Great American Railroad Journeys

Michael's guidebook leads him to the Parker House Hotel, where he makes Boston cream pie. Plus, Michael discovers a grisly surgery scene.

Michael explores a Canadian icon when he heads into Vaudreuil's wooded hills, and unearths the secrets of maple syrup. When he returns to the railroads, he heads west to Ontario, and learns about Scotland's influence.

Michael continues his journey, heading along the Grand Trunk railway. In Brockville, he leaves the tracks to embark on a nautical pilgrimage, making his way through the Thousand Islands.

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.

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.

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’s Mexican Independence Day and the locals are celebrating the country’s hard-won independence from Spain in the early 19th century. There’s dancing, singing and feasting in the streets and Michael joins the party.