Great Alaskan Railroad Journeys
Great Alaskan Railroad Journeys is a BBC documentary series presented by Michael Portillo, traveling across Alaska guided by his 1899 Appleton's Guide-Book to Alaska. Michael Portillo heads for the Last Frontier of the United States armed with his 1899 Appleton's Guide-Book to Alaska. Written by an intrepid 19th-century female explorer, the book points Michael to sublime scenery in the 49th state and fresh insight into the newly explored lives and customs of its inhabitants.
| Episode 1 - Ninilchik to Spencer Whistlestop |
Episode 1 - Ninilchik to Spencer Whistlestop
Beginning his journey amid the snow-capped mountains and ice-cold inlets of the Kenai Peninsula, Michael finds the golden onion domes of a Russian Orthodox church along with traditional Russian food and costume and discovers that, 150 years ago, Alaska was a Russian colony.
Episode 2 - Anchorage to Wasilla
Steered by his Appleton's Guidebook to Alaska, Michael Portillo is in Anchorage preparing to join the US Arctic Warriors for parachute training at joint forces base Elmendorf-Richardson.
Episode 3 - Talkeetna to Denali
Armed with his 1899 Appleton's Guidebook to Alaska, Michael Portillo rides the Alaska Railroad north to explore the remote former gold rush settlement of Talkeetna.
Episode 4 - Fairbanks to Juneau
Clutching his 1899 Appleton's Guidebook to Alaska, Michael Portillo reaches the State's remote interior and the end of the Alaska Railroad. Less than 200 miles from the Arctic Circle, at Fairbanks, he discovers how gold prospectors liberated the precious metal from the soil.
Episode 5 - Skagway to Carcross
Michael Portillo embarks on a second spectacular rail journey through Alaska to Canada, the White Pass and Yukon railway, ending in the Canadian town of Carcross. Arriving in Skagway by seaplane from railwayless Juneau, Michael heads first for Dyea and the Chilkoot trail.
| Related Links |
| Alaska: Earth's Frozen Kingdom This is a three-part BBC documentary series that looks at a year in Alaska, revealing the stories of pioneering Alaskans, both animal and human, as they battle the elements and reap the benefits of nature's seasonal gold rush. |
| Great American Railroad Journeys This is a BBC travel documentary series presented by Michael Portillo, traveling across the United States by train with the help of Appleton's Guidebook to the railroads of the United States and Canada, published in 1879. |
| Great Canadian Railway Journeys This is a BBC documentary series presented by Michael Portillo, traveling across Canada guided by his 1899 Appleton's Guide to Canada. |
