, Michael Portillo's rail journey through eastern Canada continues along the Grand Trunk railway, following the route of the St Lawrence River.

At Brockville, he leaves the tracks for a nautical pilgrimage through the beautiful Thousand Islands. In the port city of Kingston, Ontario, Michael visits Fort Henry and, dressed for the occasion, is entrusted to fire the naval guns that protected the nation's southern border during the 19th century. Travelling west to Port Hope, he learns of the antics of a celebrated 19th-century high-wire walker known as The Great Farini. And, in a spirit of showmanship, Michael tests his balance with the modern sport of slack lining.

In Oshawa, at the opulent home of the McLaughlin family, Michael has a chance to drive a McLaughlin Buick, the car that heralded a new automotive economy for Canada. At Toronto's Union Station, Michael is invited to inspect an ambitious underground engineering project designed to expand capacity for the city's modern commuter boom. From deep underground, Michael boldly climbs to dizzying heights at the top of the CN tower for an extreme outdoor experience. On board the street car, Michael heads for Toronto's 19th-century stock exchange, where he opens the day's trading. Michael's Canadian adventure concludes in Toronto's High Park, where he seeks the origins of patriotic song, The Maple Leaf Forever.

title: De las Islas Thousands a Toronto – Series 3 Reversions

overview:
El viaje en tren de Michael Portillo por el este de Canadá continúa a lo largo del ferrocarril Grand Trunk, siguiendo la ruta del río San Lorenzo.

En Brockville, deja las huellas para una peregrinación náutica a través de las hermosas islas Thousand. En la ciudad portuaria de Kingston, Ontario, Michael visita Fort Henry y, vestido para la ocasión, está encargado de disparar los cañones navales que protegían la frontera sur de la nación durante el siglo XIX. Viajando hacia el oeste a Port Hope, se entera de las travesuras de un famoso caminante de alambre elevado del siglo XIX conocido como The Great Farini. Y, en un espíritu de espectacularidad, Michael pone a prueba su equilibrio con el moderno deporte del forro holgado.

En Oshawa, en el opulento hogar de la familia McLaughlin, Michael tiene la oportunidad de conducir un McLaughlin Buick, el auto que anunciaba una nueva economía automotriz para Canadá. En la Union Station de Toronto, Michael es invitado a inspeccionar un ambicioso proyecto de ingeniería subterránea diseñado para expandir la capacidad de pasajeros de la ciudad. Desde lo profundo de la tierra, Michael trepa audazmente hasta alturas vertiginosas en la parte superior de la torre CN para una experiencia al aire libre extrema. A bordo del tranvía, Michael se dirige a la bolsa de valores del siglo XIX en Toronto, donde abre las operaciones del día. La aventura canadiense de Michael concluye en el High Park de Toronto, donde busca los orígenes de la canción patriótica, The Maple Leaf Forever.

overview: All Series was repeated later in the year in a revised schedule (described as "Reversions") which combined and re-edited two episodes of the original broadcasts to create a series of 1-hour episodes; as all series consisted of fifteen 30-minute episodes, the "Brooklyn to Montauk" (SE01) episode was revised as an extended version that included additional content not seen in the original broadcast schedule. The Series 1 DVD contains only the original fifteen episodes.

title: Specials

Series 1

title: Manhattan: Grand Central to Broadway

overview: Michael begins his American odyssey in New York City. Starting at Grand Central Terminal, the 'gateway to the nation', he boards the Manhattan subway system, the busiest rail transit system in the US. His first stop is the Rockefeller Centre, where he gets a bird's eye view of Manhattan Island and learns how about the technology which enabled the city to build up. Portillo heads to the Financial District, where, over a Lobster Newberg, he finds out how the dodgy political dealings of the era's famous industrialists earned them the nickname 'Robber Barons'. He observes their better side at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as he learns that philanthropy helped the city's burgeoning art scene, before finishing his journey midtown, among the bright lights of Broadway.

title: 曼哈顿：从中央车站到百老汇

overview: 迈克尔从纽约开始他的美国之行。 在“国家门户”中央车站，他登上曼哈顿地铁，这是美国最繁忙的轨道交通系统。 他的第一站是洛克菲勒中心，在那里他鸟瞰曼哈顿岛，了解修建这个城市的技术。前往金融区，他发现这个时代著的工业家如何赢得了的“强盗男爵”绰号。 在大都会艺术博物馆了解到慈善事业如何帮助这个城市蓬勃发展。

title: Manhattan: Grand Central to Broadway

title: Manhattan: Z Grand Central na Broadway

job: Director

title: Manhattan: Lower East Side to World Trade Center

overview: Michael continues his American journey in Manhattan's Lower East Side, where he narrowly avoids a scrap with an historic gang of New York and visits the grim tenement buildings where thousands of the city's immigrants lived and worked. In the West Side, Michael discovers how a once lethal run of track has been transformed into a public park, raised above the city streets. Forsaking the rails for a ferry, Michael heads for Ellis Island, where some 12 million immigrants entered America. Michael is given a privileged tour of the gleaming new transport hub under construction close to the site of Ground Zero.

title: 曼哈顿：从下东区到世界贸易中心

title: Manhattan: Z Lower East Side do World Trade Center

title: Brooklyn to Montauk

overview: From Manhattan, Michael follows his Appleton's Guide east, travelling on the Long Island Railroad. He begins in Brooklyn, where he learns the incredible story behind the world's first steel suspension bridge. Divided by a common language, Michael struggles to order a pizza before continuing to Queens and the site of an ambitious engineering project that will transform New York City's rail network. Moving east through Long Island, he visits one of the country's most decadent mansions, owned by an oil tycoon known as Mr Monopoly, where he gets into a flap dancing the Charleston, before ending his journey on Long Island's eastern most tip at New York's first lighthouse.

title: 从布鲁克林到蒙托克

title: Brooklyn to Montauk

title: Z Brooklynu do Montauku

title: New York City to Garrison

overview: Michael follows America's mighty Hudson River north, riding on the United States' national rail carrier service, Amtrak. He learns from Amtrak's police chief about some of the nation's most infamous train robbers, then upriver at Tarrytown, he is spooked by the stories of one of America's greatest writers, Washington Irving, author of Sleepy Hollow. On the east bank of the Hudson, he stops at Garrison, site of many guerrilla battles during the Wars of Independence, where he hears about the greatest turncoat in American history and learns about the many famous military leaders who trained at West Point.

title: 从纽约到加里森

title: New York City to Garrison

title: Z New York City do Garrisonu

title: Poughkeepsie to Albany

overview: Michael Portillo continues his railroad journey through New York State following his Appleton's Guide. Beginning in the city of Poughkeepsie, he visits a famous all-female university, alma mater of Jane Fonda and Meryl Streep. He discovers the tumultuous history of the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge and follows the train line up to the Catskill Mountains, admiring its picturesque scenery from an altogether different type of line - a zip wire. Back on safe ground, he discovers that the dramatic landscape inspired artists of the Hudson River School. Arriving in New York's state capital, Albany, he samples a drop of Albany Ale before rubbing shoulders with the State Senator.

title: 从波基普西到奥尔巴尼

title: Poughkeepsie to Albany

title: Z Poughkeepsie do Albany

title: Schenectady to Rochester

overview: Michael heads west through New York State. He has a lightbulb moment in Schenectady, when he discovers how Thomas Edison's General Electric Company also leads the way in modern rail technology. In Utica, he investigates Lock 20 of 57 along the early 19th-century Erie Canal - 325 miles of waterway which connected the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Coast via the Hudson River. A yellow brick road beckons Michael to Chittenango, where a Kansas farm girl introduces him to a lion, and a tin man. On a hillside near Palmyra, Michael finds out about a farm boy, Joseph Smith, and his Book of Mormon, from one of the 15 million believers who follow his religion today. Further west in Rochester, Michael discovers the story behind another famous 19th-century name still trading today: George Eastman, who launched mass market photography with his Eastman Kodak company.

title: 从斯克内克塔迪到罗彻斯特

title: Schenectady to Rochester

title: Z Schenectady do Rochhesteru

title: Buffalo to Niagara Falls

overview: Michael braves the awesome power and drenching spray of Niagara Falls on the Maid of the Mist to share what artists, daredevils and millions of tourists have billed as one of the most spectacular experiences on the planet. Reaching Buffalo, he lunches on the city's famous Buffalo wings and discovers it was once the centre of the world's grain trade. Touring Silo City, Michael learns about the invention which propelled the port of Buffalo into its dominant position - the grain elevator - and how the railroads sealed the deal. Awe-inspiring engineering is revealed at the 12-acre Colonel Ward water-pumping station, the largest construction ever built on the Great Lakes, and capable of delivering 30 million gallons of water per day to the city of Buffalo.

title: 从布法罗到尼亚加拉瀑布

title: Buffalo to Niagara Falls

title: Z Buffala do Nisgara Falls

title: Philadelphia to Atlantic City

overview: Michael embarks on a new railroad journey from the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia, south to the first permanent English colonial settlement in North America, Jamestown. He feasts on a gargantuan Philly cheesesteak, then looks to work off the calories with a run past the city's famous landmarks, in homage to one of Philadelphia's most famous sons, Rocky Balboa. All pumped up, he heads to Pennsylvania University to tackle the football team under the instruction of its fearsome coach. In the cradle of American independence, Michael discovers how, in 1776, liberty was proclaimed throughout the land yet millions remained enslaved. Alone in a cell, Michael reflects on the 19th-century Pennsylvania system of incarceration at the Eastern State Penitentiary before heading to the gambling resort of Atlantic City and its famous boardwalk.

title: 从费城到大西洋城

title: Philadelphia to Atlantic City

title: Z Philadelphie do Atlantik City

title: Lancaster to Gettysburg

overview: Michael hitches a ride with the Amish in a horse-drawn buggy through rich countryside settled in the 18th century by religiously oppressed Europeans. Charmed by their modest way of life, he watches as they sell their beautiful quilts at auction. In Strasburg, known as Traintown USA, Michael joins the crew of the oldest continuously operated railroad in the United States. After oiling the magnificent engine, he rides on the footplate of the vintage steam locomotive. His last stop on this leg is Gettysburg, the most famous battlefield of the American Civil War, where, in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln made a momentous speech.

title: 从兰开斯特到葛底斯堡

title: Lancaster to Gettysburg

title: Z Lencasteru do Gettysburgu

title: Wilmington to Havre de Grace

overview: Michael reaches a milestone on his American journey: the boundary between the northern and southern states, known as the Mason-Dixon line. He discovers the origins of what became for black Americans the border between slavery and freedom, in an 18th-century English dispute over land. On the Wilmington and Western Railroad, Michael meets the passenger train Phoebe Snow, created by the railroads at the turn of the 20th century to reassure passengers that clean burning coal wouldn't make their clothes dirty. Michael uncovers the explosive history of gunpowder production in Delaware, begun by a Frenchman, whose chateau still stands. He then takes a boat trip up the Susquehanna River following the route taken by one of the first English settlers, John Smith.

title: 从威尔明顿到哈佛格雷斯

title: Wilmington to Havre de Grace

title: Z Wilmingtonu do Havre de Grace

title: Baltimore to Fort McHenry

overview: In Baltimore, home of the first railroad in the United States, the Baltimore and Ohio, he discovers how the first American steam engine, the Tom Thumb, owed much to pioneering British technology. He investigates race relations in the troubled city, taking a drive downtown with a former drug dealer, now a teacher. On the city's beautiful east coast, Michael discovers the impressive star-shaped Fort McHenry and learns how the Star-Spangled Banner national anthem was born. Medics at the city's Johns Hopkins Hospital show Michael how their institution has grown from its 19th-century foundation by the railroad magnate into a world-leading centre for healthcare. And at the city's Lexington Market, Michael learns what gives a Maryland crab cake the edge.

title: 从巴尔的摩到麦克亨利堡

title: Baltimore to Fort McHenry

title: Z Baltimoru do Fort McHenry

title: Washington DC

overview: Michael arrives in the nation's capital, Washington DC. He admires its fine public buildings, including the largest library in the world, and discovers how the capital was built from scratch after a political compromise between north and south. At the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Michael meets the man responsible for engraving the portrait of President Abraham Lincoln on the current five-dollar bill and gets his hands on more money than he has ever held in his life. In the offices of The Washington Post, Michael learns about corruption in the corridors of power and how the newspaper toppled a president. He finishes this leg of his journey in the auditorium of the theatre where, in 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.

title: 华盛顿特区

title: Washington DC

title: Washington DC

title: Georgetown to Mount Vernon

overview: On this leg, Michael soaks up some old-school jazz in Washington's U Street neighbourhood, where the big band jazz king, Duke Ellington, was born and began his career. He also grabs a bite at Ben's Chili Bowl, the legendary diner chosen by President Obama for a snack before his inauguration. He follows his guidebook to the United States Naval Observatory, the nation's timekeeper, where he discovers how and why the railroads established four time zones across the continent in 1883. Heading south to Alexandria, Virginia, Michael explores a former slave market and hears how African Americans were bought and sold. He ends this leg in Mount Vernon, the Palladian home of the nation's first president, George Washington, where he gets into a spot of bother at an archaeological dig.

title: 从乔治敦到芒特弗农

title: Georgetown to Mount Vernon

title: Z Georgetownu do Mount Vernonu

title: Manassas to Richmond

overview: Michael Portillo arrives in Manassas, scene of two crucial battles during the American Civil War - the first railroad battles in US history. In Fredericksburg, Virginia, he tries his hand at bottling bourbon corn whisky and learns how it became the nation's spirit. In Richmond, a plate of ham and eggs with southern grits sets Michael up for a tour of the Virginia state capitol building, where he learns about the terrible dilemma faced by one of its most famous sons, General Robert E Lee. Charmed by the English heritage of this former colony, Michael puts on his dancing shoes and heads for a cotillion ball, where it seems manners are the name of the game.

title: 从马纳萨斯到里士满

title: Manassas to Richmond

title: Z Manassasu do Richmondu

title: Petersburg to Jamestown

overview: In Petersburg, Virginia, the choir of the First Baptist Church is in fine voice as Michael discovers how, during the 19th century, coded messages were delivered to slaves who hoped to escape via the so-called Underground Railroad. Michael ploughs his own furrow in a field in colonial Williamsburg, a living history park, where he learns from costumed re-enactors what life was like for both master and slave. It's battle stations in Norfolk, home to the United States Atlantic Fleet, where Michael is invited on board the USS Wisconsin to hear about the first duel fought between iron-clad vessels in 1862 and Britain's role in it. Michael reaches the end of this American journey in Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America, where he finds out about the settlers' grim struggle for survival led by Captain John Smith and Pocahontas.

title: 从彼得斯堡到詹姆斯敦

title: Petersburg to Jamestown

title: Z Petersburgu do Jamestownu

title: Series 1

Series 2

title: St Louis, Missouri

overview:
Michael Portillo crosses the Atlantic once more to ride the railroads of North America with his faithful Appleton's Guide to the United States and Canada. Amid breathtaking scenery, he encounters magnificent beasts, joins intrepid explorers and witnesses unique customs on an awesome 1,500-mile journey to recapture the excitement and promise of the 19th-century American Frontier.

In St Louis, Michael ascends America's monument to the Wild West, the astonishing Gateway Arch, the tallest free-standing monument in the United States, and makes a delightful discovery inside it. And on the banks of the Missouri River, he is invited aboard a magnificent replica of the original keel boat used for a historic expedition.

title: St Louis, Missouri

title: St Louis, Missouri

title: St Louis to Jefferson City, Missouri

overview:
Michael continues his American rail journey west from St Louis to Jefferson City, Missouri, following the tracks of European settlers in the 19th century. He begins this leg at the birthplace of a rural icon in Washington, Missouri, where he attempts to craft a corn cob pipe.

In Hermann, Missouri, Michael tucks in to bratwurst as he discovers the descendants of German settlers in the town continue their traditions today. And in the Missouri state capital, Jefferson City, Michael finds an enormous fortified building that served as the jail for the entire Wild West.

title: St Louis to Jefferson City, Missouri

title: Sedalia to Kansas City, Missouri

overview:
Following in the footsteps of European settlers, Michael Portillo rolls westwards across the United States. With true frontier spirit, he discovers the hidden pleasures of 19th-century railroad workers in Sedalia, known as the Sodom and Gomorrah of the West, and discovers the birthplace of ragtime and its most famous composer, Scott Joplin.

Aboard a horse-drawn wagon in Independence, Michael confronts the brutal hardships faced by early pioneers on the wagon trail and discovers a living history museum town where the clock stopped in 1855. He ends this leg in the rail hub of Kansas City, Missouri, where freight trains can be a mile long.

title: Sedalia to Kansas City, Missouri

title: Kansas City to St Joseph, Missouri

overview:
On the next leg of his American adventure, Michael Portillo hits cowboy central in the former meat-packing capital of America - Kansas City, Missouri. In Paola, Kansas, Michael auctions livestock to the latter-day John Waynes of the state and then dines out on smoky spare ribs.

In the West Bottoms district, he explores the city's Irish heritage and discovers the first Irish business opened in America, still family- owned and run by the great granddaughter of the founder. In St Joseph, Missouri, Michael discovers the legendary Pony Express, not a train but a mail service, and investigates the treacherous death of the outlaw Jesse James.

title: Kansas City to St Joseph, Missouri

title: Lawrence to Topeka, Kansas

overview: Michael Portillo continues his 1,500-mile journey through the American Wild West, armed with his 19th-century Appleton's Guide. In Lawrence, Kansas, Michael enjoys a prairie chicken dance with a student of the Haskell Indian Nations University and learns how Native American Indians were treated in the 19th century. Michael joins the Jayhawks basketball team in the famous Allen Field house stadium with energetic encouragement from their cheerleaders, before travelling through Tornado Alley to Topeka to meet one of the first storm chasers in America. Driving out on the Great Plains, Michael learns about the Tallgrass Prairie and comes face to face with a herd of wild buffalo.

title: Lawrence to Topeka, Kansas

title: Dodge City to Lamar, Colorado

overview:
Michael Portillo's first stop aboard the Southwest Chief is Dodge City, Kansas, a famous frontier town of the Old West, where he visits the notorious Long Branch Saloon, scene of many shoot-outs.

He finds the Dodge City Cowboy Band performing at the city depot and breaks bread with a descendant of a railroad land agent who sold thousands of acres of land to 19th-century European settlers.

Near Lamar, Colorado, Michael visits the scene of a terrible massacre of American Indians, who found themselves in the way of white settlement of the Great Plains.

title: Dodge City to Lamar, Colorado

title: La Junta, Colorado, to Pueblo, New Mexico

overview:
Michael Portillo hits ranching territory in Las Animas County, Colorado, where he follows in the footsteps of 19th-century dudes from the east coast who came to experience life as cowboys. First up - how to use a lasso.

At Bent's Old Fort, Michael learns about the Mexican-American War of 1848 and finds himself inspecting the troops. He also looks at America's relationship with firearms at a NRA shooting centre in Raton, New Mexico, and discovers how guns won the West.

Back across the state line in Pueblo, Colorado, Michael is drawn to a giant steel mill mentioned in his Appleton's that produces rails a quarter of a mile long, transported on special trains.

title: Canon City, Colorado, to Colorado Springs

overview:
Michael Portillo reaches the Rocky Mountains of Colorado at Canon City, from where he heads out into the spectacular gorge of the Arkansas River aboard the historic narrow-gauge Royal Gorge Railroad. Along the way, he learns how controversy over the construction of the railroad caused bullets to fly.

In Colorado Springs, Michael discovers an unexpected British outpost where he is enlisted to join the cricket team.

At the foot of Pike's Peak, a choir sings an iconic American hymn, composed at the turn of the 20th century and inspired by the magnificent views to be seen from the summit. Michael heads 14,115 feet above sea level to see it for himself, aboard the Pike's Peak Cog Railway.

title: Santa Fe to Acoma, New Mexico

overview:
Michael Portillo arrives in Santa Fe, the state capital of New Mexico, and once the capital of a Spanish kingdom. He explores the beautiful colonial architecture of the city and is invited to visit a Native American pueblo atop a 367-foot-high sandstone bluff.

Michael eavesdrops on rehearsals for Puccini's Girl of the Golden West at the glorious Santa Fe Opera House, and at the Governor's Palace learns about the author of the biblical epic Ben Hur.

Finally, Michael catches up with two of the famous Harvey Girls at the La Fonda Hotel to hear about Fred Harvey, the railroad caterer from Lancashire who made his fortune in America.

title: Santa Fe to Acoma, New Mexico

title: Albuquerque, New Mexico, to the Grand Canyon, Arizona

overview:
Michael Portillo is in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a city situated on the Rio Grande River. Once the headquarters of the Acheson, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, Albuquerque has treasures in store for rail fans, including an enormous locomotive weighing over 450 tonnes. It is being restored by volunteers, and Michael lends a hand.

Michael then feels the heat of New Mexico's chilli pepper in a restaurant and learns how to make enchiladas.

Michael joins the Grand Canyon Railway at Williams, Arizona, to reach one of the most spectacular sights on Earth. He learns how the 7-million-year-old gorge of the Colorado River was preserved for the nation.

title: The Twin Cities, St Paul

overview:
Michael Portillo begins a new journey from Minnesota's Twin Cities in the north of the US to Memphis, Tennessee, in the Deep South.

In this leg, Michael discovers how Minneapolis, part of one metropolitan area with its immediate neighbour, St Paul, harnessed the power of the mighty Mississippi to become a great industrial centre. It is also the artificial limb capital of the world.

In St Paul, meanwhile, Michael visits the birthplace of F Scott Fitzgerald and meets a jazz age trumpeter and Fitzgerald fan who introduces him to the Jay Gatsby lifestyle.

title: The Twin Cities, St Paul

title: The Twin Cities, Minneapolis

overview:
Michael Portillo continues his journey from the northern state of Minnesota to the Deep South.

Michael discovers the story of Hiawatha and his lover Minnehaha, an epic poem featuring American Indian characters. He then meets a Dakota Sioux expert on Native American culture to learn about a dark chapter in United States history and how it is marked today.

Michael has to put his diplomatic skills to the test at a Swedish-American lunch, where the centrepiece of the menu is reconstituted dried cod.

And there is a taste of the golden age of luxury rail travel as Michael bounces on a bed in a beautifully restored Pullman carriage.

title: The Twin Cities, Minneapolis

title: Red Wing, Minnesota, to La Crosse, Wisconsin

overview:
Michael Portillo continues his journey from the northern state of Minnesota to the Deep South.

Steered by his Appleton's Guidebook, Michael travels along the Upper Mississippi to Red Wing, Minnesota, and the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of Little House on the Prairie.

Joining the Empire Builder rail service, he travels to Winona, where he finds out how in the 19th century the US Army Corps of Engineers made the Mississippi navigable. The river is maintained today not just for freight, but to host bald eagles and pelicans too.

Michael joins in the dancing at a tribal gathering of the Dakota Sioux, and in La Crosse learns about the Native American origins of a fast-moving, combative sport.

title: Tomah to Portage, Wisconsin

overview:
Michael Portillo continues his journey from the northern state of Minnesota to the Deep South.

Michael reaches Tomah, Wisconsin, where he helps harvest cranberries, an important crop for the US.

Boarding the Empire Builder rail service once again, he travels to Wisconsin Dells, where an innovative photographer first captured motion.

Michael takes a plunge in the waterpark capital of the world and finds a pleasant surprise in Baraboo - the circus is in town and it travels by train. Guided by a former clown and ringmaster, Michael explores the train's spectacular wagons.

title: Tomah to Portage, Wisconsin

title: Milwaukee to Racine, Wisconsin

overview:
Michael Portillo continues his journey from the northern state of Minnesota to the Deep South.

Michael is in Milwaukee, located on the shore of Lake Michigan and home of the Harley-Davidson. Michael learns about the history of motorcycles there, the first of which was made in 1903, and hitches a ride on the back of a modern version.

German gymnastics is Michael's next challenge as he joins the Ladies' Auxiliary Exercise Class, a legacy of Milwaukee's 19th-century German settler community which is still going strong today.

In Racine, Michael discovers a man who knew how to sort the wheat from the chaff and made a business out of it.

title: Milwaukee to Racine, Wisconsin

title: Chicago, The Windy City

overview:
Michael Portillo is blown away by the skyscrapers in Illinois's Windy City, where he discovers how modern Chicago's skyline replaced a largely wooden city, destroyed in a great fire shortly before his Appleton's Guide was published. Training with the city's firefighters, Michael learns today's fire department respond to half a million emergency calls a year.

Michael steps up to the plate with the Joliet Slammers, stars of the US national game of baseball, then sings for his supper at a quintessentially American restaurant bearing his name! Downtown at the Moody Church, Michael tracks down a pair of evangelists who toured Britain and the United States by rail at the time of his Guide.

title: Chicago, The Windy City

title: Chicago, US Rail Hub

overview: Michael Portillo continues his 1,000-mile journey from the northern state of Minnesota to the home of the blues in Memphis, Tennessee. Today, in the nation's rail capital, where tracks pass underground and overground and are elevated into the air, Michael investigates the ultimate marshalling yard. At the ornate Palmer House Hotel, Michael teams up with the head chef to recreate the original chocolate brownie, invented by Bertha Palmer for Chicago's World Exposition in 1893. He discovers the origins of the Sanitary and Ship Canal and uncovers the history of an incredible civil engineering project which raised the city to new heights. Heading deep underground, Michael inspects a modern day scheme on a similarly awesome scale, described by the boss as the largest toilet in the world.

title: Chicago, US Rail Hub

title: Homewood to Champaign, Illinois

overview: Steered by his Appleton's Guide, Michael Portillo continues his 1,000-mile rail journey south from Chicago through Kankakee to Champaign, Illinois. In full swing on the fairway at the Flossmoor Country Club, Michael discovers how wealthy businessmen from the city flocked to play and how the railroads fostered the growth of suburban life. Beside the Kankakee River, Michael is invited to visit the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house that changed the face of American architecture. On the platform at Kankakee station, Michael parties with the locals as they celebrate the City of New Orleans rail service, immortalised in song by Arlo Guthrie. He gets his hands on a vintage hooter riding on the Monticello Heritage rail line and in Champaign learns a thing or two at a railroad university.

title: Homewood to Champaign, Illinois

title: Mattoon, Illinois to Columbus, Kentucky

overview: Armed with his 19th-century Appleton's Guide, Michael Portillo continues his 1,000-mile journey, beginning and ending on the Mississippi River from Minnesota to Tennessee. Riding the mainline of mid-America, Michael stops at rural Mattoon, where he gets a taste of the tough early life which shaped President Abraham Lincoln. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Michael struggles to split one rail compared with Lincoln's estimated 700 a day. Basket in hand, Michael joins the Schwartz family apple harvest in Centralia and learns how to make apple butter. He uncovers industrial unrest in the coal mines of Carbondale then heads to Kentucky and the banks of the Mississippi, where a bloody conflict unfolded which proved decisive in victory for Lincoln's Union.

title: Mattoon, Illinois to Columbus, Kentucky

title: Memphis, Tennessee

overview: Armed with his Appleton's Guide, Michael Portillo travels the lower Mississippi aboard a paddle steamer to hear about the life and work of former river boat captain, Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain. In the city of Memphis, Tennessee, Michael visits the historic Elmwood Cemetery, where he uncovers the story of a devastating epidemic, which claimed the lives of thousands. He discovers one of the largest rail freight hubs in the United States and in the home of the blues, meets contemporary artist Cedric Burnside in studio before joining millions of Elvis fans at Graceland. An invitation to a duck palace and the honorary position of Duck Master carry curious responsibilities at the 19th-century Peabody Hotel.

title: Memphis, Tennessee

title: Series 2

Series 3

title: Boston

overview: Armed with his 19th-century Appleton's guidebook to the United States and Canada, Michael Portillo embarks on a 1,100-mile railroad journey from Boston, Massachusetts, across the border to Toronto in theCanadian province of Ontario. Along the way, he encounters revolutionaries and feminists, pilgrims and witches and rides some of the oldest and most breathtaking railroads in the world.

title: Boston

title: Boston to Concord, Massachusetts

overview: Michael Portillo's 19th-century Appleton's guidebook leads him to the Parker House Hotel, where in his best pinny, he whisks up a Boston cream pie.

title: Boston to Concord, Massachusetts

title: Plymouth to Nantucket

overview: Led by his Appleton's guidebook and tracing the footsteps of the Pilgrim Fathers, Michael Portillo heads for Plymouth, the home town of America. He learns how indigenous tribes of Wamponoag people taught the newly arrived settlers to live off the land, the inspiration for one of the biggest holidays in the American calendar.

title: Plymouth to Nantucket

title: Providence, Rhode Island, to New London, Connecticut

overview: Led by his 19th-century Appleton's guidebook, Michael Portillo's railway journey continues through New England. On the banks of the Providence River, he discovers a club that traces its roots and culinarytraditions back to the 1840s. Michael joins in with one of its legendary open-air 'clambakes'.

title: New Haven, Connecticut, to Mount Washington, New Hampshire

overview: Armed with his Appleton's guide, Michael Portillo's rail voyage goes river deep and mountain high as he continues his journey through Connecticut and heads north through the scenic New England states. In New Haven, a crash course in rowing takes place on a stretch of water where college teams from Yale and Harvard have battled for victory since 1852.

title: Burlington to Plattsburgh

overview:
Michael Portillo continues his American rail journey through New England as he heads for the Canadian border. First stop is Burlington, Vermont, a busy timber port at the time of his Appleton's guide. Michael ventures deep into the forest to learn how sustainable and technological innovations have transformed the state's billion dollar logging industry.

Following the old trade route across Lake Champlain, he hears of a pivotal battle during the War of 1812 where a British defeat gave the United States a new confidence on the world stage. In Plattsburg, Michael learns of the surprising origins of a classic Christmas carol.

Lead by his guidebook, he travels into the wilderness of the Adirondack Mountains. Here the rich and famous of Appleton's day established great camps to get back to nature, in the lap of luxury. He visits the largest of the camps, reached by boat and even a private funicular railway. In Lake

Placid, Michael braves the steep curves and speeds of an Olympic bobsleigh run. Last stop is an American fort mistakenly built in Canada!

title: Burlington to Plattsburgh

title: Montreal, Quebec

overview:
Following a special 1899 Canadian edition of his Appleton's guide, Michael Portillo has left the United States and crossed the border to embark on the next leg of his rail journey in Canada.

In the vibrant metropolis of Montreal, he discovers how French and British colonial roots have influenced the city's construction, cuisine and culture. Undaunted by his guidebook's description of the treacherous Lachine Rapids, Michael gets a thorough soaking on a white-knuckle boat ride down the St. Lawrence River.

At the city's prestigious McGill University, Michael learns of its role as a pioneering medical establishment in the 19th century. He unearths a mausoleum amidst the text books and volunteers as a guinea pig at the university's cutting-edge neurology department. In search of the city's black Canadian heritage, Michael is introduced to the dazzling piano playing of 20th-century jazz legend Oscar Peterson.

His Montreal tour ends with a visit to Cirque du Soleil HQ for a very special behind-the-scenes tour of an icon of modern French-Canadian culture.

title: Montreal, Quebec

title: Montreal to Ottawa

overview:
Steered by his Appleton's guidebook Michael Portillo's train journey continues in Canada's Quebec province.

Venturing into the wooded hills of Vaudreuil, Michael explores a Canadian icon, maple syrup, and unearths its sweet secrets. Returning to the rails, he journeys west into Ontario and learns of Scotland's influence on Canadian culture. At Alexandria, a tartan army escorts Michael to the 70th annual Canadian Highland Games, where he dons his kilt and attempts to toss the caber!

In the capital, Ottawa, Michael visits Canada's parliament and hears how the new nation slowly developed its autonomy after confederation in 1867. Michael visits Ottawa's historic Central Experimental Farm where pioneering discoveries at the time of his guidebook launched a wheat boom that helped Canadian agriculture to dominate the world.

title: Montreal to Ottawa

title: Thousand Islands to Oshawa, Ontario

overview:
Using his 1899 Appleton's guide, Michael Portillo's rail odyssey through eastern Canada continues along the Grand Trunk railway, following the route of the St Lawrence River.

At Brockville, he leaves the tracks for a nautical pilgrimage through the beautiful Thousand Islands. In the port city of Kingston, Ontario, Michael visits Fort Henry and, dressed for the occasion, is entrusted to fire the naval guns that protected the nation's southern border during the 19th century.

Travelling west to Port Hope, he learns of the antics of a celebrated 19th-century high-wire walker known as The Great Farini. And, in the spirit of showmanship, Michael tests his balance with the modern sport of slack lining.

This leg of the journey ends in Oshawa at the opulent home of the McLaughlin family, who helped build a new economy for Canada when they switched from manufacturing carriages to motor cars.

title: Thousand Islands to Oshawa, Ontario

title: Toronto

overview:
Michael Portillo's railway journey across eastern Canada concludes in the nation's largest metropolis, Toronto. He begins his Toronto tour at Union Station. Now busier than the city's international airport, Michael is shown the ambitious engineering works underground to support the growing number of commuters.

From the dig down, he boldly goes to the dizzying heights at the CN Tower for an extreme outdoor experience at the top of the structure. Nerves are calmed at the Royal York Hotel, one of a network of luxury hotels built by the railway known as the 'castles of the north'.

Catching the street car, Michael finds out how Toronto made itself a magnet for money after it set up its own stock exchange, but not before he presses the button to open the day's trading.

Ending his time in the city's High Park, he seeks out the origins of a celebrated Canadian song that helped to shape the maple leaf as the country's national symbol.

title: Toronto

title: Reno, Nevada, to Colfax, California

overview:
Led by his late 19th-century Appleton's guidebook, Michael Portillo sets off on a 1,000-mile American adventure to discover how the railroad conquered the wild landscapes of the West and transformed California into America's wealthiest region, one which has

revolutionised the world.

Beginning in the Silver State of Nevada, Michael takes to the skies over the dramatic Sierra Nevada mountain range. At Lake Tahoe, he hears of the first white explorer, dubbed 'The Pathfinder', who learnt the lay of the foreboding land and paved the way for the first settlers to arrive. Travelling on the historic Virginia and Truckee heritage line, Michael heads for the vast deposits of silver and gold ore that built Virginia City, once dubbed the richest place on earth. At Chollar Mine he explores the short-lived mining boom and meets a pistol packin' preacher when he swings by the Silver Queen saloon.

Crossing the border into the Golden State of California, he ascends the 7,000ft granite cliffs to the Donner Pass where ambitious plans to plough a rail route through the rugged terrain were made a reality by Chinese labourers, at huge human cost. In the spirit of Western horsemanship, Michael ends this leg in Colfax and gets in the saddle for a spot of cowboy dressage.

title: Reno, Nevada, to Colfax, California

title: Sacramento to Napa Valley

overview:
Continuing his epic Californian rail journey, Michael Portillo begins this leg at the very spot that triggered the 1848 gold rush. He finds out how California's mineral treasures and population swell helped fast-track the region's statehood, with significant political consequences for the national slavery battle. Michael pans for gold in the clear waters of the American River, and delights in a titillating spectacle at California's first public theatre.

Venturing underground, he discovers how the streets of Sacramento were raised following the Great Flood of 1862 and visits the newly

constructed $900 million dam to improve the city's flood defences. It is a first for Michael in the kaleidoscopic sweet factory of an iconic American confectionary brand that can trace its roots back to the 19th century. And, taking a cue from his guidebook, he explores the fruits of the Napa Valley enjoying a gourmet lunch on board the Napa Valley wine train before joining the harvest of the state's distinctive Zinfandel grape.

title: Sacramento to Napa Valley

title: San Francisco to Sausalito, California

overview:
Armed with his trusty Appleton's Guide, Michael Portillo's rail journey through California takes him to the commercial metropolis of San Francisco. Riding through the vibrant streets by cable car, Michael finds out how 19th-century engineering overcame the challenge of scaling the city's steep hills and gets behind the scenes with the 144-year-old engines driving the cables.

In the Presidio neighbourhood, Michael discovers San Francisco's long tradition for fine printing and learns the historic hand-crafted techniques before his treasured guidebook is evaluated by the experts. Hitching a ride on a hippy 'love bus' to the heart of the gay district, Michael traces the roots of the city's LGBTQ scene back to the era of the gold rush and is invited to a fund-raising 'drag brunch'. He stops off at the marina to tuck into a local seafood speciality brought to the city by Italian immigrants. And, heading across the bay to Sausalito, he boards a schooner to hear the story of Matthew Turner, the most prolific ship builder of his time.

title: San Francisco to Sausalito, California

title: San Francisco

overview:
Michael Portillo resumes his exhilarating tour of San Francisco to find that diversity has been at the heart of the city since the days of the gold rush, though not always harmoniously so. Following his Appleton's guide, Michael heads to Chinatown to hear of the huge contribution Chinese immigrants made to the economy, working as miners and building the transcontinental railroad. He discovers an entrepreneurial community who overcame discrimination laid down by the law, and finds that fortune favours the brave with iconic Chinese treats created in America!

Intrigued by a reference in his guidebook, Michael goes in search of lavish public baths to unpack a landmark incident in 1897 whereby an African-American sued one of the richest white men in the state. At one of the oldest private athletics clubs in America, Michael gets to grips with the sport of handball, first brought to San Francisco by Irish immigrants in the 1850s. And joining the police's Marine Unit, he heads out into the bay with a force who has been keeping the waters safe since the 1860s.

title: San Francisco

title: Berkeley to Yosemite

overview:
Michael Portillo's rail voyage continues through northern California, moving east in search of the state's greatest national treasures. To unearth the region's dangers deep underground, Michael visits the seismology department at UC Berkeley and hears the story of the catastrophic 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Experiencing the country's largest multidirectional shaking table in action, he learns how engineers today strive to prepare for the high risk of an earthquake.

Alighting at Stockton, Michael delves into California's pioneering agricultural technology and buckles up on a caterpillar tractor the likes of which revolutionised farming and construction equipment around the world. And following the advice of his Appleton's, Michael immerses himself in the sublime beauty of Yosemite National Park, learning about the committed 19th-century conservationists who campaigned for federal protection. He gets up close to the magnificent fauna and flora, attempts a rock climb and comes across a 'Buffalo Soldier' patrolling the wilderness.

title: Berkeley to Yosemite

title: Santa Clara to Santa Cruz

overview:
Michael Portillo's thousand-mile rail journey through California continues south toward Santa Clara in the heart of Silicon Valley and ends in the surf of Santa Cruz. In a high-tech bar, where robots wait on the customers, Michael traces the origins of modern-day search engines and social media to an institution founded by a railroad baron. At tech giant Intel, Michael glimpses the future on a test drive in an autonomous car.

At San Jose, the biggest city in the valley, Michael visits Japantown to meet members of a far eastern community who settled here peacefully during the 19th century but faced hostility during the mid-20th. He is then beaten over the head and body by youngsters a third of his age as he attempts to learn the martial art of kendo. A ride aboard the Roaring Camp and Big Trees Railroad takes Michael through groves of mammoth trees - the magnificent California Redwoods. Emerging from the forest on a second vintage railroad, Michael hits the beach and like a true beach boy, he takes to the waves - on a surfboard.

title: Santa Clara to Santa Cruz

title: Monterey to Santa Barbara

overview:
Steered by his late-19th-century Appleton's guidebook, Michael Portillo continues his railroad travels through southern California aboard the Coast Starlight service. In the historic port of Monterey, Michael raises the Bear Flag of the one-time Republic of California and above it, the Stars and Stripes. He discovers the city's Spanish and Mexican heritage and traces how the former fishing port described as 'stinking and decrepit' in John Steinbeck's novel Cannery Row has become a beacon for tourists. And how, in place of fish-processing canneries, there now stands a gleaming, state-of-the art aquarium, where Michael is invited to feed the fish.

Michael's next stop is Paso de Robles, where he tours the magnificent Hearst Castle, dream home of the newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst, to hear the tale of its creation. Onward to San Luis Obispo and the hills of Morro Bay and Michael joins avocado farmer Jim Shanley, amid his 4,000 avocado trees to harvest the pears and then learn how to make guacamole. Michael's last stop on this leg is outside Santa Barbara at Rancho Camulos, a former cattle ranch owned by a prominent Hispanic family and the setting for a best-selling romantic novel of the 19th century.

title: Monterey to Santa Barbara

title: Los Angeles

overview:
Armed with his Appleton's guide to the United States, Michael Portillo arrives in Los Angeles to delight in the 'city of dreams', from its glorious Union Station to its golden beaches and palm-lined boulevards. Like many a Hollywood hopeful before him, Michael heads for the Warner Brothers studio, founded on Sunset Boulevard at the time of his Appleton's, with dreams of stardom ahead. His role as a fearless all-action hero is assured. For the view from the top he takes the Skyslide from the 70th floor of one of LA's tallest buildings before striding out on the Walk of Fame.

At the pioneering 19th-century Union Ice company, Michael discovers how Californians have kept their cool. He sees how ice blocks of titanic proportions are made and brings Christmas to LA with a giant snowmaker. Outside the city, Michael heads for San Marino to visit The Huntington, a cultural and research centre with fine libraries, art galleries and more than a dozen botanical gardens. In the cactus garden, Michael discovers more about the founder, nephew of a railroad baron and himself a pioneer of street cars and trolleys. Michael explores the city's latest initiative to break the legendary rush hour gridlock on Los Angeles freeways - a rail link with seven new stations on the LA metro.

title: Los Angeles

title: Los Angeles to Laguna Beach

overview:
Michael Portillo strikes oil in the suburbs of Los Angeles, contemplates his navel in the orange groves of Riverside, makes a California Roll and paints a pretty picture in Laguna Beach.

It is Mexican Independence Day and the locals are celebrating the country's hard-won independence from Spain in the early 19th century. There is dancing, singing and feasting in the streets and Michael is up for joining the party. He learns that one in two of the population of LA is Latino, mainly of Mexican descent, and hears after only a few decades, Mexico lost half its territory and California became part of the United States. Michael learns the secrets of backyard oil drilling in Los Angeles, home to the largest urban oil field in the United States. Nodding donkeys are everywhere - in residential neighbourhoods, parking lots and burger joints.

Michael sports a zesty orange jacket to visit the Citrus Variety Collection and learns the difference between a pummelo and a papeda. Alongside oil, the citrus fruit industry, he discovers, is one of the bedrocks of the state's economy. At Laguna Beach, Michael learns how artists from the east coast travelled west on the Transcontinental Railroad to found a colony of 'plein air' painters attracted by the beautiful coastline and glorious light to paint outside.

title: Los Angeles to Laguna Beach

title: La Jolla to San Diego

overview:
Michael Portillo is nearing the end of his thousand-mile rail journey from Reno, Nevada, to San Diego in southern California. In this final leg, clad in khaki boiler suit and sporting dark glasses, he joins the US Navy Pacific Fleet, birthplace of the elite flying academy Top Gun. Aboard the Pacific Surfliner, he arrives first in the coastal town of La Jolla, where he takes to the water in a kayak to explore the extraordinary 75-million-year-old caves.

In San Diego, he picks up the trail of the industrialist and property speculator John D Spreckels, who made the city boom in the 19th century and built a pavilion to house the largest outdoor pipe organ in the world. Michael is offered the chance to play it. Appleton's recommends a trip to a huge structure, completed in 1888, on which San Diegans have depended for water for 130 years - the

Sweetwater Dam.

title: La Jolla to San Diego

title: Series 3

Series 4

title: Ninilchik to Wasilla

overview:
Michael Portillo heads for the last frontier of the United States, armed with his 1899 Appleton’s Guidebook to Alaska.

Beginning his journey amid the snow-capped mountains and ice-cold inlets of the Kenai Peninsula, Michael finds the golden onion domes of a Russian Orthodox church, along with traditional Russian food and costume and discovers that, 150 years ago, Alaska was a Russian colony.

In Seward, Michael feeds a rescued sea otter pup with a fearsome bite and learns how the luxurious pelts of these endearing creatures were once the most valuable in the world. On a boat trip around Seward Harbour, Michael hears from an indigenous former Alaskan state senator how, shortly before his guidebook was published, the Russian Empire sold Alaska to the United States.

Heading north on the Alaska Railroad past lakes and glaciers and through mountain tunnels, Michael learns what it took to build this epic 470-mile line.

title: Ninilchik to Wasilla

title: Z Ninilchik do Wasilly

overview: Vyzbrojený svým Appletonovým průvodcem z roku 1899 na Aljašku, Michael Portillo začíná svou cestu uprostřed zasněžených hor a ledově chladných zátok na poloostrově Kenai.

title: Talkeetna to Juneau

overview:
Armed with his 1899 Appleton’s Guidebook to Alaska, Michael Portillo rides the Alaska Railroad north to explore the remote former goldrush settlement of Talkeetna. Deep in the forest outside town, Michael gets a taste of the pioneering spirit of early 20th-century prospectors and settlers from a modern day 'homesteader' and helps fell a tree to clear land for a log cabin.

From Talkeetna, Michael joins intrepid fellow passengers aboard the Hurricane Turn, the last 'flag stop' train in the United States, waving them off as they alight in the middle of bear country to fish, raft and camp. He continues by rail to admire the snow-capped mountains and glaciers and to cross the gorge on the spectacular Hurricane Gulch Bridge.

In the six-million-acre Denali National Park, which is crowned by the highest peak in the United States, Michael discovers how photographers a hundred years ago captured the beauty of the Alaskan landscape.

title: Talkeetna to Juneau

title: Z Talkeetny do Juneau

overview: Michael Portillo prozkoumává vzdálenou bývalou osadu Goldrush v Talkeetně, kde ochutná průkopnický duch prospektorů a osadníků z počátku 20. století.

title: Skagway to Vancouver

overview:
Michael Portillo embarks on a second spectacular rail journey through Alaska into Canada on the White Pass and Yukon railway.

Arriving in Skagway by seaplane from railwayless Juneau, Michael heads first for Dyea and the Chilkoot trail, which the first gold prospectors hiked 100 years ago to the Klondike. Among them, he discovers, was author Jack London, whose stories of sled dogs captured the spirit of the gold rush.

In the puppy pen of a sled dog training camp, a dog musher tells Michael how huskies helped to build Alaska and gives him an insight into how the dogs continue to work and race today.

Boarding the 52-mile railway, built in 1898, which climbs 2,600 feet before dropping to the head of Canada’s Lake Bennett, Michael looks forward to beautiful scenery on a railway laden with history. At the lake, Michael meets an indigenous guide to hear of the role of First Nations people in the stampede for gold.

title: Skagway to Vancouver

title: Z Skagway do Vancouveru

overview: Michael Portillo, který přijel hydroplánem z Juneauu do Skagway, míří na Dyea a stezku Chilkoot, kterou první zlatí hledači vyrazili před 100 lety na Klondike.

title: Vancouver Island to Kamloops

overview:
Michael Portillo explores British Columbia, steered by his Appleton’s Guide to Canada, published in 1899. He discovers how two superpowers nearly came to war over a pig and joins the Royal Canadian Navy to firefight on board the frigate HMCS Regina.

Starting on Vancouver Island, Michael explores the rich British heritage and colonial past of the provincial capital of British Columbia, Victoria. He discovers the origins of the immensely powerful fur-trading enterprise, the Hudson’s Bay Company and, in the affluent James Bay area of Victoria, he finds the former home of an early 20th-century artist who documented the art and culture of the indigenous people of the western coast, Emily Carr.

At Saanichton, Michael helps to carve a 36-foot totem pole in the studio of a present-day First Nations artist. In the wilderness of British Columbia,

title: Vancouver Island to Kamloops

title: Z Vancouver Islandu do Kamloops

overview: Michael Portillo zkoumá Britskou Kolumbii. Zjistí, jak dvě velmoci málem začaly válčit kvůli praseti, a připojí se ke Královskému kanadskému námořnictvu, aby přestřelil na palubě fregaty HMCS Regina.

title: Kamloops to Calgary

overview:
Clutching his 1899 Appleton’s Guide, Michael Portillo boards one of the world’s most famous trains, the Rocky Mountaineer, to cross the backbone of the North American continent from Kamloops to the spa resort of Banff. This magnificent journey takes him to the highest point of the 19th-century transcontinental Canadian Pacific Railway line at Kicking Horse Pass, past Lake Louise and inside spiral tunnels blasted through the mountains.

Along the way, Michael hears of the harsh and dangerous conditions endured by the Chinese and European labourers who built the railway. He looks back at the historic driving of the Last Spike, which completed the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885.

Reaching Banff, Michael follows his Appleton’s guide to the luxurious Banff Spring Hotel, built by the railway company. By Sulphur Mountain, he explores an underground hot spring discovered by railway workers in 1883 and learns how it prompted the creation of Canada’s first national park.

title: Kamloops to Calgary

title: Z Kamloops do Calgary

overview: Michael Portillo nastupuje do jednoho z nejslavnějších vlaků na světě, Rocky Mountaineer, aby překročil páteř severoamerického kontinentu z Kamloops do lázeňského letoviska Banff.

title: Halifax to Prince Edward Island

overview:
Michael Portillo begins a new journey on the tracks of the Ocean line to explore Canada’s maritime provinces en route to Quebec City.

Clutching his 1899 Appleton’s Guide to Canada, he begins in the Atlantic port of Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he discovers an 18th-century British hilltop citadel, manned at the time of his guide by the 78th Highland Regiment. Michael joins the men who recreate the roles of those Scottish soldiers today. At the mercy of the young 'sergeant major', Michael learns the drill in kilt and sporran.

Michael follows his Appleton’s to a vast Victorian dry dock, still in use today by shipbuilders for the Royal Canadian Navy and finds out what it takes to build a state-of-the-art Arctic Patrol vessel. He learns of a catastrophic explosion in Halifax harbour in 1917, which killed 2,000 people and left 25,000 homeless. Former residents of an African-Canadian community torn in two by the railway tell Michael of their struggle for redress.

title: Halifax to Prince Edward Island

title: Z Halifaxu na ostrov prince Edwarda

overview: Michael Portillo začíná novou cestu po kolejích linie Ocean za poznáním kanadských námořních provincií na cestě do Quebec City.

title: Springhill Junction to Quebec City

overview:
Clutching his 1899 copy of Appleton’s Guide to Canada, Michael Portillo travels on the Ocean train from Nova Scotia to New Brunswick. Along the way, he investigates the world’s biggest tide at Hopewell Rocks and admires its dramatic rock formations and caves.

Michael apparently defies gravity on a magnetic hill in a 1965 Pontiac Bonneville. North of Moncton in Miramichi, he joins the Elsipogtog First Nation in a pow wow, where he learns about quilting and traditional dress. In Amherst, Michael investigates the history of an ambitious ship railway designed to ferry ships by rail over the isthmus between the Bay of Fundy and the Northumberland Strait. He quarries highly-prized Wallace sandstone for a 150-year-old family firm.

title: Springhill Junction to Quebec City

title: Z Springhill Junction do Quebec City

overview: Michael Portillo cestuje oceánským vlakem z Nového Skotska do New Brunswicku. Cestou zkoumá největší příliv na světě ve Hopewell Rocks a obdivuje jeho skalní útvary a jeskyně.

title: Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre to Winnipeg

overview:
Michael Portillo explores the province of Quebec with his 19th-century Appleton’s Guide to Canada. He takes the fabulously scenic Charlevoix train along the north bank of the mighty St Lawrence River to La Malbaie.

Following his guidebook to the beautiful basilica at Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre, Michael discovers the racks of crutches discarded by the healed and meets modern-day visitors in search of miracles.

The Train de Charlevoix, built to transport pilgrims, now conveys tourists along the north bank of the St Lawrence River to the Murray lakes. Michael tours the fine 19th-century houses, which were once the haunt of the Gatsby generation. Taking to the skies in a seaplane, Michael flies over the Laurentian Mountains to land on an isolated lake, where he fishes for trout for his supper.

title: Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre to Winnipeg

title: Z Saint-Anne de Beaupre do Winnipegu

overview: Michael Portillo prozkoumává provincii Quebec a báječně scénickým vlakem Charlevoix se vydá po severním břehu mohutné řeky Sv. Vavřince do La Malbaie.

title: Portage la Prairie to Saskatoon

overview:
Steered by his 1899 Appleton’s Guide, Michael Portillo strikes west across Manitoba into the province of Saskatchewan. High above the prairie at Riding Mountain, Michael discovers how a middle-class British boy from Hastings transformed himself into an influential indigenous naturalist called Grey Owl.

Deep in the prairie, Michael finds a network of railways that once served the wheat farmers of Saskatchewan and learns how communities grew up around the grain elevators used to load the crop on to rail wagons. The Wheatland Express welcomes a new recruit to the sidings on the afternoon shift.

At Manitou Beach, Michael reaches the Dead Sea of Canada, a 14-mile lake three times saltier than the ocean. A Yellow Quill First Nations elder tells Michael about the healing properties of the water, and Michael tries it for himself.

title: Portage la Prairie to Saskatoon

title: Z Portage la Prairie do Saskatoonu

overview: Michael Portillo udeří na západ přes Manitobu do provincie Saskatchewan. Michael zjišťuje, jak se britský chlapec ze střední třídy proměnil ve vlivného domorodého přírodovědce.

title: Edmonton to Jasper

overview:
Michael Portillo continues west through the Canadian Prairie on his thousand-mile rail journey from Winnipeg, Manitoba, to Jasper, Alberta. Following his 1899 Appleton’s guide, Michael explores a glossy, glassy, oil-rich Edmonton, second city of Alberta. On the banks of the North Saskatchewan River, he travels three centuries back in time to experience the life of les voyageurs, who travelled huge distances within Canada by foot and canoe to trade fur with indigenous people.

Michael admires Edmonton’s early 20th-century heritage streetcars, preserved by the Radial Railway Society, and seizes the chance to drive one across a spectacular high-level bridge over the North Saskatchewan River.

Edmonton prides itself on its modern light rail system, offering rapid transit to 80 million passengers per year. Michael hears how this growing city plans to keep pace. His journey across Canada’s vast open spaces reaches a dramatic scenic conclusion in the Rocky Mountains.

title: Edmonton to Jasper

title: Z Edmonton udo Jasper

overview: Podle svého Appletonova průvodce z roku 1899 Michael prozkoumává lesklý, skelný, na ropu bohatý Edmonton, druhé město Alberty.

title: Vancouver

title: Vancouver

title: Vancouver Island to San Juan Island

title: Vancouver Island to San Juan Island

title: Port Moody to Kamloops

title: Port Moody to Kamloops

title: Kamloops to Banff

title: Kamloops to Banff

title: Calgary

title: Calgary

title: Winnipeg

title: Winnipeg

title: Portage La Prairie to Watrous

title: Portage La Prairie to Watrous

title: Saskatoon

title: Saskatoon

title: Edmonton

title: Edmonton

title: Hinton to Jasper

title: Hinton to Jasper

title: Series 4

overview: Michael Portillo crosses the Atlantic to ride the railroads of America, armed with Appleton's General Guide to the United States, published in 1879.

title: 美国铁路纪行

overview: 迈克尔·波蒂略穿越大西洋，参考阿普尔顿的“美国通用指南”，搭乘火车游美国。

title: Great American Railroad Journeys

title: Great American Railroad Journeys

title: En tren por el nuevo continente: Estados Unidos

overview: Michael Portillo explora Estados Unidos en tren siguiendo la Guía General Appleton de 1879, que se publicó en un momento clave de la historia de la nación: la época en la que dejó de ser el nuevo mundo y se convirtió en el país más rico de la historia.

title: Velké vlakové putování po USA

overview:
Michael Portillo vyráží po stopách Appletonova průvodce z roku 1879, aby zmapoval tehdejší i současnou situaci amerických železnic a dění kolem nich...

Michael Portillo putuje po železnici přes celé Spojené státy. Řídí se při tom všeobecným průvodcem z roku 1879 – vydaným v klíčovém momentě amerických dějin, kdy se z „Nového světa“ stal nejbohatší stát všech dob. Michael se vrací do doby rozkvětu železnice, který nastal po brutální občanské válce (prvním vojenském střetu, do něhož zasáhla železnice), a velkého rozmachu průmyslové revoluce. Tehdy se z Ameriky zrodily Spojené státy, jaké známe dnes. A právě s železnicí zůstává rozvoj země neodmyslitelně spjatý. Michaelova cesta vede po dvou železničních trasách: z města New Yorku podél řeky Hudson směrem k Velkým jezerům; a z Filadelfie až do první stálé anglické usedlosti v Americe, města Jamestown ve Virginii.

title: Grandes Jornadas Ferroviárias - América do Norte

overview: Guiado pelo manual Bradshaw, o apresentador Michael Portillo te leva a viagens ferroviárias e rodoviárias de tirar o fôlego pelos diferentes continentes.