Noway that too long travel from Florida to Alaska step by step to get there in train 🚊 i better fly in airplane ✈️ is more faster.i live in fort myers florida hope someday i visit Alaska in summer.
I really want trains to be more relevant, easier to find, and easier to access. Not even national tracks, just light rails to get around the cities. Bright line has excellent quality, looks like the train I rode from Seoul to Busan in South Korea, and that says a lot. Of course, national railroads arent popular, but light rails can 100% be effective. We need to maximize it
Korea is the size of a state. Nationwide railways are possible, but quite the endeavors. Instead of advocating for free healthcare, which is dumb, we should advocate for better infrastructure and public transportation.
@@NotJustAnotherAverageJoe Most economists, even conservative economists, estimate that Medicare for All would save us money while increasing healthcare outcomes, not sure why you think it is stupid, but totally agree with you about the need for infrastructure & public transit. I am glad there is something we can agree on though. I am pretty sure investment in infrastructure is fairly bipartisan. I wish our leaders would at least work together to accomplish the things we do agree on. With more public transit and walkable / bikeable cities, obesity would likely plummet, thus ultimately making health care cheaper. One hand washes the other.
@@NotJustAnotherAverageJoe South Korea is barely bigger than the LA metro… which has public transportation. I’d love rail travel, but these comparisons people use are delusional.
As someone who works as a railroad conductor I'm glad to see videos like this, especially seeing the Brightline at the beginning. I'm not from Florida, but hopefully some new and emerging competion will spur improvements in American rail
The distance from London to Istanbul (basically all the way across Europe) is about 1800 miles. And it would be _over_ a 2 day journey by rail. The distance from San Diego to New York (basically all the way across the USA ) is about 2700 miles. It's roughly a 4 day journey on a train. No one likes these multi day treks on rail, unless it's some specialty trip. Even in the eu. People don't take the train from Riga to Madrid. It's too far. The reason rail works in Europe is because people don't regularly travel long distances. NY to LA is one of the most popular flights in the USA, and maybe the world. The USA is HUGE. rail just doesn't work well _for moving people._ Despite that, the USA has one of the absolute best rail systems in the world. For cargo. It makes the systems in the eu and Japan quite quaint by comparison.
yes planes will always be an option, but trains would make quality of life so much better. like most people use cars for shorter distances like LA to SF, but if there was actually a fast train for LA to SF, most people would probably be using that because i dont think anyone likes driving for 6-7 hours straight.
@@idkwhattoputhere5503 Sure, but that is one route that would work. And also a line from Phoenix to La with a stop in San Diego. And line from La to Vegas. They'd have to be high speed to make sense. But rail doesn't make sense going any farther than that. You can't really build a national network because there is too much distance. There already is a train from San Francisco to Chicago, and it takes like 3 days.
@@herranton yes but the train from chicago to sf is super slow. Also i didn't say trains would replace planes did i? planes would still be much better for LONG distances, but trains are just much morre practical for shorter distances such as SF to LA, LA to phoenix, Portland to Seattle, New York to Philadelphia/Boston (or any northeastern city really), Houston to Dallas/Austin, etc.
@@idkwhattoputhere5503 I think the biggest problem is that you really can't build a national network. And you can't build high speed rail on the east coast. There are videos on why. But really, it all boils down to being way too expensive.
Back in the day, there was a train from Miami directly to Chicago, going up the coast, through Jacksonville, then Atlanta, Chattanooga, Nashville, and Evansville.
I have no clue how this ended up in my recommended but I love it! I’ve never been on a train and this looks fantastic, what an incredible way to discover the country.
same here I just hope the main takeaway is that trains are extrmely viable when there's no conflict from rail ownership instead of further privatization of railroads being what's needed
I live in Miami and overall transportation is getting better for city traveling just not local yet. We don’t even have buses that are that reliable but… it’s getting there only south beach
Looking at the economics of brightline, it is a money pit. In 10 years, the city/state will have to take care of it, while the investors leave with a pocket full of money.
Gosh Brightline looks amazing. Hope they go big time all across the US if they keep up those standards of quality that the FL line obviously cares about.
As he said, Brightline is a private firm. They acquired a 50 mile corridor from the state of Florida to send a spur into Orlando from the coast. Plans are to build out the line all the way to Tampa. That would also go directly by all the Disney and Universal attractions. That will be a boon to Miami and central Florida, particularly from S. America. Luckily, there is Metrorail from MIA to Government Center. Brightline is in the shadow of that station.
I'm starting this series here and I just wanna say that I hope you enjoyed your trip thru the States, and while I can't speak for everyone, I would always welcome you and hope you would wanna come back and visit us again, because you really brighten everyone's days and your content is very relaxing and fun to watch. I'm a big fan from here on out!
"And how trains made this country what it is" thanks for saying trains made America and not highways. It's a shame when state governments and Americans in general treat trains like they're just a socialist thing and something for the poor when it's far from the truth. Towns in the western states literally popped up because of trains. High-speed rail would be a great thing for the US, as the Brightline has shown. People say "oh but the rural people won't use them", but trains have proven to lead to a real estate boom. Germans and the Japanese both initially opposed high-speed rail...and now both systems are praised
Not to be one of those types of people while I do think trains were important I wouldn't dismiss the highway system they were very very important as well unfortunately they went too much with the highway system and forgot how important trains still are. Prior to that there was a lot of dirt roads in America a lot of roads were private it was very hard for people to go across the country so highways serve a purpose and they definitely were and still are very important. But it is sad that trains have lost their value in the United States. The problem is the United States doesn't spend as much on its infrastructure as other countries do we spend very little in comparison and we would probably be leading high speed rail if we were.
As a Floridian, thanks for visiting our state! Our climate can be quite humid and hot at times (which you’ve no doubt seen) but once you see a lot more of the state it’s pretty cool. Tampa is one of my favourite places to go in Florida (mostly because of all the water ports) so I’m glad you saw even a little of it.
Can I just say: the DownieLive team is dialed in! Definitely found myself a few times checking to see if this was RUclips or my television subscription. The editing is top-notch!
My Husband and I just watched your Florida to Alaska series. What an adventure!! We are envious of your journeys! Thanks for taking us with you. Your "Vlogging skills and camera "presence" are really wonderful. We watch many UTUBE channels ( don't like much else on TV). Looking forward to viewing more. We will follow you anywhere! Thanks, again!
@@pedroe3508 Its the coolest in America, tho. it goes from south Florida to central Florida. Miami to Orlando and Orlando to Tampa. A distance of around 300 miles in total. which is kinda cool progress for a train that was launched only 4 years ago.
Fun fact: Despite how popular of a photo spot it is, that buoy does NOT mark the spot of the southernmost point in the continental US. As there is a spot called Whitehead Spit in the nearby naval air station that is actually more south (on top of Fort Zachary Taylor which is a state park you can visit). But not even Whitehead Spit is the southernmost point! The actual southernmost point in the continental US is, if it's continuously above water, Ballast Key OR if it counts if it's occasionally above water at low tide, the Western Dry Rocks I love Key West and the fact that Cubans pretty much built the city. The Cuban history in the city is quite rich and it left an impact
@@daholyspirit2783 it was built originally as a fish camp by Cuban fisherman while Florida was still a territory and was visited by the same groups of fishermen before that occasionally while Florida was still Spanish.
Hey don't forget us Bahamians we helped too, I mean there is whole neighborhood named after us. As well as terms such as Freshwater and Saltwater conch originating from our immigrants. Something I learned quite recently. Well wishes and a Happy New Year from a Caribbean brother.
I LOVED using the trains in S. Korea I hope that company Brightline takes off and spreads the idea that we need regular modern public transit in the States.
Seeing the land around these trains, the tunnels and cuts created to allow train travel - shows us just how important and significant rail travel was, is, and could be to the future of not just America, but people on all continents.
@@bahnspotterEU Yeah except there's still no affordable flying cars for private transportation like when airplanes replaced trains a century ago for public.
There are continents that have insanely great railway system and regular traffic, not just once a day. So it looks like US needs to catch up to those places.
I just came home from Switzerland last weekend. I traveled on trains every single day while I was there. One day I took 7 trains to get to my destination and 6 to get back… …an amazing trip
@@cwr8618 I agree 100%….my first views of Lake Geneva as we entered Lausanne or traveling through Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen. Every view was more stunning than the one before.
You can only do that in NY and maybe DC lol. In NY, Long Island Railroad (most popular commuter rail in the country), extensive subway system, and Amtrak stations.
As a native Floridian thanks for introducing me to Brightline. I ALWAYS say how Florida should implement more trains to accommodate tourist seasons to get more cars off the road because traffic is getting worse and worse everywhere in the state. And because we have no state income tax, more people are rushing to move here, therefore insurance rates are going up (I’m convinced we have the worst drivers). When it comes to transportation, it’s mayhem down here!!
It's ironic that as you passed through Ashland, VA on the Silver Star, they were having Train Day. The streets are closed to car traffic, and people stroll through the area by the train station, even on the tracks. Volunteers alert people to trains and clear the tracks, the trains limited to 15mph that day. Normal rail speed there is 35mph day, 45 night. Randolph Macon College campus is diagonally across from the station. Ashland is 13 rail minutes north of Richmond.
@13:04 you had me until here. Next trail to Philadelphia would have been the 6:00pm NE Regional to NYC (which stops in Philly) or the 7:57 Palmeto, which is probably the train you were on from Florida (they switch from Diesel to electric motive power for the NER, and have a long layover). Want to stay in DC, why not? It's a great City, but why do you have to slander Amtrak in the process. The NER is the one part of Amtrak with sufficiently frequent service.
Yes, Brightline is thanks to our AMAZING Gov. Desantis. Did you see that AMAZING Service? If he becomes President, America can be Amazing beginning in 2024. If not, fine, we'll just keep all the goodness right here.
Hopefully they take off, and we can stop wasting a billion tax dollars on Amtrak annually. $600.00, one way, Florida to DC. $2,000.00 for two people one way from Chicago to LA. Amtrak is the definition of wasteful government spending, and needs to die.
I love Amtrak and wish it could be expanded, but I hope trains more like Brightline start a rail comeback in America. Reminds me of the trains I took in Germany. Almost want to go to Florida solely to try it out! So glad I stumbled upon your channel. I rarely watch youtube anymore but I check for your videos every week. Awesome job!
Brightline is a private industry operating and profiting on tax paid infrastructure. Yes its nice and new but it's only 1 year old and already shockingly high pedestrian death rate like one a week. $600 for FL to DC is crazy could fly to Europe for that
@@juanvaldez7279 and trucks driving on tax paid highways and roads isn't the same thing? Amazon definitely doesn't pay it's share in taxes for the amount of trucks they run on the road. The amount of people it hurts or kills is nothing compared to the people cars and trucks kill every single day, and I should mention it's a fucking train what are people doing to get hit by a train it runs on a track in a straight line one way you'd have to jump the road barrier or walk on train tracks like a troglodyte for that to happen
I understand that the bright line was better for the video but for those who might wonder how to get where he got to and are on a budget, it is better to continue in the metro rail system until you reach the tri-rail transfer, there you can take the tri-rail for $2.50 to the station where you take the Amtrak For a lower cost or you can go to the first amtrak station which is close by
If you're on a budget, just take the metro to the airport. He paid $600.00 for one Amtrak ticket from Florida to DC. You can fly from Miami straight to Alaska for less than that, and you don't have to take a fucking week off work to get there Anyone who rides on Amtrak, without a commuter pass is a fucking moron.
Love going down a RUclips rabbit hole and discovering stuff like this. From here in Northern Idaho, thanks for the content, and I will probably be awake all night watching this whole series!
This was extremely nostalgic for me as when I was in 8th grade, I took a train from Indianapolis to Chicago and then the Amtrak Southwest Chief from Chicago to Los Angeles. We were booked for a roomette but were upgraded to the larger room. The trip was a little over 2 days total and it was so fun. It’s been 5 years since and I’ve loved trains ever since then. I’ll definitely consider train trips again when i’m in college! :)
You genuinely have the passion to make quality videos that appeal to rail enthusiasts rather than 5 year olds, which is what I can tell your content aimed at.
Brightline is actually such an awesome train. Also, if you wanted to, I think you could’ve taken the metro to the tri-rail transfer and walked to the miami Amtrak station from there. Or you could’ve taken brightline to west palm beach and got on the Amtrak then
@@samthai818 agreed. Although it did save a lot of people evacuating Miami because of hurricane Irma. While AA was price gouging, Amtrak’s prices remained reasonable
I absolutely love travel by train. It's a shame we don't have more access to cross country type travel other than Amtrak and it gets more limited the further west you travel.
Mike, you made such a good call to get a roomette for the Silver Star. I did that one in Coach from Fort Lauderdale to DC and it was certainly memorable 😏. The viewliners are a very different experience to the superliners, the Cardinal is my favorite Viewliner. I really hope you tried the blondie in addition to the brownie. 😁 Looking forward to watching this entire season!
Mike - Unfortunately, CSX doesn't maintain the tracks and rails very well and don't count on getting to your destination on time as you will be greatly slowed or stopped because of heat effects on the rails while CSX freight trains get priority over passenger trains. Best of luck getting there this year to Alaska.
It's just one overnight from Fort Lauderdale to DC. Was it really worth paying 6x the cost for one night in a bed and a micromeal in the dining car? I doubt it. Also, the Viewliners are always a nicer experience than taking those awful Superliners.
You're one of my favourite vlogger because the way you explore city by train and showing the natural beauty of the countryside is the best part of your video. Love this video brother🖤
I rode Amtrak from Tucson, AZ to Lake Charles, LA as a teen! It took almost 3 days and it was fun! I met so many people, chatted with commuters, met some Mennonites, and ate a lot of delicious food from vendors along the stops. My mom was terrified of flying so we took the train instead. We had my baby sister with us and it was hard with her being fussy, but as a teenager I personally loved it. I remember sneaking into the observation car at night and talking on the phone with my boyfriend and we exchanged our first "I love yous" ❤ now we are expecting our fourth baby and about to celebrate 10 years of marriage! Wow what a lovely reminder. I'll never forget that trip!
Ok so I am a viewer from Great Britain. I am turning 30 next year and (as Micheal said) if the last couple of years has taught us anything we need to make the most of our time. I am seriously considering doing The Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver in the spring. This video is straight up inspiring me. Cheers Downie. Also Will is great.
All of that is vain! Your ultimate Duty in this life or time/space is to walk the path of righteousness and lead people unto Christ! That's the ONLY thing that matter... Everything else is aesthetic!
I would encourage you to take an cross-continent adventure if you can swing it. I'm not sure which trip would be more grueling, though - Toronto to Vancouver or New York to California...
I like everything about this video, series and content creator. He speaks so awesomely direct, like someone who understands we are all here for his opinion on everything he's showing us. Bro might just be the perfect combo of funny, easy to watch and informative. I did not expect in any of my thirty four years here to say my celebrity crush is DownieLive but here we are. I recently discovered this channel and am pretty geeked to watch more. 55/5 stars if you ask me, even though no one did
It’s a Saturday and our friendly neighbourhood adventurous Canadian gentleman will take us on a fun journey. I’ve been looking forward to the Cross-Country American Voyage since you mentioned it in your Stories.
I love Amtrak. The double rooms are insane. One of my best memories is of slowly gliding along the bank of the Mississippi at sunset, looking at sleepy fishing boats from a double bed, big windows on either side of the full-width cabin, glass of whisky in hand, nothing to do until the destination which is 25 hours away... Great video as usual. Thanks!
One cool thing about brightline is that they're building up to Orlando and plan on building down to downtown Miami and are building new stops to reach their existing line and want to build lines that connect to Tampa and Jacksonville and they also plan on building a brand new line from Las Vegas to LA (with possible future extensions to Salt Lake city, Phoenix, and Denver) and want it connect to the California High-speed railway, so they're a very promising company
Can't wait for the upcoming episodes. Sounds to be far more interesting than just connecting Amtrak routes. I've taken the Crescent and Cardinal routes from Charlotte NC to NYC and back but intend to do the western routes someday soon.
This is well shot for one. I hope you get as many views as possible so trains become more popular. Being from Florida I love the idea of Brightline connecting this state more and reducing our need for vehicles.... but seeing the empty cars just reminds me of how little Floridians use trains.
Love your travel channel. I have been watching other travel channels thinking they were cool but nope, I switched to yours only. Because you are genuine, humble, and your videos have a feel good good vibe energy. You have something that the others don't. What it is, I can not describe. It is that whatever strange thing that transpires if someone is truly genuine. And you HAVE IT. Keep these videos coming they are all awesome!
Its kinda trippy watching this after living in Japan for a few years. A couple examples as to why, first off I went on a trip across the country last year, it was about 1000 km (625 miles) and took around 6 hours. The trains here go at ludicrous speed. Second and more notable though is the timing and delays. I just got back from another trip, and when it was about time to go home I arrived at the station about 75 minutes early. Well I decided I didn't want to waste any more money shopping, so I checked the shinkansen app for earlier departures with open seats. There were 5 options leaving earlier than my original plan, so I rebooked for one 15 minutes from when I opened the app. They just run so many trains here it is insane. Like for perspective, my towns station gets 194 shinkansen from Tokyo every Saturday. That averages to about 1 every 5 minutes during their standard operating times. And that is just 1 line of bullet trains, to say nothing of the other dozens of lines and thousands of local routes. As you can imagine with routing like that they are basically always on time too. I believe I read the average train is something like 11 seconds late in Japan, compared to 45 mins on Amtrack. To top it all off, (as if it wasn't enough already) they decided the route I mentioned wasn't already fast enough at 200 miles in less than 2 hours, so they are adding a maglev route that is set to kick off in 5 years, and will bring that 200 mile route down to 40 minutes. Point being, if you get the chance, you should come check out the trains in Japan, they are wild.
Are there any books to read on the Japanese train system? I want to bring it to America but need a strong argument and good plan. Was wondering if you have read any.
@@naturesfinest2408 Unfortunately no, the issue with living in Japan as an English speaker is I am practically illiterate, so the best I can do is watch youtube videos or experience it in person
since you live in Japan without knowing the language, I'm curious on what type of job you have there since I'm sure it's a lot more restricted on where to work
@@karmapolice9242 I know a passing amount to be fair, but to answer your question I am in the ALT field. Plenty of military folks can get here with no language skill as well, but those 2 fields are the only 2 that it kind of works in.
@@tobin1677 That's fair, I can imagine how hard it would be to go about daily stuff like shopping for food without some knowledge, hope you're enjoying it there I plan on moving there in the future since half of my family live in Sapporo but I have zero knowledge of the language and I'm struggling to learn the basics currently lol
Season two, Yahoo!!! I love these episodes. You are such a joy, Mike. I don’t know where your going next, but I hope you continue to let us come with you, vicarious works too. 🌸
As someone from Florida I wish we had better trains so bad. The fact that you walked into a public train in downtown Miami in the middle of the day and it was pretty much empty says a hell of a lot
I love all the content you post, Mike! But this is a series I'm definitely intrigued by! I've driven through the Whittier tunnel, but riding the rail through it must be something special!
This is a great concept for a RUclips channel and a great way to possibly get more people interested in riding trains again. I recently took a train from Greenville SC to Atlanta GA and was quite surprised at how pleasant and enjoyable it was - the one exception was the lack of available departures and limited schedules. Having lived in the NYC area I'm a big fan of train travel. I'm hoping that we can somehow get back to a somewhat train centric system but the key is private investment and innovation rather than a government system - Amtrak needs to either evolve or go away and be replaced with new solution through the private sector. Private investment and innovation is what originally created the railroad boom around the world and it can do it again. Great channel - I'm now a fan!
@@joeh858 Yes, but in Japan, you have the sukebe who grab your ass and think it's okay. However, I'm guessing they never grab yours. ...and let's also just IGNORE the geographic size difference between the island of Japan and the 48 contiguous US states...and then Alaska, way up northwest.
If you haven’t actually taken the Brightline before but are still impressed just after watching this video… it’s even better than it seems. For instance, the train offers a “premium” ticket option which is essentially first class. This includes a special premium lounge with snacks and free drinks and beverages, AND THEN FREE drinks for the entire ride. About a year ago my gf and I paid $27 each for premium to West Palm Beach. The service, bathrooms, wifi, complimentary Tesla shuttle service, and cleanliness make it almost too good to be true. It’s so damn good that I’m afraid it will eventually become super expensive and/or not be able to maintain the spectacular service and experience.
This whole video is like my DREAM!! I LOVE trains!!!! They’re so cool!!! I just did a trip to Alaska and I wished there was a way to get there by train
My family sorta kinda did a version of this many years ago. All starting out in NYC, I took several Amtrak trains to Portland, OR, then rented a car to drive around the Olympic Peninsula, the most northwest point in the lower 48, while my parents and sister took Amtrak to Orlando on the Auto Train, then drove to the Keys, which is the most southeast point in the lower 48. Very different routes, very different destinations, very different weather. We both had a great time. I also took trains back to NYC, all in sleepers. Best train trip I've ever taken.
I don't how this video got into my recommendations, but after 5 minutes into the video I'm glad I found this channel.I get to see a different view of US other than what shows in movies and Tv shows. Definitely gonna watch the full series now.
Looks like it's going to be a great series! And really looking forward to Brightline expanding service to Orlando. Miami to West Palm Beach is way too short of a trip for those great trains.
The braised beef short ribs was my favorite, with either a brownie or a blondie for desert! I spent my time in the roomette working on my laptop, processing audio for my Internet radio station.
We just did our first amtrack from D.C. to New York $30 so cheaper than gas for car or a plan. Big seats lots of luggage space, food was excellent. So we signed up fornthe Amtrack points program and now are exploring different citys every couple of weekend much cheaper than flying and its a great adventure
I just have to say I really enjoy your traveling videos where you go around USA! This one sounds like an epic adventure to go from Miami to Alaska, definitely on the bucket list for sure! I can imagine you will see so much of the country on a journey like that - so much more than what can be covered in one video! Quite a journey I can imagine, and memories for a lifetime! Keep up the good work!
You got lucky and were riding through Ashland VA on train day in 11:36 , being a student there at Randolph-Macon (the place with the brick buildings) always meant falling asleep to passing trains or hearing them during class. Glad you liked it!
I'm from the Pacific Northwest as well but I haven't done much traveling in my life. I use to take Amtrak from Portland to Seattle every year for Emerald City Comicon & do very much enjoy train travel but it's all stuff I've seen a million times before. Would be amazing seeing the sites across the country like that. I don't drive & I'm afraid of airports, not flying, I'm fine with flying, just airports themselves freak me out so I don't fly unless I'm traveling in a group or with family. With trains, it's easier to understand & you get to see the sites along the way, just it's too expensive.
8:17 My father left my Galaga Arcade Machine in front of that arcade station a few years ago because he was upset with me. I hope whoever got it gave it a good home.
Love these travel videos and this is top notch! Positive, "have fun attitude" is in stark contrast to a few entitled "RUclips Critics" who whine as they take 1st class trips to places most of us can only dream about. The Brightline people know what they're doing! Travel on!
Ya see, I'm from Mississippi and all over the south is that thick light green and brown forested forests, and I got to go up to Washington and B.C. Canada and I loved the dark forests yall have up there. I loved the thin CRISP air! For anyone who hasn't been to the northwest region of the US, I highly recommend it!
The amount of energy and enthusiasm on display here is incredible! This is like professional documentary level quality, on-par if not better than a lot of travel documentaries I've seen on TV. I love how you're continuing to bring attention to America's passenger rail system. I'd love to take a cross-country rail trip sometime. Also, bonus point for the 🍑shot at 12:25 , lol
Living in Pittsburgh, the Amtrak is a nice way of going to NYC. Takes about the same as driving, costs less than gas, and you dont have to worry about parking. Plus the views traveling through PA make me appreciate my state.
would be interested to see you do something like this in the UK. there are a lot more heritage lines and I think you and your viewers would enjoy watching you going from south to north if the UK trying to see as many heritage and interesting bits of railway in the UK. there are also a fair few museums etc along the way.
I’m a bit confused, why did you say the next train to Philadelphia was the next morning, and proceeded to get a hotel when there were other trains in fact on the timetable that went to Phili? (Northeast Regional Train 158 to name one) I am very excited for this series and I can’t wait for more!
Thank you! Came here to just ask about this. Trains run from DC to Philadelphia hourly. Also, you skipped Georgia. By the time you got to Virginia, you would have been in your fifth state, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia. :)
Hey there, from 11:27 to 11:44 you were going through the small town of Ashland, VA (where we live - 3 blocks from the tracks) and you happened to be going through town on Train Day. The well manicured lawns are part of the campus of Randolph Macon College. Train Day is a big thing around here where thousands and thousands visit during this event. Trains are a big thing in Ashland.
Part of me wants to jump and do this, and the other part of me is terrified at the thought of being suck on something for that long. 😂But if you had someone to travel with and planned it out so you could have plenty of time in different locations, it would be absolutely incredible. Such an unique idea. I work from home, and so much of me is wanting to plan a trip like this. Better than driving FOR SURE!
Apparently this travel on the Silver Star was in April 29-30, 2022. The crowd along the tracks after Richmond was Ashland, VA Train Day. Which happens the last Saturday in April.
I live in the greater Seattle area and I didn't even know there was a ferry to Alaska, but now I'm thinking about trying to get some time off to visit Alaska.
Get the Postcards & Artwork from this series 👉🏼 tinyurl.com/dhnpshfk
I love your get to subscribe part. Absolutely the best one I've seen. I hope you get a lot. LOL I WAS ALREADY SUBSCRIBED
How much did everything cost?
The artwork looks great! 🎉
That's the way to travel no one around perfect...
Noway that too long travel from Florida to Alaska step by step to get there in train 🚊 i better fly in airplane ✈️ is more faster.i live in fort myers florida hope someday i visit Alaska in summer.
I really want trains to be more relevant, easier to find, and easier to access. Not even national tracks, just light rails to get around the cities. Bright line has excellent quality, looks like the train I rode from Seoul to Busan in South Korea, and that says a lot. Of course, national railroads arent popular, but light rails can 100% be effective. We need to maximize it
Brightline is way too expensive for such short trips.
Korea is the size of a state. Nationwide railways are possible, but quite the endeavors. Instead of advocating for free healthcare, which is dumb, we should advocate for better infrastructure and public transportation.
Agreed 100%
@@NotJustAnotherAverageJoe Most economists, even conservative economists, estimate that Medicare for All would save us money while increasing healthcare outcomes, not sure why you think it is stupid, but totally agree with you about the need for infrastructure & public transit. I am glad there is something we can agree on though. I am pretty sure investment in infrastructure is fairly bipartisan. I wish our leaders would at least work together to accomplish the things we do agree on. With more public transit and walkable / bikeable cities, obesity would likely plummet, thus ultimately making health care cheaper. One hand washes the other.
@@NotJustAnotherAverageJoe South Korea is barely bigger than the LA metro… which has public transportation. I’d love rail travel, but these comparisons people use are delusional.
Thank you for highlighting Brightline! I want to see them expand their service all over Florida, making it easier for tourists to visit all places.
I'm looking forward to the connections to Orlando and Tampa!!
It'll probably be the reason i visit Florida
This is a great idea!
Yes that would be amazing! I visited Florida without a car and it was such a hassle to get around...
I wish we had this all over the US
As someone who works as a railroad conductor I'm glad to see videos like this, especially seeing the Brightline at the beginning. I'm not from Florida, but hopefully some new and emerging competion will spur improvements in American rail
Hopefully Amtrak loses government funding.
That shit is a fucking scam.
This seriously makes me wish America was more Train reliant and had better services and more tracks
The distance from London to Istanbul (basically all the way across Europe) is about 1800 miles. And it would be _over_ a 2 day journey by rail.
The distance from San Diego to New York (basically all the way across the USA ) is about 2700 miles. It's roughly a 4 day journey on a train.
No one likes these multi day treks on rail, unless it's some specialty trip. Even in the eu. People don't take the train from Riga to Madrid. It's too far.
The reason rail works in Europe is because people don't regularly travel long distances. NY to LA is one of the most popular flights in the USA, and maybe the world. The USA is HUGE. rail just doesn't work well _for moving people._
Despite that, the USA has one of the absolute best rail systems in the world. For cargo. It makes the systems in the eu and Japan quite quaint by comparison.
yes planes will always be an option, but trains would make quality of life so much better. like most people use cars for shorter distances like LA to SF, but if there was actually a fast train for LA to SF, most people would probably be using that because i dont think anyone likes driving for 6-7 hours straight.
@@idkwhattoputhere5503 Sure, but that is one route that would work. And also a line from Phoenix to La with a stop in San Diego. And line from La to Vegas.
They'd have to be high speed to make sense.
But rail doesn't make sense going any farther than that. You can't really build a national network because there is too much distance. There already is a train from San Francisco to Chicago, and it takes like 3 days.
@@herranton yes but the train from chicago to sf is super slow. Also i didn't say trains would replace planes did i? planes would still be much better for LONG distances, but trains are just much morre practical for shorter distances such as SF to LA, LA to phoenix, Portland to Seattle, New York to Philadelphia/Boston (or any northeastern city really), Houston to Dallas/Austin, etc.
@@idkwhattoputhere5503 I think the biggest problem is that you really can't build a national network.
And you can't build high speed rail on the east coast. There are videos on why. But really, it all boils down to being way too expensive.
Back in the day, there was a train from Miami directly to Chicago, going up the coast, through Jacksonville, then Atlanta, Chattanooga, Nashville, and Evansville.
It feels like we regressed
@@BitcoinOnlyCentral my mamma regressed once, she's fucking dead now.
@@BitcoinOnlyCentral sadly true!
I wish there still was.
damn how long ago was that
I have no clue how this ended up in my recommended but I love it! I’ve never been on a train and this looks fantastic, what an incredible way to discover the country.
Welcome aboard!
I'm 40 years old and have never been on a train
I recommend it Charlottesville,VA to St.Slbams,By rail via NYC about 280.+/-
Same
Same! ❤
btightline as a whole looks amazing, really hope they flourish in FL and expand countrywide
same here I just hope the main takeaway is that trains are extrmely viable when there's no conflict from rail ownership instead of further privatization of railroads being what's needed
I live in Miami and overall transportation is getting better for city traveling just not local yet. We don’t even have buses that are that reliable but… it’s getting there only south beach
It’s a service only for Florida. They are going too open stations in Orlando and Tampa.
@Repent and believe in Jesus Christ piss off
Looking at the economics of brightline, it is a money pit. In 10 years, the city/state will have to take care of it, while the investors leave with a pocket full of money.
Gosh Brightline looks amazing. Hope they go big time all across the US if they keep up those standards of quality that the FL line obviously cares about.
As he said, Brightline is a private firm. They acquired a 50 mile corridor from the state of Florida to send a spur into Orlando from the coast. Plans are to build out the line all the way to Tampa. That would also go directly by all the Disney and Universal attractions. That will be a boon to Miami and central Florida, particularly from S. America. Luckily, there is Metrorail from MIA to Government Center. Brightline is in the shadow of that station.
I'm starting this series here and I just wanna say that I hope you enjoyed your trip thru the States, and while I can't speak for everyone, I would always welcome you and hope you would wanna come back and visit us again, because you really brighten everyone's days and your content is very relaxing and fun to watch. I'm a big fan from here on out!
I love it! Thanks very much for the welcome.
“The world can change a lot really quickly” ...”So I’m not waiting around anymore”. I felt this in my soul. I can relate so much. Blessings
"And how trains made this country what it is" thanks for saying trains made America and not highways. It's a shame when state governments and Americans in general treat trains like they're just a socialist thing and something for the poor when it's far from the truth. Towns in the western states literally popped up because of trains. High-speed rail would be a great thing for the US, as the Brightline has shown. People say "oh but the rural people won't use them", but trains have proven to lead to a real estate boom. Germans and the Japanese both initially opposed high-speed rail...and now both systems are praised
Trains also provide environmental advantages and more comfort than a car. Keep in mind cars ruined many locations worldwide
Thank you wise leader! Praise!
Not to be one of those types of people while I do think trains were important I wouldn't dismiss the highway system they were very very important as well unfortunately they went too much with the highway system and forgot how important trains still are. Prior to that there was a lot of dirt roads in America a lot of roads were private it was very hard for people to go across the country so highways serve a purpose and they definitely were and still are very important. But it is sad that trains have lost their value in the United States. The problem is the United States doesn't spend as much on its infrastructure as other countries do we spend very little in comparison and we would probably be leading high speed rail if we were.
Supreme Leader? I didn't know you liked trains!
That’s kind of weird for Kim Jong un to say
As a Floridian, thanks for visiting our state! Our climate can be quite humid and hot at times (which you’ve no doubt seen) but once you see a lot more of the state it’s pretty cool. Tampa is one of my favourite places to go in Florida (mostly because of all the water ports) so I’m glad you saw even a little of it.
Can I just say: the DownieLive team is dialed in! Definitely found myself a few times checking to see if this was RUclips or my television subscription. The editing is top-notch!
I’m so glad to hear that!
Yes!! Been thinking the same thing!!! This could EASILY AND SHOULD BE on The Travel Channel!!
RUclips in general has been better than TV for at least a decade.
@@DownieLive love your videos
Yes, he is more than glib enough to host a TV show.
The floating head has made its return 🤩 what an awesome start to the 🇺🇸 series Mike !
Only 2 dollars? Lol you know I’m kidding.
My Husband and I just watched your Florida to Alaska series. What an adventure!! We are envious of your journeys! Thanks for taking us with you. Your "Vlogging skills and camera "presence" are really wonderful. We watch many UTUBE channels ( don't like much else on TV). Looking forward to viewing more. We will follow you anywhere! Thanks, again!
Brightline is the coolest train station I've ever seen..
Which video continues from this ?
@@HR-ii6ue riding America's oldest railroad Strasburg railway
GO TO JAPAN..THIS IS NOTHING COMPARED..
Go to Italy, for example Milan Centrale
@@pedroe3508 Its the coolest in America, tho. it goes from south Florida to central Florida. Miami to Orlando and Orlando to Tampa. A distance of around 300 miles in total. which is kinda cool progress for a train that was launched only 4 years ago.
Fun fact: Despite how popular of a photo spot it is, that buoy does NOT mark the spot of the southernmost point in the continental US. As there is a spot called Whitehead Spit in the nearby naval air station that is actually more south (on top of Fort Zachary Taylor which is a state park you can visit). But not even Whitehead Spit is the southernmost point! The actual southernmost point in the continental US is, if it's continuously above water, Ballast Key OR if it counts if it's occasionally above water at low tide, the Western Dry Rocks
I love Key West and the fact that Cubans pretty much built the city. The Cuban history in the city is quite rich and it left an impact
You’re right (about the Cubans part) I read about the history of key west and the fleeing/immigrating Cubans.
@@daholyspirit2783 it was built originally as a fish camp by Cuban fisherman while Florida was still a territory and was visited by the same groups of fishermen before that occasionally while Florida was still Spanish.
**********
I work at Ft. Zach. I'm the maintenance guy for cafe Cayo Hueso.
Hey don't forget us Bahamians we helped too, I mean there is whole neighborhood named after us. As well as terms such as Freshwater and Saltwater conch originating from our immigrants. Something I learned quite recently.
Well wishes and a Happy New Year from a Caribbean brother.
I LOVED using the trains in S. Korea I hope that company Brightline takes off and spreads the idea that we need regular modern public transit in the States.
Seeing the land around these trains, the tunnels and cuts created to allow train travel - shows us just how important and significant rail travel was, is, and could be to the future of not just America, but people on all continents.
Yep, welcome to the 19th century, all over again. What's next, telegraph?
@@ChatGPT1111 what next Zeppelin as a mode as transportation
@@ChatGPT1111 Guess you should stop using that car of yours, since that‘s also 19th century technology.
@@bahnspotterEU Yeah except there's still no affordable flying cars for private transportation like when airplanes replaced trains a century ago for public.
There are continents that have insanely great railway system and regular traffic, not just once a day. So it looks like US needs to catch up to those places.
I just came home from Switzerland last weekend. I traveled on trains every single day while I was there. One day I took 7 trains to get to my destination and 6 to get back…
…an amazing trip
Traveling by train in Switzerland is almost magical
@@cwr8618 I agree 100%….my first views of Lake Geneva as we entered Lausanne or traveling through Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen. Every view was more stunning than the one before.
You can only do that in NY and maybe DC lol. In NY, Long Island Railroad (most popular commuter rail in the country), extensive subway system, and Amtrak stations.
As a native Floridian thanks for introducing me to Brightline. I ALWAYS say how Florida should implement more trains to accommodate tourist seasons to get more cars off the road because traffic is getting worse and worse everywhere in the state. And because we have no state income tax, more people are rushing to move here, therefore insurance rates are going up (I’m convinced we have the worst drivers). When it comes to transportation, it’s mayhem down here!!
It's ironic that as you passed through Ashland, VA on the Silver Star, they were having Train Day. The streets are closed to car traffic, and people stroll through the area by the train station, even on the tracks. Volunteers alert people to trains and clear the tracks, the trains limited to 15mph that day. Normal rail speed there is 35mph day, 45 night. Randolph Macon College campus is diagonally across from the station. Ashland is 13 rail minutes north of Richmond.
Ashland's crossing and Webcam are quite entertaining
I remember the original the RF&P trains before CSX
When I was 12 my family went on a cross-country train trip and it’s some of my fondest memories. Thanks mom n dad!
@13:04 you had me until here. Next trail to Philadelphia would have been the 6:00pm NE Regional to NYC (which stops in Philly) or the 7:57 Palmeto, which is probably the train you were on from Florida (they switch from Diesel to electric motive power for the NER, and have a long layover). Want to stay in DC, why not? It's a great City, but why do you have to slander Amtrak in the process.
The NER is the one part of Amtrak with sufficiently frequent service.
Brightline have really created a great name for themselves. A super start to a super adventure.
Yes, Brightline is thanks to our AMAZING Gov. Desantis. Did you see that AMAZING Service? If he becomes President, America can be Amazing beginning in 2024. If not, fine, we'll just keep all the goodness right here.
Hopefully they take off, and we can stop wasting a billion tax dollars on Amtrak annually.
$600.00, one way, Florida to DC.
$2,000.00 for two people one way from Chicago to LA.
Amtrak is the definition of wasteful government spending, and needs to die.
I love Amtrak and wish it could be expanded, but I hope trains more like Brightline start a rail comeback in America. Reminds me of the trains I took in Germany. Almost want to go to Florida solely to try it out!
So glad I stumbled upon your channel. I rarely watch youtube anymore but I check for your videos every week. Awesome job!
OKH LOVE MAMI REGINA MARIA AI GRIJA DE TINE ACOLO .
I was thinking the same thing about the Brightline rail, totally reminds me of trains in Germany / Holland.
Brightline is a private industry operating and profiting on tax paid infrastructure. Yes its nice and new but it's only 1 year old and already shockingly high pedestrian death rate like one a week. $600 for FL to DC is crazy could fly to Europe for that
@@juanvaldez7279 The high death rate is because of morons who ignore rail crossing gates.
@@juanvaldez7279 and trucks driving on tax paid highways and roads isn't the same thing? Amazon definitely doesn't pay it's share in taxes for the amount of trucks they run on the road. The amount of people it hurts or kills is nothing compared to the people cars and trucks kill every single day, and I should mention it's a fucking train what are people doing to get hit by a train it runs on a track in a straight line one way you'd have to jump the road barrier or walk on train tracks like a troglodyte for that to happen
I understand that the bright line was better for the video but for those who might wonder how to get where he got to and are on a budget, it is better to continue in the metro rail system until you reach the tri-rail transfer, there you can take the tri-rail for $2.50 to the station where you take the Amtrak For a lower cost or you can go to the first amtrak station which is close by
If you're on a budget, just take the metro to the airport.
He paid $600.00 for one Amtrak ticket from Florida to DC.
You can fly from Miami straight to Alaska for less than that, and you don't have to take a fucking week off work to get there
Anyone who rides on Amtrak, without a commuter pass is a fucking moron.
Love going down a RUclips rabbit hole and discovering stuff like this. From here in Northern Idaho, thanks for the content, and I will probably be awake all night watching this whole series!
Awesome, thank you!
This was extremely nostalgic for me as when I was in 8th grade, I took a train from Indianapolis to Chicago and then the Amtrak Southwest Chief from Chicago to Los Angeles. We were booked for a roomette but were upgraded to the larger room. The trip was a little over 2 days total and it was so fun. It’s been 5 years since and I’ve loved trains ever since then. I’ll definitely consider train trips again when i’m in college! :)
I think you are a genius to make such a video because this is not seen too much on RUclips you came up with something original
Can’t wait for brightline to go from Miami to Orlando in less than 4 hours!
That same distance takes 2 hours in europe lol
@@IISSAACC wow! That’s amazing engineering!! We just aren’t as advance :( I hope at least in my lifetime I’ll see that happen.
@@IISSAACC Not everywhere, in romania that distance takes 13 hours by train
It's really nice to see some movement in the US to change from cars to trains. Personally, I just so much prefer to take a train than drive.
In car it’s 3 and half hours man wouldn’t a train take significantly less
I love long distance train rides, I take the train from New Orleans to Philly at least once a year, a nice like 27+ hour trip. Fantastic video series!
504 baby!!!
You genuinely have the passion to make quality videos that appeal to rail enthusiasts rather than 5 year olds, which is what I can tell your content aimed at.
Brightline is actually such an awesome train. Also, if you wanted to, I think you could’ve taken the metro to the tri-rail transfer and walked to the miami Amtrak station from there. Or you could’ve taken brightline to west palm beach and got on the Amtrak then
Amtrak is complete shit.
@@samthai818 agreed. Although it did save a lot of people evacuating Miami because of hurricane Irma. While AA was price gouging, Amtrak’s prices remained reasonable
As an American that dreams of train travel that’s efficient. Can’t wait to see all of this series! Awesome videos
I absolutely love travel by train. It's a shame we don't have more access to cross country type travel other than Amtrak and it gets more limited the further west you travel.
It's a shame Amtrak exists at all.
That shit is a scam.
Mike, you made such a good call to get a roomette for the Silver Star. I did that one in Coach from Fort Lauderdale to DC and it was certainly memorable 😏. The viewliners are a very different experience to the superliners, the Cardinal is my favorite Viewliner. I really hope you tried the blondie in addition to the brownie. 😁 Looking forward to watching this entire season!
Mike - Unfortunately, CSX doesn't maintain the tracks and rails very well and don't count on getting to your destination on time as you will be greatly slowed or stopped because of heat effects on the rails while CSX freight trains get priority over passenger trains. Best of luck getting there this year to Alaska.
It's just one overnight from Fort Lauderdale to DC. Was it really worth paying 6x the cost for one night in a bed and a micromeal in the dining car? I doubt it. Also, the Viewliners are always a nicer experience than taking those awful Superliners.
You're one of my favourite vlogger because the way you explore city by train and showing the natural beauty of the countryside is the best part of your video. Love this video brother🖤
I rode Amtrak from Tucson, AZ to Lake Charles, LA as a teen! It took almost 3 days and it was fun! I met so many people, chatted with commuters, met some Mennonites, and ate a lot of delicious food from vendors along the stops. My mom was terrified of flying so we took the train instead. We had my baby sister with us and it was hard with her being fussy, but as a teenager I personally loved it. I remember sneaking into the observation car at night and talking on the phone with my boyfriend and we exchanged our first "I love yous" ❤ now we are expecting our fourth baby and about to celebrate 10 years of marriage! Wow what a lovely reminder. I'll never forget that trip!
I'm so happy that I found this series late so that I can binge them
Me too😂
Ok so I am a viewer from Great Britain. I am turning 30 next year and (as Micheal said) if the last couple of years has taught us anything we need to make the most of our time. I am seriously considering doing The Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver in the spring. This video is straight up inspiring me. Cheers Downie. Also Will is great.
All of that is vain! Your ultimate Duty in this life or time/space is to walk the path of righteousness and lead people unto Christ!
That's the ONLY thing that matter... Everything else is aesthetic!
I would encourage you to take an cross-continent adventure if you can swing it. I'm not sure which trip would be more grueling, though - Toronto to Vancouver or New York to California...
I like everything about this video, series and content creator. He speaks so awesomely direct, like someone who understands we are all here for his opinion on everything he's showing us. Bro might just be the perfect combo of funny, easy to watch and informative. I did not expect in any of my thirty four years here to say my celebrity crush is DownieLive but here we are. I recently discovered this channel and am pretty geeked to watch more. 55/5 stars if you ask me, even though no one did
It’s a Saturday and our friendly neighbourhood adventurous Canadian gentleman will take us on a fun journey. I’ve been looking forward to the Cross-Country American Voyage since you mentioned it in your Stories.
Wow, Mike! Another home run! Incredibly professional and interesting. Can’t wait for the next trip.
I love Amtrak. The double rooms are insane. One of my best memories is of slowly gliding along the bank of the Mississippi at sunset, looking at sleepy fishing boats from a double bed, big windows on either side of the full-width cabin, glass of whisky in hand, nothing to do until the destination which is 25 hours away...
Great video as usual. Thanks!
One cool thing about brightline is that they're building up to Orlando and plan on building down to downtown Miami and are building new stops to reach their existing line and want to build lines that connect to Tampa and Jacksonville and they also plan on building a brand new line from Las Vegas to LA (with possible future extensions to Salt Lake city, Phoenix, and Denver) and want it connect to the California High-speed railway, so they're a very promising company
Man i REALLY hope they extend to Jacksonville! Link up all major cities in FL
@@Lyerbait13 except tallahassee where I used to live ☹
Can't wait for the upcoming episodes. Sounds to be far more interesting than just connecting Amtrak routes. I've taken the Crescent and Cardinal routes from Charlotte NC to NYC and back but intend to do the western routes someday soon.
This is well shot for one. I hope you get as many views as possible so trains become more popular. Being from Florida I love the idea of Brightline connecting this state more and reducing our need for vehicles.... but seeing the empty cars just reminds me of how little Floridians use trains.
I cannot thank you enough for taking us along these adventures.
More to come!
This is brilliant! Trains win, we win, and you win! Now we are thinking about a train trip. Good work young fella!
Love your travel channel. I have been watching other travel channels thinking they were cool but nope, I switched to yours only. Because you are genuine, humble, and your videos have a feel good good vibe energy. You have something that the others don't. What it is, I can not describe. It is that whatever strange thing that transpires if someone is truly genuine. And you HAVE IT. Keep these videos coming they are all awesome!
Its kinda trippy watching this after living in Japan for a few years. A couple examples as to why, first off I went on a trip across the country last year, it was about 1000 km (625 miles) and took around 6 hours. The trains here go at ludicrous speed. Second and more notable though is the timing and delays. I just got back from another trip, and when it was about time to go home I arrived at the station about 75 minutes early. Well I decided I didn't want to waste any more money shopping, so I checked the shinkansen app for earlier departures with open seats. There were 5 options leaving earlier than my original plan, so I rebooked for one 15 minutes from when I opened the app. They just run so many trains here it is insane. Like for perspective, my towns station gets 194 shinkansen from Tokyo every Saturday. That averages to about 1 every 5 minutes during their standard operating times. And that is just 1 line of bullet trains, to say nothing of the other dozens of lines and thousands of local routes. As you can imagine with routing like that they are basically always on time too. I believe I read the average train is something like 11 seconds late in Japan, compared to 45 mins on Amtrack. To top it all off, (as if it wasn't enough already) they decided the route I mentioned wasn't already fast enough at 200 miles in less than 2 hours, so they are adding a maglev route that is set to kick off in 5 years, and will bring that 200 mile route down to 40 minutes. Point being, if you get the chance, you should come check out the trains in Japan, they are wild.
Are there any books to read on the Japanese train system? I want to bring it to America but need a strong argument and good plan. Was wondering if you have read any.
@@naturesfinest2408 Unfortunately no, the issue with living in Japan as an English speaker is I am practically illiterate, so the best I can do is watch youtube videos or experience it in person
since you live in Japan without knowing the language, I'm curious on what type of job you have there since I'm sure it's a lot more restricted on where to work
@@karmapolice9242 I know a passing amount to be fair, but to answer your question I am in the ALT field. Plenty of military folks can get here with no language skill as well, but those 2 fields are the only 2 that it kind of works in.
@@tobin1677 That's fair, I can imagine how hard it would be to go about daily stuff like shopping for food without some knowledge, hope you're enjoying it there I plan on moving there in the future since half of my family live in Sapporo but I have zero knowledge of the language and I'm struggling to learn the basics currently lol
Season two, Yahoo!!! I love these episodes. You are such a joy, Mike. I don’t know where your going next, but I hope you continue to let us come with you, vicarious works too. 🌸
wooo hooo!
As someone from Florida I wish we had better trains so bad. The fact that you walked into a public train in downtown Miami in the middle of the day and it was pretty much empty says a hell of a lot
This is so epic! We'd love to visit Alaska one day. A train is the only form of transport that we have not stayed overnight in yet! Great video.
I love all the content you post, Mike! But this is a series I'm definitely intrigued by!
I've driven through the Whittier tunnel, but riding the rail through it must be something special!
This is a great concept for a RUclips channel and a great way to possibly get more people interested in riding trains again. I recently took a train from Greenville SC to Atlanta GA and was quite surprised at how pleasant and enjoyable it was - the one exception was the lack of available departures and limited schedules. Having lived in the NYC area I'm a big fan of train travel. I'm hoping that we can somehow get back to a somewhat train centric system but the key is private investment and innovation rather than a government system - Amtrak needs to either evolve or go away and be replaced with new solution through the private sector. Private investment and innovation is what originally created the railroad boom around the world and it can do it again. Great channel - I'm now a fan!
I’m looking forward to every episode. Glad to see Will in upcoming episodes. Always entertaining.
The immediate contrast of Brightline (private company) and Amtrak (government) is stark.
The private train cars are much newer than Amtrack. You can't really compare.
Proof that ancap wins.
@@arfriedman4577 Yes, you can compare. Go look at trains in Japan. They are nicer than the Brightline cars despite being 3 decades older.
@@joeh858 Yes, but in Japan, you have the sukebe who grab your ass and think it's okay. However, I'm guessing they never grab yours.
...and let's also just IGNORE the geographic size difference between the island of Japan and the 48 contiguous US states...and then Alaska, way up northwest.
@@arfriedman4577 sure you can. Mention one government service that is ran effectively and within their budget. No such thing ..
If you haven’t actually taken the Brightline before but are still impressed just after watching this video… it’s even better than it seems.
For instance, the train offers a “premium” ticket option which is essentially first class. This includes a special premium lounge with snacks and free drinks and beverages, AND THEN FREE drinks for the entire ride. About a year ago my gf and I paid $27 each for premium to West Palm Beach. The service, bathrooms, wifi, complimentary Tesla shuttle service, and cleanliness make it almost too good to be true.
It’s so damn good that I’m afraid it will eventually become super expensive and/or not be able to maintain the spectacular service and experience.
This whole video is like my DREAM!! I LOVE trains!!!! They’re so cool!!! I just did a trip to Alaska and I wished there was a way to get there by train
I know they're so awesome
Wow only 16 minutes from Miami to Alaska ,the world really has evolved.
🤣🤣
Lol
My family sorta kinda did a version of this many years ago. All starting out in NYC, I took several Amtrak trains to Portland, OR, then rented a car to drive around the Olympic Peninsula, the most northwest point in the lower 48, while my parents and sister took Amtrak to Orlando on the Auto Train, then drove to the Keys, which is the most southeast point in the lower 48. Very different routes, very different destinations, very different weather. We both had a great time. I also took trains back to NYC, all in sleepers. Best train trip I've ever taken.
Let’s go Mike! Showing off the great things in America. Love the Brightline too!
THIS IS SOOOOOO COOOOOOLLLL!!!!!!!! Side note : Do you remember by chance a commercial that started with "Lots & lots of trains"
Was that the planes, trains and automobiles thing?
I don't how this video got into my recommendations, but after 5 minutes into the video I'm glad I found this channel.I get to see a different view of US other than what shows in movies and Tv shows.
Definitely gonna watch the full series now.
Awesome. Can’t wait for the rest of the episodes. My kids and I love them!
Looks like it's going to be a great series! And really looking forward to Brightline expanding service to Orlando. Miami to West Palm Beach is way too short of a trip for those great trains.
The braised beef short ribs was my favorite, with either a brownie or a blondie for desert! I spent my time in the roomette working on my laptop, processing audio for my Internet radio station.
I wish they would build tracks all the way to Alaska.
As someone that works for the railroad this is my dream. Me and my dad want to do this after I retire
We just did our first amtrack from D.C. to New York $30 so cheaper than gas for car or a plan. Big seats lots of luggage space, food was excellent. So we signed up fornthe Amtrack points program and now are exploring different citys every couple of weekend much cheaper than flying and its a great adventure
Brightline needs to expand throughout more of the US.
10:07 why is he moving so fast through the halls even though he’s just casually walking 🤣
a wide angle lens makes it feel like you are moving faster
I just have to say I really enjoy your traveling videos where you go around USA! This one sounds like an epic adventure to go from Miami to Alaska, definitely on the bucket list for sure! I can imagine you will see so much of the country on a journey like that - so much more than what can be covered in one video! Quite a journey I can imagine, and memories for a lifetime! Keep up the good work!
Being from Miami I’m yelling out Tri-Rail through the screen 😂
and I'm yelling out he didn't get from southern point in keys to amtrack station in ft lauderdale in 1 morning arrive an hour before noon, lol, nope
Wow! Great show! Can’t wait to see the future episodes. I know they will be good.
You got lucky and were riding through Ashland VA on train day in 11:36 , being a student there at Randolph-Macon (the place with the brick buildings) always meant falling asleep to passing trains or hearing them during class. Glad you liked it!
This is a great way to utilize a 30 day rail pass. However the room upgrades could cost you a bit
I'm from the Pacific Northwest as well but I haven't done much traveling in my life. I use to take Amtrak from Portland to Seattle every year for Emerald City Comicon & do very much enjoy train travel but it's all stuff I've seen a million times before. Would be amazing seeing the sites across the country like that. I don't drive & I'm afraid of airports, not flying, I'm fine with flying, just airports themselves freak me out so I don't fly unless I'm traveling in a group or with family. With trains, it's easier to understand & you get to see the sites along the way, just it's too expensive.
8:17 My father left my Galaga Arcade Machine in front of that arcade station a few years ago because he was upset with me. I hope whoever got it gave it a good home.
We have those same sweet street brownies on the amtrak at the hospital here also
Love these travel videos and this is top notch! Positive, "have fun attitude" is in stark contrast to a few entitled "RUclips Critics" who whine as they take 1st class trips to places most of us can only dream about. The Brightline people know what they're doing! Travel on!
Great work Mike!! I'm looking forward to watching "Downie Live Travels by Train America". This is another one you're going to hit out of the park!
Ya see, I'm from Mississippi and all over the south is that thick light green and brown forested forests, and I got to go up to Washington and B.C. Canada and I loved the dark forests yall have up there. I loved the thin CRISP air! For anyone who hasn't been to the northwest region of the US, I highly recommend it!
The amount of energy and enthusiasm on display here is incredible! This is like professional documentary level quality, on-par if not better than a lot of travel documentaries I've seen on TV. I love how you're continuing to bring attention to America's passenger rail system. I'd love to take a cross-country rail trip sometime.
Also, bonus point for the 🍑shot at 12:25 , lol
Yeah holy fuck that is a booty!
I’ve rode amtrack and brightline it’s really nice with brightline I hope they expand soon
Living in Pittsburgh, the Amtrak is a nice way of going to NYC. Takes about the same as driving, costs less than gas, and you dont have to worry about parking. Plus the views traveling through PA make me appreciate my state.
would be interested to see you do something like this in the UK. there are a lot more heritage lines and I think you and your viewers would enjoy watching you going from south to north if the UK trying to see as many heritage and interesting bits of railway in the UK. there are also a fair few museums etc along the way.
Just when you think DownieLive has done something bigger and set a benchmark, he hits a new record and raises the benchmark in next video 😎👌
;)
This channel is the best anti-depressive medicine ever!
This is fun watching you ride the trains, I can’t travel anymore but you make it seem like I’m on the train too, thanks! BTW I subscribed:)
I’m a bit confused, why did you say the next train to Philadelphia was the next morning, and proceeded to get a hotel when there were other trains in fact on the timetable that went to Phili? (Northeast Regional Train 158 to name one)
I am very excited for this series and I can’t wait for more!
And the train he was on would've continued to Philadelphia...
Thank you! Came here to just ask about this. Trains run from DC to Philadelphia hourly. Also, you skipped Georgia. By the time you got to Virginia, you would have been in your fifth state, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia. :)
Hey there, from 11:27 to 11:44 you were going through the small town of Ashland, VA (where we live - 3 blocks from the tracks) and you happened to be going through town on Train Day. The well manicured lawns are part of the campus of Randolph Macon College. Train Day is a big thing around here where thousands and thousands visit during this event. Trains are a big thing in Ashland.
Part of me wants to jump and do this, and the other part of me is terrified at the thought of being suck on something for that long. 😂But if you had someone to travel with and planned it out so you could have plenty of time in different locations, it would be absolutely incredible. Such an unique idea. I work from home, and so much of me is wanting to plan a trip like this. Better than driving FOR SURE!
This is amazing. I didn't know there are trains still in USA.
Yep. Amtrak is the most well-known train service here.
Is this a joke? 🙄
America invented trains
@@chulopapi812 We didn't though, Britain did. We built a lot of them in the 19th century, but we didn't invent them.
@@chulopapi812 no we didn’t lmfao
Apparently this travel on the Silver Star was in April 29-30, 2022. The crowd along the tracks after Richmond was Ashland, VA Train Day. Which happens the last Saturday in April.
Quote of the Day: “There’s something so peaceful about getting on a train in the rain.”
"Downies like Brownies!" :D Does that mean, no brownies for Downies make frownies? :D LOL
I live in the greater Seattle area and I didn't even know there was a ferry to Alaska, but now I'm thinking about trying to get some time off to visit Alaska.