Mike, your dad is lovely!! My dad and I had plans to travel by rail but sadly he passed before we could. I’m so happy you had the chance to spend uninterrupted time with your dad and your mom. Thanks for the compilation. I watched the series but am enjoying the uninterrupted series. Thanks, Mike and Happy New Year, may it be full of new adventures. Much love💕
The positivity and energy you bring to these trips is really what sets your channel apart. There are so many travel channels these days which focus on various forms of "poverty tourism" for views/engagement, so it's just really nice that you have continued to focus on showcasing people's joy and wonderment in a world where there is too little of it in our media. As always, well done!
As a European who has never been to the US (yet), I've had chills at various moments throughout this video. I could only dream of doing a trip like this, but wow...I think it needs to go on my bucketlist! Thank you for sharing this, Mike. And good on you for taking along your dad, your mom and your friends. What an experience!
Mike, the quality of your work gets better and better each year. Keep it up. 2025 will bring great things for your channel and you. I’m really proud of you!!! Thanks- Pete
I've been on the Durango & Silverton train in Colorado and the Mt Washington Cog Railway in New Hampshire. The cog train went all the way up to the summit for me. It was 75 degrees at the bottom and 50 degrees at the top of Mt Washington!
Whoa! What a good start to the new year! I was laying back and enjoying the ride ... just to take a break between two meals to write this: Thank you Mike and Happy New Year! Now back to the video :D
Your comment about the sink on the first Amtrak train made me smile. Those sinks were on all three of the submarines that I served on in the US Navy. Keep the vids coming.
That trip on Brightline looked just like the NS trains I rode in the Netherlands this year. Spacious, clean, thoughtful, big bathrooms, a couple dozen trains each day. If that's the future of rail in the US, I'm here for it.
Brightline has a mix of owned and leased track. The tracks from Miami to Cocoa are FEC owned. From Cocoa to Orlando, it's newly built Brightline owned tracks that will go over 100 mph, as the track has no level road crossings.
I am not a daily tv viewer BUT I will binge watch youtube series and...short story long, I subscibed a while ago to process my anxiety of public train transport! From early teen years I've learned to process air, bus, and car because it was life required but never a train or floating kind-of-anything. Friends😒planned a train tour from LA to Seattle and after a few days enjoying the city, boarded a train from Seattle to Portland. It was not a bucket list by any stretch-but I penciled it. Age has hindered my processing 'skill' and also anxiety breathing techniques so I was quite anxious but managed to complete the 'hours' ride🫣😬😥. It was rough...just saying🙃! Now I vicariously enjoy travel by train with you and your friends and family through my subscription to your channel. Thank you🤗
the dance break with Dad was iconic 😂 and wow the surprise cameo on the Mountaineer! also realised I've been watching heaps of your videos the past couple years but wasnt subbed. corrected that for 2025 👍🏽
thank you " Josh Gates Jr " !..your vibe could so pass as his protege!! No but on the serious side thank you i literally thought i was watching a real tv show on discovery channel so thank you and thank you to your editors for giving me a real tv vibe for 3hrs... yes for 3hrs i watched and didn't even realize it was that long intel you got to the Alaska arc which was kind of short but giving what there is to do there i can also understand
This was so much fun! Loved it. I have been to many of the places you visited...and I have taken the train to Fairbanks, Gold Star service. So enjoyable to see your film! Been watching you for a few years. You rock!
Absolutely incredible series. I think you would love to ride the last running commercial Budd Car train service in the world. The trains built around the 1950s are ran by VIA Rail between Sudbury and White River. I have used this train over 10 times to travel to a close friend's cottage. Some of the regular passengers on this train have interesting stories as some cottages are only accessible by this train.
Lol mike I love your videos and the fact that you pronounce the towns in Alaska right puts you head and shoulders above everybody else I do so adore you.
Hey Mike, side to side is called rolling, front to back is called pitching. The weather and waves you showed wasn’t nothing compared to what I’ve seen in my 20 years in the US Navy. I’ve had to do extra watches (work) because the other crew members were too seasick to stand watch.fortunately or unfortunately I never got seasick!
As someone whose favorite trip ever taken ( I’m a midwesterner ) was to San Antonio, I’m glad you guys got to experience it! The river walk is great, and chances are you had some of the best Mexican food in the country. If you ever go back, make it an absolute necessity to find yourself a gas station that serves breakfast! Down there, any hole in the wall usually looking BP or Cenex gas stations ALL HAVE BOMB Hispanic breakfast bistros. I’m talking like people lined up 10-20 deep in these places to get their delicious breakfast burritos. They were good enough to keep me thinking about them 😂
Oh Mikey, we know what you're doing here for the last few videos. Putting together previous videos and unused footage to make up new videos. How dare you! I wanted to hate them, but I kept watching them and still enjoyed them, especially the parts where you travel with friends and family. It's very wholesome and reminds me of the good times when I was taking the fun railways like the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, the George Loop, etc. It also reminded me of my dream of taking the luxury Rocky Mountaineer one day.
Thank you for taking this Railfan to some extraordinary locations Mike! It's always fun to see you experiencing new things in fantastic locations around the globe. Fair seas and clear skies to you in 2025!
This was a good production. Your "game" is getting better. I teared up on your surprise on ma. I saw your drive to summit before, but the blended edit was fantastic.
It's totally on my bucket list to take trains around America...and canada...and really anywhere lol. I'm a photographer so hours/days of just sitting with big open windows is pretty much my ideal vacation 😅
Jealous… I have been one the pikes peak cog railway and the Durango and Silverton, however our train was very old and tired and according to the engineer “grumpy” so we only made it half way. It was still and amazing experience that may have changed my view of Colorado.
So much wholesomeness (or positivity, idk) in this series. Im wondering though, how did you get to Washington? Was there no train commection you could take to the ferry? Also are we going to completely ignore the tents on the bow of the ferry? 😂
Normal, Illinois is part of a twin city of Bloomington-Normal. It's a college town that holds Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan University, and also home of State Farm insurance hdqt. I live there while attending university there.
first time i’ve seen you in my feed in forever - and what a banger! tons of great places and railroads. i’ve actually run engine 475 and engine 90 at strasburg. great little railroad. glad i landed on this one! hope you are well, sir. found my LIVE hat from back in the day recently while moving 😎
And again.. Beautiful video, with great people. Mike youre doin well on youtube! Love the long video's. Having a good meal, with youre video's means heaving a great time! even if im sitting on my chair watching you, i can feel the joy of every ride. Hopefully youre hitting the million subs very fast :D
Love your adventures. I'd love it if you could ride the steam train from stettler, albera and document the full day adventure. Tip if you do: after leaving stettler, go to the open air cattle car, stand on the right hand side, for some suprise excitement (hide your jewelry lol)
AWESOME Are you going to release the Canadian series also. I've enjoyed putting these long videos on play and reliving the memories, dreaming of retiring and making one of these trips.
Used to take my kids to the Strasburg! Kitchen Kettle Village is cool and Bird In Hand! You can’t help but chuckle when you go thru the town of Intercourse! 😂 Enjoyed your trip!
Fyi, naps are not an acquired skill, it's God's gift to the aged😂. Your dad has earned every snooze! Someday you will be gifted likewise and your son/daughter will say the same on future train rides...wherever that may be🚂.
I love Harvey’s observation over emotion lol makes the positive opinion so much more honest! Awesome video wow! Trains in 2025!!! Wish we had affordable options in western Canada like this!
I live in Eastern Oregon on the train line our train line does not have passenger trains that go down it That's why you have the hob on a train in Portland
I was on the Brightline 2 days ago returning home to Miami from Orlando! How come you didn't take it all the way to Orlando? On the track from Cape Canaveral straight to Orlando, we reached speeds up to 128 MPH! It is a smooth ride for sure!
We took strip in November from nc to Utah by car and we went through many cities that you went trough so it was neat to see places we’ve been we also went through Denver co on our way home I really enjoyed your video also.
From Bremerton, Washington, there are more options for passenger train travel as far north as Prince Rupert, B.C. From there, there's ferry service further north to Whittier, Alaska, from where there's yet another passenger train service to Anchorage & then continuing north on another train to Fairbanks.
This series is called Travels by Train: America, not America and Canada. If you want to see the VIA Rail train trip from Jasper to Prince Rupert, you can watch that here: ruclips.net/video/PQSzgY5TKDs/видео.htmlsi=Yd9tbbKZksh3Ol6K
@@DownieLive Yes, I've already seen your Jasper to Prince Rupert video. But AFAIK, there hasn't been any YT video showing train travel from Vancouver direct (via connection at Prince George, B.C.) to Prince Rupert. Then optionally continuing via Ferry further north. And comparing travel costs via train vs. via ferry between those two cities.
@@DownieLive Okay: is there a link for a Vancouver - Prince Rupert video, without going via Jasper? Have you done the Antonito, Colorado to Chama, New Mexico narrow gauge tourist train?
@@DownieLive Strictly speaking, the video title is actually: "Taking the TRAIN from Miami to Alaska". The Vancouver - Prince Rupert train segment would help maximize the "Train" portion while lessening the "Ferry" portion of a train travelogue from Miami to Alaska.
Hey I'm back where I came from in Nevada they have a train up there in Virginia City and it goes almost all the way down to Carson which is like a 1520 mile track and then you can also visit gold mines
I've been following you for a very long time. The videos are really good. So bad that the US has not managed to build a high speed rail network across the country to this day. When you see how you travel in many places in the world, for example across Europe, China, Japan. Amtrak's prices are also really high when you see how old the infrastructure is.
This is the reason I started watching this channel. Trains in the USA. This series and all of Mike's train videos are simply the best.
Hopefully you've gone back and watched the earlier ones as well. ALWAYS great content from Mike and his team.
@@evecottom9966 I've watched every video Mike has made. The train videos are so relaxing and informative. Trains are a great way to see America.
Thanks Mike for squishing all these together into a set of series…perfect evening viewing materials.
Love the fact you took your friends, than Dad ,than your mother that's amazing ❤
Mike, your dad is lovely!! My dad and I had plans to travel by rail but sadly he passed before we could. I’m so happy you had the chance to spend uninterrupted time with your dad and your mom. Thanks for the compilation. I watched the series but am enjoying the uninterrupted series. Thanks, Mike and Happy New Year, may it be full of new adventures. Much love💕
The positivity and energy you bring to these trips is really what sets your channel apart. There are so many travel channels these days which focus on various forms of "poverty tourism" for views/engagement, so it's just really nice that you have continued to focus on showcasing people's joy and wonderment in a world where there is too little of it in our media. As always, well done!
As a European who has never been to the US (yet), I've had chills at various moments throughout this video. I could only dream of doing a trip like this, but wow...I think it needs to go on my bucketlist! Thank you for sharing this, Mike. And good on you for taking along your dad, your mom and your friends. What an experience!
You said it perfectly when you said it’s not just about the trains,it’s all the other experiences along the way!
Just what I needed to start my 2025 right here!
Not gonna lie, even though I've seen all this before; the entire part where you took your mother on that trip always makes me tear up.
Great job
Glad you enjoyed it again!
Happy for you having these experience for your Mom and Dad - tearing up missing my parents who've been gone a few years, now.
Mike, the quality of your work gets better and better each year. Keep it up. 2025 will bring great things for your channel and you. I’m really proud of you!!! Thanks- Pete
Thank you, Pete! I appreciate it.
I've been on the Durango & Silverton train in Colorado and the Mt Washington Cog Railway in New Hampshire. The cog train went all the way up to the summit for me. It was 75 degrees at the bottom and 50 degrees at the top of Mt Washington!
Whoa! What a good start to the new year! I was laying back and enjoying the ride ... just to take a break between two meals to write this: Thank you Mike and Happy New Year! Now back to the video :D
Your comment about the sink on the first Amtrak train made me smile. Those sinks were on all three of the submarines that I served on in the US Navy. Keep the vids coming.
That trip on Brightline looked just like the NS trains I rode in the Netherlands this year. Spacious, clean, thoughtful, big bathrooms, a couple dozen trains each day. If that's the future of rail in the US, I'm here for it.
NS trains sound like something from 1940 Germany
Not gunna lie, those Amtrak blankets are amazing!! I keep mine on my couch for living room warmth.
Brightline has a mix of owned and leased track. The tracks from Miami to Cocoa are FEC owned. From Cocoa to Orlando, it's newly built Brightline owned tracks that will go over 100 mph, as the track has no level road crossings.
One of my favorite series of your channel
Actually my favorite!!! Love that you included your parents. I’m 85 so happy for your parents to be a part of your series!!!
Best content ever on RUclips. Watched it all the way through. Thanks for the experience.
I I really enjoyed the parent excursions. It brought joy seeing you guys bond and catch up. 😊 super cool scenery too. 😅
I am not a daily tv viewer BUT I will binge watch youtube series and...short story long, I subscibed a while ago to process my anxiety of public train transport! From early teen years I've learned to process air, bus, and car because it was life required but never a train or floating kind-of-anything. Friends😒planned a train tour from LA to Seattle and after a few days enjoying the city, boarded a train from Seattle to Portland. It was not a bucket list by any stretch-but I penciled it. Age has hindered my processing 'skill' and also anxiety breathing techniques so I was quite anxious but managed to complete the 'hours' ride🫣😬😥. It was rough...just saying🙃! Now I vicariously enjoy travel by train with you and your friends and family through my subscription to your channel. Thank you🤗
the dance break with Dad was iconic 😂 and wow the surprise cameo on the Mountaineer! also realised I've been watching heaps of your videos the past couple years but wasnt subbed. corrected that for 2025 👍🏽
Yes! Glad to have you onboard!
How awesome that you're giving so many their dream trips.
Very nice start to the new year 🎊🎉
thank you " Josh Gates Jr " !..your vibe could so pass as his protege!! No but on the serious side thank you i literally thought i was watching a real tv show on discovery channel so thank you and thank you to your editors for giving me a real tv vibe for 3hrs... yes for 3hrs i watched and didn't even realize it was that long intel you got to the Alaska arc which was kind of short but giving what there is to do there i can also understand
This was so much fun! Loved it. I have been to many of the places you visited...and I have taken the train to Fairbanks, Gold Star service. So enjoyable to see your film! Been watching you for a few years. You rock!
I love watching your series! Enthralled 😮.. The cards look amazing!!❤
Absolutely incredible series. I think you would love to ride the last running commercial Budd Car train service in the world. The trains built around the 1950s are ran by VIA Rail between Sudbury and White River. I have used this train over 10 times to travel to a close friend's cottage. Some of the regular passengers on this train have interesting stories as some cottages are only accessible by this train.
I love Will's reaction to seeing the Grand Canyon. I think mine was the same the first time.
Love this series! Thanks for the Will eye candy! He's such a cutie!
Enjoying the full series videos. Great way to rewatch these a bit easier.
What is more amazing is that you did it in 2 hours 43 minutes and 56 seconds...
Lol mike I love your videos and the fact that you pronounce the towns in Alaska right puts you head and shoulders above everybody else I do so adore you.
Hey Mike, side to side is called rolling, front to back is called pitching. The weather and waves you showed wasn’t nothing compared to what I’ve seen in my 20 years in the US Navy. I’ve had to do extra watches (work) because the other crew members were too seasick to stand watch.fortunately or unfortunately I never got seasick!
As someone whose favorite trip ever taken ( I’m a midwesterner ) was to San Antonio, I’m glad you guys got to experience it! The river walk is great, and chances are you had some of the best Mexican food in the country. If you ever go back, make it an absolute necessity to find yourself a gas station that serves breakfast! Down there, any hole in the wall usually looking BP or Cenex gas stations ALL HAVE BOMB Hispanic breakfast bistros. I’m talking like people lined up 10-20 deep in these places to get their delicious breakfast burritos. They were good enough to keep me thinking about them 😂
I'll keep that in mind if I ever find myself back down there.
Oh Mikey, we know what you're doing here for the last few videos. Putting together previous videos and unused footage to make up new videos. How dare you! I wanted to hate them, but I kept watching them and still enjoyed them, especially the parts where you travel with friends and family. It's very wholesome and reminds me of the good times when I was taking the fun railways like the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, the George Loop, etc. It also reminded me of my dream of taking the luxury Rocky Mountaineer one day.
Thank you for taking this Railfan to some extraordinary locations Mike! It's always fun to see you experiencing new things in fantastic locations around the globe. Fair seas and clear skies to you in 2025!
This was a good production. Your "game" is getting better. I teared up on your surprise on ma. I saw your drive to summit before, but the blended edit was fantastic.
I love this video, nearly three hours of delightful travel experiances. Thanks for making this.
It's totally on my bucket list to take trains around America...and canada...and really anywhere lol. I'm a photographer so hours/days of just sitting with big open windows is pretty much my ideal vacation 😅
The steam train was a bit different, when Downie was on the Zigzag railway in Australia. But gotta love trains!!
Jealous… I have been one the pikes peak cog railway and the Durango and Silverton, however our train was very old and tired and according to the engineer “grumpy” so we only made it half way. It was still and amazing experience that may have changed my view of Colorado.
10:29 Ashland Train Day!
The Joliet Union Station is beautiful. I live in Joliet Illinois. Thank you for sharing. 🧡🧡🧡
Wholesome! You have great parents, Downie.
Just watching this bro …. You need to do more train videos and colab with jeb brooks and his wife Suzanne
So much wholesomeness (or positivity, idk) in this series.
Im wondering though, how did you get to Washington? Was there no train commection you could take to the ferry?
Also are we going to completely ignore the tents on the bow of the ferry? 😂
Normal, Illinois is part of a twin city of Bloomington-Normal. It's a college town that holds Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan University, and also home of State Farm insurance hdqt. I live there while attending university there.
Mike, this is an awesome video! Great Job!
first time i’ve seen you in my feed
in forever - and what a banger! tons of great places and railroads. i’ve actually run engine 475 and engine 90 at strasburg. great little railroad.
glad i landed on this one! hope you are well, sir. found my LIVE hat from back in the day recently while moving 😎
Glad to have you back!
@ not cool youtube. i’ll have to make it a point to find you. i watch each video to the end, so - dunno! thanks! glad to be here as always!
And again..
Beautiful video, with great people.
Mike youre doin well on youtube! Love the long video's. Having a good meal, with youre video's means heaving a great time! even if im sitting on my chair watching you, i can feel the joy of every ride.
Hopefully youre hitting the million subs very fast :D
Love your adventures. I'd love it if you could ride the steam train from stettler, albera and document the full day adventure. Tip if you do: after leaving stettler, go to the open air cattle car, stand on the right hand side, for some suprise excitement (hide your jewelry lol)
AWESOME Are you going to release the Canadian series also. I've enjoyed putting these long videos on play and reliving the memories, dreaming of retiring and making one of these trips.
Probably not, but it's still as a playlist on my channel.
I love the trend where youtubers decide to upload extremely long videos. Thanks my guy! happy 2025!
Anchorage to Fairbanks is a great ride. The food was amazing, especially the reindeer sausage.
That’s great to hear! I’m glad you enjoyed the ride!
I look forward to the next adventure with you, Michael❤.
Used to take my kids to the Strasburg! Kitchen Kettle Village is cool and Bird In Hand! You can’t help but chuckle when you go thru the town of Intercourse! 😂 Enjoyed your trip!
Loved the series today and enjoyed they before. Travel by train 😊❤ ❤❤❤
This video as inspired me me to do the same trip from Miami to Alaska by train when I visit the USA
From road trains to real trains..Amazing.
Loved this vid so much I am still Smiling 😊❤
Downielive JetLag guest WHEN!?! 😂😂
Cool parts with your parents; your love and respect can’t be faked. Good show👍
I made it through the end! Super long, but was great to watch the whole series in one shot!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Fyi, naps are not an acquired skill, it's God's gift to the aged😂. Your dad has earned every snooze! Someday you will be gifted likewise and your son/daughter will say the same on future train rides...wherever that may be🚂.
Come back to central illinois, we’ll show you Normal and Springfield!
Mike is such a great host.
Damn, there's a ton of information and ideas for when I can get to the USA, and check out travelling by rail. Cheers Mike.
I’m glad to be able to help with your travel planning.
The compendium of travel vlogs continues. Happy New Year!
I love Harvey’s observation over emotion lol makes the positive opinion so much more honest! Awesome video wow! Trains in 2025!!! Wish we had affordable options in western Canada like this!
The Cog Railway dudes just seemed so nice
Awesome job Mike drop a like for you and happy new year.
Great information and video! I enjoy all of your adventures!
That train reminds me of Back to the future! Happy New year!
Aww this is so wholesome
Wow! Amazing episode!
I took the exact same trip in Strassburg two years ago - it´s amazing
I live in Eastern Oregon on the train line our train line does not have passenger trains that go down it That's why you have the hob on a train in Portland
Train nerd lol 😂❤. I enjoyed this . Interesting the mountain view
Hello and thank you Downie
Absolutely love love this long video do more of these❤❤
I was on the Brightline 2 days ago returning home to Miami from Orlando! How come you didn't take it all the way to Orlando? On the track from Cape Canaveral straight to Orlando, we reached speeds up to 128 MPH! It is a smooth ride for sure!
Mike you should ride the Heartland Flyer. It’s amazing!
I think Will is my favorite guest!
Awesome series!
Thanks!
Happy New Year!🎆🎈🎊
Happy New Year to you too!
Happy new year to you mike quality video again
Happy new year!
You know what would even be better on The Mountaineer?! Instead of the 2 diesel loc's , a steamloc called BigBoi 🤗🤩🤗🤩
We took strip in November from nc to Utah by car and we went through many cities that you went trough so it was neat to see places we’ve been we also went through Denver co on our way home I really enjoyed your video also.
Although its an re-upload of all the videos of miami to Alaska, I still enjoy the video
Love the video, thank you Mike!
Thanks for watching!
Educational! Thank you!
Awesome, loved the video!!
From Bremerton, Washington, there are more options for passenger train travel as far north as Prince Rupert, B.C. From there, there's ferry service further north to Whittier, Alaska, from where there's yet another passenger train service to Anchorage & then continuing north on another train to Fairbanks.
This series is called Travels by Train: America, not America and Canada.
If you want to see the VIA Rail train trip from Jasper to Prince Rupert, you can watch that here: ruclips.net/video/PQSzgY5TKDs/видео.htmlsi=Yd9tbbKZksh3Ol6K
@@DownieLive Yes, I've already seen your Jasper to Prince Rupert video. But AFAIK, there hasn't been any YT video showing train travel from Vancouver direct (via connection at Prince George, B.C.) to Prince Rupert. Then optionally continuing via Ferry further north. And comparing travel costs via train vs. via ferry between those two cities.
That’s a pretty specific niche video.
Considering I’ve done the Vancouver to Jasper route 3 times, I figured I’d focus on new areas.
@@DownieLive Okay: is there a link for a Vancouver - Prince Rupert video, without going via Jasper? Have you done the Antonito, Colorado to Chama, New Mexico narrow gauge tourist train?
@@DownieLive Strictly speaking, the video title is actually: "Taking the TRAIN from Miami to Alaska". The Vancouver - Prince Rupert train segment would help maximize the "Train" portion while lessening the "Ferry" portion of a train travelogue from Miami to Alaska.
I lived in Bloomington/Normal Illinois in 6th grade in the 60's for six months. I always say I lived on the "Normal" side of town. : )
Epic Video!!!
Hey I'm back where I came from in Nevada they have a train up there in Virginia City and it goes almost all the way down to Carson which is like a 1520 mile track and then you can also visit gold mines
Argh, I was wondering, remember saw some before, so its like all the videos together
I've been following you for a very long time. The videos are really good. So bad that the US has not managed to build a high speed rail network across the country to this day. When you see how you travel in many places in the world, for example across Europe, China, Japan. Amtrak's prices are also really high when you see how old the infrastructure is.
I hear ya!
Verry awesome video and long also its just a awesome movie thanks allot for this content😊
My pleasure 😊
@29:11 - shout-out to Caleb! I admire his passion for his train work.