Great American Railroad JourneysSeries 2Episodes Episode guide

Back up to: Great American Railroad Journeys

1. Memphis, Tennessee

   Michael Portillo hears about the life of former river boat captain Samuel Clemens.
2. Mattoon, Illinois to Columbus, Kentucky

   Michael stops at Mattoon, where he gets a taste of the life which shaped Abraham Lincoln.
3. Homewood to Champaign, Illinois

   Michael visits a house that changed the face of American architecture.
4. Chicago, US Rail Hub

   Michael Portillo investigates the ultimate marshalling yard.
5. Chicago, The Windy City

   Michael Portillo is blown away by the skyscrapers in Illinois's Windy City.
6. Milwaukee to Racine, Wisconsin

   Michael is in Milwaukee, located on Lake Michigan and home of the Harley-Davidson.
7. Tomah to Portage, Wisconsin

   In Tomah, Wisconsin, Michael helps harvest cranberries, an important crop for the US.
8. Red Wing, Minnesota, to La Crosse, Wisconsin

   Michael visits the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of Little House on the Prairie.
9. The Twin Cities, Minneapolis

   Michael learns about an epic poem featuring American Indian characters.
10. The Twin Cities, St Paul

    Michael visits the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St Paul, built around the Mississippi River.
11. Albuquerque, New Mexico, to the Grand Canyon, Arizona

    In Albuquerque, Michael Portillo helps in the restoration of an enormous locomotive.
12. Santa Fe to Acoma, New Mexico

    Michael Portillo explores the beautiful colonial architecture of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
13. Canon City, Colorado, to Colorado Springs

    Michael heads out into the gorge of the Arkansas River aboard a narrow-gauge railroad.
14. La Junta, Colorado, to Pueblo, New Mexico

    In Las Animas County, Colorado, Michael Portillo learns what it took to become a cowboy.
15. Dodge City to Lamar, Colorado

    Michael Portillo visits a notorious saloon in the former frontier town of Dodge City.
16. Lawrence to Topeka, Kansas

    Michael travels through Tornado Alley to meet one of the first storm chasers in America.
17. Kansas City to St Joseph, Missouri

    Michael hits cowboy central in the former meat-packing capital of America - Kansas City.
18. Sedalia to Kansas City, Missouri

    Michael discovers the hidden pleasures of 19th-century railroad workers in Sedalia.
19. St Louis to Jefferson City, Missouri

    Michael begins this leg at the birthplace of a rural icon in Washington, Missouri.
20. St Louis, Missouri

    In St Louis, Michael ascends America's monument to the Wild West, the Gateway Arch.