As a locomotive driver I cannot help but thank you from the bottom of my heart for showing the world how wonderful a journey by train is. And I just love how you include friends and family in your videos. So... Thank you!
Really that's so cool I just commented that I think it has to be one of the coolest jobs driving one of these long trains I didn't even know their was steal passenger trains. If I was rich I would open some stacks for passengers throw mt and the naboring states
Residents of Normal IL are called Normalites. Normal IL is home to Illinois State University, and the State Farm insurance headquarters is in Normal’s larger “twin city” Bloomington IL. Illinois State was originally a college solely for teaching future teachers, those types of colleges were called “normal” schools. The university came first, and the town that developed around it called itself Normal for this reason. I have great memories taking the Amtrak train to and from Illinois State and the Chicagoland area. So relaxing, full of beautiful country. Happy to see you gave Normal and central IL a shout-out!
This one made me cry. I miss my dad a lot. He was my frequent travel buddy, and he would have loved this trip, and he would have loved your series. Never stop traveling with your dad.
Aww. Much love to you. I watched this and couldn't help but smile and feel sad as well. My dad passed away when I was 14 so I didn't get to spend much time with him. Watching the bond right here with Downie and his dad makes me wonder what could have been for my dad and I as well. So it's great to see others get the privilege to do this.
Me and my old man cant travel, we're awful passengers with eachother driving and the uk transport systems just naff! We do make sure we go camping each year though, nothing beats being sat out middle of summer up a welsh mountain with a camp fire with the sun setting over the mountains, kids asleep just waffling absolute crap and winding our partners up until the early hours! only gets better when the inevitable karen complains & my dad (hes 60 btw) recruits other like minded campers to have a "sing song" around the fire just to annoy them 🤣
When your dad picked up that showerhead and said "Hello?", I both laughed and cried. That is exactly something my dad would do, in the way he did it. I miss him so much. These moments with your dad will be ones that you cherish for the rest of your life. Savor it. (Looks like you are 😊👍🏼) ❤️
Sending you love. All of our dads seem very similar. This makes me want to plan something with my dad while the option is still there. Maybe not a train like this, but something else special. This train ride is not something up my dad's alley, but he would enjoy bonding time in general.
Yes, this really made me think about my dad who passed away in 2016. Same sense of humor too!😁. I used to take mostly road trips with my dad on vacations, but we did do a train trip from Tampa to Washington DC, me and my dad and my nephew. We had a fun time!
I have to say, as someone with many hours on Amtrak I really do appreciate the completely, occasionally brutally so, honest reviews of Amtrak. They’re not perfect and have small quality problems here and there, but by god they’re *trying.* They do a real good job at what they do and it never fails to get a smile out of me
I'm 61 and lost my father 4 years ago. Take advantage of having parents as long as you can. Never know when it's going to end. Another great video. Really make me miss my dad.
@@nonnisusu3968 There are a lot of episodes that include the rest of his family. You just have to explore his channel a bit and give him more views of his older videos. Then when new videos appear that include them you'll know why we all love the Downies so much.
I couldn’t love your dad any more! I get so excited when he’s in your videos! I’m currently visiting all 50 states with my parents, they are the best travel companions!
Your dad is the sweetest / cutest man ever. Love that you took this trip with your dad, amazing memories are the best. I really want to do this with my mom now.
As a Texan, I loved this episode. :) It was nice to see you and your Dad's reactions to the heat, the riverwalk, the scenery etc. Glad you were able to see our big state.😀
I have fallen in love with your Dad!!🥰 What a trooper!! My dream has always been to take every train in the US and Canada, and you have given me a little part of that dream. Thank you!!
I felt a bit emotional during this one. It’s truly special to see a father like yours, who is so kind and fun. My family were not good people, and I forget sometimes that what you have is what it always should be like. Thank you.
You know this already, but your dad is awesome. I wish I had had opportunities like this when my dad was still around. Soak it in, Mike, for one day it will be over, and you'll have fond memories for the rest of your life.
You should do both!! I haven't done cross country but I've gone from New Orleans to Chicago and from there to NYC and I enjoyed it. I have yet to do the Rocky Mountaineer but it's on my bucket list
I did the California Zephyr from Denver to San Francisco this year in April. It was an amazing trip I did it with my mom. We stayed in 2 seprate roomettes, and I wouldn't do it on anything less then a Roomette. You get the free meals, shower access, and 3 bathrooms that only ur sleeper car can use.
A little bit of emotional rollercoaster, happiness, scenery, great mood, great views, detailed explanations. This video is soo good. Congratulations Downie, well done
I traveled by train with my father in Vietnam once and even that it was not a luxury experience by any mean or form, It is something we still talk about often, and makes me smile every time I remember it.
Savor these moments. I lost my father earlier this year, and it's times like you spent with him in this video that will live on after he's gone. You're a wise man Downie.
That must be hard, my father was never in the picture but my sister's dad died last halloween and it has been hard for our family. If anything he acted like my father and I should've appreciated it more. I'm sorry for your loss.
WIsh I had more of these moments before my dad passed. Please enjoy and cherish every one of these moments as your last. You never really think about your parents being gone, until, they are gone. It has been almost 10 years and now I am preparing myself for mom to be gone sometime in the near future. Thank you for doing these and thank you for the moments we get to see with you and your dad and mom.
In 2003 I travelled from Springfield to SF via that train. My son was 8 yrs old and a little frightened of roaming too far at stops worrying about missing the train. In St. Louis we had 2 hours, and he was reluctant to go explore the area. An old gentleman sitting behind us introduced himself. He was the President of the Railroad Historical Society. He reassured my son, then took us on a behind the scenes tour of Union Station, showing us behind the scenes and the second floor 1/8th scale display trains he built. Awesome trip with incredible cool happenings for us. Thanks for this video!
I’m envious not only of the lifestyle/travels you get to live and enjoy, but of the relationship you have and time you get to share with your dad. Not everyone is that lucky. Cherish it!
Normally, Mike, your videos leave me with a smile. Today, I was crying at the end. I miss my father so much. He's been gone five years now and I have just barely leaned to bear the loss. The happy time with your dad brought back with full force how big a hole his death left in my life. He was a train buff, with an amazing model RR in his garage (it even went across the garage door, which could still rise up and let the cars in by a special disconnect system he created), and his real life train adventures. When he visited Promontory Summit where the Golden Spike was driven in, his buddies from the train club told the managers there he was the President of California's Golden State Railroad Club. That was true, but it only had five members and they were all with him. Still, because of his "prominence," the park people let him drive the train for a bit. He favorite train was the Skunk Train in Fort Bragg, one you should consider (the steam train there reminds me of the Hogwarts Express (www.skunktrain.com/days-of-steam/ )). I've ridden with him four or five times and he's ridden at least 100. My favorite times were just sitting in the door of the garage in these two big, green LazyBoy recliners he had there, watch the world go by, and just talk. This is in Sacramento, so this was almost always AFTER the sun goes down. You think Texas was hot, pshaw, that's sweater weather to us Sacramentans. He'd done so many things in his life and he was a great, loving, wonderful father. Please, do enjoy all the time you can with your mom and your dad while you can. Each second is precious. Thank you for one more train ride with my dad would have felt like. Based on the name of the local paper, The Normalite, (see: www.normalite.com), I believe there are called Normalites. The collective noun for a group of Normalites is Normals.
We did this as kids with my mom and I still talk about it. She didn’t have to drive and just got to sit there and read the whole time. She didn’t have to keep an eye on us because there wasn’t really anywhere we could go so we spent the entire trip playing with other kids we found on the train. Amtrak had employees in the observation car at times running games and trivia and giving guided tours of some of the areas we passed through. I’m in my 40s and still talk about that trip. It was relaxing for my mom and really fun for two kids that weren’t old enough to normally get to roam around on their own unsupervised. Way better than flying if you have the time. Next to a road trip the train is the most fun/ least stressful way to travel the United States.
My Dad passed away 40 years ago in 1984 from Cancer. What I wouldn't give to spend four days on train trup with him. Even if it was through Texas. This route you took was similar to Route 66. Chicago to LA. Cherish the time you have together with your parents. It can end so quickly. Thank You.
Papa Downie you are literally optimism personified! I was literally sitting here bawling when you were thanking Mike for the adventure. You two are such a joy to watch. Thank you for bringing us along
Thank you for sharing your train trip. I smile watching you with your dad🥹, he is so cute. My dad passed in 2004 at 89 years young. I love him more and miss him everyday. He would have loved this! God bless you, your dad and your family with all the happiness your hearts can hold ❤️
Trust me, spending a few days on the Texas Eagle isn't torture. I'd much rather be on the train than on the longest Greyhound route from Los Angeles to NYC, now THAT is the transport equivalent of Guantanamo Bay. And your dad ain't wrong about the Gateway Arch, it's truly an engineering marvel. Designed by Eero Saarinen, who also designed Washington Dulles International and the TWA Flight Center at New York's JFK (now part of the TWA Hotel). Not only is the Arch's design cool, but also the tram inside. A guy (let's call him by his cool surname Bowser) developed with his father elevator equipment that could travel horizontally, diagonally, and normal vertical. By chance, he was in the same room as the Arch's architect and was given two weeks to design and present in front of the team. He knew a normal system wouldn't do, so for the Arch he combined elevator and Ferris wheel elements to create a unique system where a tram of eight elevator pods that by rotating, allows the visitors inside to remain leveled the entire way
Beautiful write-up Avery! Did you actually ride Greyhound from NYC to LA? If so, my idea to take Greyhound to Laredo is probably a bad idea? I love the beautiful trains of Europe and the beautiful trains of Canada that DownieLive has shown us. Every time I've ridden an Amtrak train I marvel at what non-true life forms the owners are, to offer such low class unhealthy, horrible tasting food for extra high prices & uncomfortable seating and accommodations. The owners are below the meaning of "useless eaters". They are comparable to a disease that would destroy all life everywhere, including their own & their low class oligarch friends who do not practise The Golden Rule, if not dispatched with extreme prejudice. Also, the Greyhound busses I've ridden on in the US a long time ago, all had such very uncomfortable seats, your body would be hurting on a long bus ride. It's like the owner's of both, are horrible monsters like the pure evil emperor In Star Wars, always striving to torture as many people as possible. In contrast, the B class, most inexpensive bus lines similar idea to Greyhound in Mexico, but way, way, way, WAY cheaper, that I took from Mexico City to Nogales, are much, much, MUCH nicer and way more comfortable than Greyhound busses, with much more comfortably designed seats (I think they were all Mercedes busses), with thicker, firm memory foam padding on seats designed with much better posture (Mercedes) and had TV's every other seat playing good movies in English with Spanish subtitles. And at every stop, local makers of delicious Mexican sandwiches for about 2 pesos each, would come on the bus selling to anyone who wanted some. You didn't even have to get off the bus. They kept you stocked up via local sweet-hearts all along the way. There's a lot of caring, loving people in Mexico making sure people can afford to eat and live and be comfortable (at very very low prices which is all they can afford, so the things necessary for life are available at very very low prices, but high quality).
I once took a bus from Springfield MA to Madison WI. 27 hours! I was going out there to buy a car and drive it back. It was an epic adventure for a then 19 year old but I would never do it again. 🤣
My grandmother made this journey with my two cousins and me when we were just kids. My "Nannie" was quite a trooper to make such a long journey with three girls under the age of ten, but I see now that she wanted to spend time with us and leave us with memories that would last a lifetime. Michael, I'm so glad you're able to travel with your dad. Happy trails to you and here's to many more wonderful train trips with your family and friends.
The COOLEST part about this video is that you spent time with your dad. Many of us don't have or did not take the opportunity to do so. Whether it was on a train, plane, automobile or boat...the time spent with him will create so many memories to be cherished forever. Congrats to you! And now it's your mom's turn. Can't wait for the release.
@@DownieLive Mike! Don't eat the veggie burgers! The veggie burgers from the major suppliers to all restaurants & McDonald's, etc., are made from GMO plants! I researched it as soon as they came out!
Loving this series! Have to admit, although my Dad has been gone for 12 years now, this trip with your father really made me miss him. Hold these moments tightly! Thanks for the adventures! 💜
Mike, your writing has seriously levelled up. The way you tie in the voice over with the live comments and then again with the teaser for next week. Respect!!🇨🇦
I have no interest in trains, but I haven’t been able to stop watching this because I really appreciate you, your family, your friends and your dad, such a beautiful and wholesome video.
With four days in a train you'd better pick the right travelling companion, and your dad seems to have the right easy and positive attitude . I hope Amtrack gave you advance notice about the lack of a real dining car and observation car in advance and that it wasn't a rude surprise. Nice scenery and next week sounds special.
Love this video Mike. So great that you spent the time with your Dad. Obviously, he taught you well by example. Look forward to next one with your mom.
As someone with both parents deceased… this was so heartwarming and heart wrenching for me. I never knew my dad but I miss my mom so much and this would’ve been something we would’ve done and loved!. Thank you for an amazing video!.
The first video in this series was recommended to me (thanks, youtube!) and I've binged all episodes in one go. You're great and your adventure is awesome!
I’m I so envious but extremely happy for you that you and your dad are taking this trip together, Dad’s 85 now and putting up a good fight with bone cancer so won’t be making trips no more. It’s cool we got to see Cesar again and growing up in a Pontiac family I knew I like you. Enjoy and please keep bringing us along, loving your videos enough that I will definitely be planning on a train ride across America and or Canada 🙋🏻♂️
It is very appropriate that this video was released today, Father's Day in Australia. Lovely to be travelling with your dad again, he is such a charming man.....and Im looking forward very much to next week's video with your mum.
I was waiting for this one! And while you went with your father, i took this exact trip from Chicago to El Paso to go see my father while I was on leave. We were both in the Army at the same time, he has since retired. I took a flight from North Carolina up to Chicago, then took the Train to El Paso before getting a flight back. Fantastic Episode, your fathers smile says it all.
There is no value higher than siezing these moments in “the living years.” Some of my most treasured moments are the train trips with my Dad from Portland, OR to Pasco, WA and back on the former SP&S main; or, on a 7” gauge live steamer train in Molalla, OR; or, the Coast Starlight to Sacramento, CA. There wasn’t any train he wouldn’t take, no matter where it was going. As a long-retired UP dispatcher, he couldn’t resist arranging meets or issuing track warrants, even if it was CTC. All this to say…. You guys are doin’ it right. Savor it. At 99, Dad left us in June, but we will always ride ride the trains, in his honor, no matter where they are going.
The city I live in has an area called Halfway. "Where do you live?" "Halfway" "Huh?! To where?" It also confuses people to see a bus with a destination sign which reads Halfway.
So that tower you saw in Dallas is called the Reunion Tower. It's been around since February 1978 and opened alongside the Hyatt Regency. It was part of an urban redevelopment plan that also renovated the station that you stopped at! Wolfgang Puck used to have a revolving restaurant there that opened in 2009, it closed permanently in April 2020 due to the pandemic
As someone who absolutely loves road & train travel, I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Sadly, since I became wheelchair-bound, I haven't really gone anywhere.
If your dad is up for any trip, might I suggest a network of three unique scenic railroads in mountains of West Virginia. All three have the same type of vibe as Strasburg, but with completely different characteristics. The Cass Scenic Railroad, in particular, is truly one of a kind. It was an old logging railroad that went up grades that are too steep for traditional locomotives. You need special Shay, Climax, and Heisler locomotives to tackle the grades. You can ride a train to the second highest peak in the state! Most of all, this is probably the most peaceful place on earth because, by law, there are no cell phone or wireless signals of any sort. There is a Radio Observatory that is only a few miles away from Cass that has equipment so sensitive that those types of signals block out what they are really trying to receive: pictures of some of the furthest points of our galaxy. My family has been on those trains many times and I highly recommend it!
What a great tip with your DAD!! Go DAD!!! That was such a nice thing you did with your father. I wish my father was that easy to travel with. Tears… great job.
Dang… I lost my 76 year old dad last year… we did this kind of stuff together and you Mike will never regret it… like my dad, your dad appears to be a really cool guy.
As someone who LOVE the trains and a brother-in-law who served in one of Asia's/World's largest rail networks, I enjoyed watching this episode: Chicago to LA via TX. What was extra special and very touching, authentic is a son who takes his dad along with it to enjoy (not too often in the US) .. those moments/hours are priceless. Thank you for sharing it with everyone and looking forward to your other trip videos across our beautiful country. All my childhood memories of train travel with parents/family came alive in my mind and my heart was filled with fond feelings. One suggestion: interview few other passengers, especially visitors/immigrants and ask them a couple of questions about their experience! Namaste.
Thank you for letting us enjoy you and your dad, your relationship is precious. You both are good at expressing your joy for the little things, and yet, you convey it well to others. It is very contagious. Soaking it all in seeing parts of my country I have yet to explore This series is a real treasure! 💚
I'm from Europe and it's really interesting to see how different train riding is in America! I'm definitely enjoying watching your adventure and cant wait for the next parts! :)
I living vicariously via yourself, thank you. I'll never be able to make it to the US, the cost and long flight (Dr says a bad idea since I'm prone to DVT with a medical issue) are the issues, so your videos help me travel these trains in my lounge here in Australia. Happy Australian Father's Day (4 Sept) to Papa Downie.
I like how you’re so nice to your dad and he seems like an adventurous person too.Such a wonderful video to watch.I love love love trains! I had great experiences with trains!
Stumbled across the channel and loving the content. As someone who lost their father unexpectedly back in December, it's nice to see a reminder to take the opportunity to spend time with your parents before that chance is gone. Plus I lived in Durango, Colorado for a few years so I'm looking forward to the upcoming Durango-Silverton Railroad video.
More videos with your dad! I love that both of you have such a great bond. He's so funny. I never got to experience anything like that since my decided not to be in the picture. If I ever have kids I want to have the same bond with them that you have with your dad. Thanks for the entertaining videos and have a great rest of your day.
It's so beautiful to spend time with your dad. Thank you for sharing this great moment with him. I wish I could have spent some time with my dad when he was with us but being a father of 2 boys. I've done things that my dad never did for whatever reasons with my boys so I'll never regret it 😢. Thank you again for sharing this time with us
Hey guys! Check out the Postcards & Artwork from this series 👉🏼 tinyurl.com/dhnpshfk
Hey man what song is at 24:48? I’ve tried using soundhound and shazam and nothing comes up. It fits the mood while you’re traveling.
Hello, I am a TH-camr as well but I was thinking you should make a video on the Wolverine train! Chicago IL to Pontiac Michigan!
Obviously someone from Normal, Illinois, would be a "Normalien" (pronounced norm-alien).
As a locomotive driver I cannot help but thank you from the bottom of my heart for showing the world how wonderful a journey by train is. And I just love how you include friends and family in your videos. So... Thank you!
Wow, thank YOU!
@@DownieLive You're very welcome, Sir.
Really that's so cool I just commented that I think it has to be one of the coolest jobs driving one of these long trains I didn't even know their was steal passenger trains. If I was rich I would open some stacks for passengers throw mt and the naboring states
Thank you for being a driver! Train travel is amazing
@@121jmack Thank you for appreciating our quite wonderful profession.
Residents of Normal IL are called Normalites. Normal IL is home to Illinois State University, and the State Farm insurance headquarters is in Normal’s larger “twin city” Bloomington IL. Illinois State was originally a college solely for teaching future teachers, those types of colleges were called “normal” schools. The university came first, and the town that developed around it called itself Normal for this reason. I have great memories taking the Amtrak train to and from Illinois State and the Chicagoland area. So relaxing, full of beautiful country. Happy to see you gave Normal and central IL a shout-out!
For crying out loud… Someone give that fine man, his dad, his mom, his sister and the amazing team behind him an award already!!!
I second that 👌💯
I third that. 😊
@@RajKumar-gg2ig 👍👏👏👏
Fourth that
Agree!
This one made me cry. I miss my dad a lot. He was my frequent travel buddy, and he would have loved this trip, and he would have loved your series. Never stop traveling with your dad.
Sorry to hear that
Aww. Much love to you. I watched this and couldn't help but smile and feel sad as well. My dad passed away when I was 14 so I didn't get to spend much time with him. Watching the bond right here with Downie and his dad makes me wonder what could have been for my dad and I as well. So it's great to see others get the privilege to do this.
Me and my old man cant travel, we're awful passengers with eachother driving and the uk transport systems just naff! We do make sure we go camping each year though, nothing beats being sat out middle of summer up a welsh mountain with a camp fire with the sun setting over the mountains, kids asleep just waffling absolute crap and winding our partners up until the early hours! only gets better when the inevitable karen complains & my dad (hes 60 btw) recruits other like minded campers to have a "sing song" around the fire just to annoy them 🤣
Miss my Dad too and he has been gone since 1999.
Watching this while "working" in the west Texas desert close to the NM state line. At least it's nighttime.
When your dad picked up that showerhead and said "Hello?", I both laughed and cried. That is exactly something my dad would do, in the way he did it. I miss him so much. These moments with your dad will be ones that you cherish for the rest of your life. Savor it. (Looks like you are 😊👍🏼) ❤️
Sending you love. All of our dads seem very similar. This makes me want to plan something with my dad while the option is still there. Maybe not a train like this, but something else special. This train ride is not something up my dad's alley, but he would enjoy bonding time in general.
@@TheShauNanigans Thank you! Definitely do it when you can. Regular visits/phone calls are always a good thing 😊God bless🤙🏼
I wear this so I can be warm while being cool. The daddest thing to say ever
Yes, this really made me think about my dad who passed away in 2016. Same sense of humor too!😁. I used to take mostly road trips with my dad on vacations, but we did do a train trip from Tampa to Washington DC, me and my dad and my nephew. We had a fun time!
They have become my inspiration 😊
I have to say, as someone with many hours on Amtrak I really do appreciate the completely, occasionally brutally so, honest reviews of Amtrak. They’re not perfect and have small quality problems here and there, but by god they’re *trying.* They do a real good job at what they do and it never fails to get a smile out of me
At least you don't have to remove your belt, shoes & dignity when you board Amtrak
I'm 61 and lost my father 4 years ago. Take advantage of having parents as long as you can. Never know when it's going to end. Another great video. Really make me miss my dad.
Sorry to hear that
@@DownieLive Keep up the great videos. Really enjoy the train trips. Wife and I are talking about doing a few.
Hope ypu are doing ok
❤
Lucky you...I got 2 duds. Grandparents raised me...😊
"It's over 10 hours"
"But we get lunch"
That's some first-class life philosophy right there.
I say we call them normies
Yay! It's a Papa Downie episode! We all could take a lesson from his positive attitude.
Thanks John….
I have fallen in love with Papa Downie! Now I can’t wait to meet Donnie’s mom and the rest of the family!
@@nonnisusu3968 I guess at 76 years old you have to have a sense of humor like dad does hey?
@@nonnisusu3968 There are a lot of episodes that include the rest of his family. You just have to explore his channel a bit and give him more views of his older videos. Then when new videos appear that include them you'll know why we all love the Downies so much.
Papa Downie is the kind of genuine, positive energy we need in this world!
I couldn’t love your dad any more! I get so excited when he’s in your videos! I’m currently visiting all 50 states with my parents, they are the best travel companions!
That is awesome!
Your dad is the sweetest / cutest man ever. Love that you took this trip with your dad, amazing memories are the best. I really want to do this with my mom now.
As a Texan, I loved this episode. :) It was nice to see you and your Dad's reactions to the heat, the riverwalk, the scenery etc. Glad you were able to see our big state.😀
Your dad is the kind of Senior Citizen we all aspire to be - sprite, still up for everything & has a son who likes his company!
I have fallen in love with your Dad!!🥰 What a trooper!! My dream has always been to take every train in the US and Canada, and you have given me a little part of that dream. Thank you!!
Man, your dad is a legend. Cherish that guy.
I'm happy for you 2. Such a dope thing to share. My pops passed this year at 76 and it made me happy to see you 2 hangout.
I felt a bit emotional during this one. It’s truly special to see a father like yours, who is so kind and fun. My family were not good people, and I forget sometimes that what you have is what it always should be like. Thank you.
You know this already, but your dad is awesome. I wish I had had opportunities like this when my dad was still around. Soak it in, Mike, for one day it will be over, and you'll have fond memories for the rest of your life.
Amtrak cross country as well as Rocky Mountaineer is on our bucket list and every train video you do makes it so much more enticing. Thank you!
You should do both!!
I haven't done cross country but I've gone from New Orleans to Chicago and from there to NYC and I enjoyed it.
I have yet to do the Rocky Mountaineer but it's on my bucket list
I did the California Zephyr from Denver to San Francisco this year in April. It was an amazing trip I did it with my mom. We stayed in 2 seprate roomettes, and I wouldn't do it on anything less then a Roomette. You get the free meals, shower access, and 3 bathrooms that only ur sleeper car can use.
A little bit of emotional rollercoaster, happiness, scenery, great mood, great views, detailed explanations. This video is soo good. Congratulations Downie, well done
You are so fortunate to have your dad to enjoy this wonderful train trip. The Burrito Queen is a Amtrak tradition.
I really misses by Dad when I see this vlog. Enjoy your time with your dad Mike.
I would give ANYTHING to take one more trip like this with my father.
So would I.
Same here
Me too.
Me too man I miss my dad a lot
Me too, I lost him in August.
I traveled by train with my father in Vietnam once and even that it was not a luxury experience by any mean or form, It is something we still talk about often, and makes me smile every time I remember it.
Savor these moments. I lost my father earlier this year, and it's times like you spent with him in this video that will live on after he's gone. You're a wise man Downie.
Sending you so much love.
That must be hard, my father was never in the picture but my sister's dad died last halloween and it has been hard for our family. If anything he acted like my father and I should've appreciated it more. I'm sorry for your loss.
Dido
WIsh I had more of these moments before my dad passed. Please enjoy and cherish every one of these moments as your last. You never really think about your parents being gone, until, they are gone. It has been almost 10 years and now I am preparing myself for mom to be gone sometime in the near future. Thank you for doing these and thank you for the moments we get to see with you and your dad and mom.
In 2003 I travelled from Springfield to SF via that train. My son was 8 yrs old and a little frightened of roaming too far at stops worrying about missing the train. In St. Louis we had 2 hours, and he was reluctant to go explore the area. An old gentleman sitting behind us introduced himself. He was the President of the Railroad Historical Society. He reassured my son, then took us on a behind the scenes tour of Union Station, showing us behind the scenes and the second floor 1/8th scale display trains he built. Awesome trip with incredible cool happenings for us. Thanks for this video!
I just stumbled across your channel. Its soooo heart warming that your doing this with your Dad. God bless you! Keep doing what your doing ❤
Your dad is a lovely man. I can see why you are such a nice man as well. Kudos dad!
I’m envious not only of the lifestyle/travels you get to live and enjoy, but of the relationship you have and time you get to share with your dad. Not everyone is that lucky. Cherish it!
Normally, Mike, your videos leave me with a smile. Today, I was crying at the end. I miss my father so much. He's been gone five years now and I have just barely leaned to bear the loss. The happy time with your dad brought back with full force how big a hole his death left in my life. He was a train buff, with an amazing model RR in his garage (it even went across the garage door, which could still rise up and let the cars in by a special disconnect system he created), and his real life train adventures. When he visited Promontory Summit where the Golden Spike was driven in, his buddies from the train club told the managers there he was the President of California's Golden State Railroad Club. That was true, but it only had five members and they were all with him. Still, because of his "prominence," the park people let him drive the train for a bit. He favorite train was the Skunk Train in Fort Bragg, one you should consider (the steam train there reminds me of the Hogwarts Express (www.skunktrain.com/days-of-steam/ )). I've ridden with him four or five times and he's ridden at least 100. My favorite times were just sitting in the door of the garage in these two big, green LazyBoy recliners he had there, watch the world go by, and just talk. This is in Sacramento, so this was almost always AFTER the sun goes down. You think Texas was hot, pshaw, that's sweater weather to us Sacramentans. He'd done so many things in his life and he was a great, loving, wonderful father. Please, do enjoy all the time you can with your mom and your dad while you can. Each second is precious. Thank you for one more train ride with my dad would have felt like.
Based on the name of the local paper, The Normalite, (see: www.normalite.com), I believe there are called Normalites. The collective noun for a group of Normalites is Normals.
Thanks so much for sharing that story about your dad. I'm sorry to make you cry but I hope they were tears of joy. Cheers to him.
We did this as kids with my mom and I still talk about it. She didn’t have to drive and just got to sit there and read the whole time. She didn’t have to keep an eye on us because there wasn’t really anywhere we could go so we spent the entire trip playing with other kids we found on the train. Amtrak had employees in the observation car at times running games and trivia and giving guided tours of some of the areas we passed through. I’m in my 40s and still talk about that trip. It was relaxing for my mom and really fun for two kids that weren’t old enough to normally get to roam around on their own unsupervised. Way better than flying if you have the time. Next to a road trip the train is the most fun/ least stressful way to travel the United States.
My Dad passed away 40 years ago in 1984 from Cancer. What I wouldn't give to spend four days on train trup with him. Even if it was through Texas. This route you took was similar to Route 66. Chicago to LA. Cherish the time you have together with your parents. It can end so quickly. Thank You.
Papa Downie you are literally optimism personified! I was literally sitting here bawling when you were thanking Mike for the adventure. You two are such a joy to watch. Thank you for bringing us along
Thank you for sharing your train trip. I smile watching you with your dad🥹, he is so cute. My dad passed in 2004 at 89 years young. I love him more and miss him everyday. He would have loved this! God bless you, your dad and your family with all the happiness your hearts can hold ❤️
Trust me, spending a few days on the Texas Eagle isn't torture. I'd much rather be on the train than on the longest Greyhound route from Los Angeles to NYC, now THAT is the transport equivalent of Guantanamo Bay. And your dad ain't wrong about the Gateway Arch, it's truly an engineering marvel. Designed by Eero Saarinen, who also designed Washington Dulles International and the TWA Flight Center at New York's JFK (now part of the TWA Hotel).
Not only is the Arch's design cool, but also the tram inside. A guy (let's call him by his cool surname Bowser) developed with his father elevator equipment that could travel horizontally, diagonally, and normal vertical. By chance, he was in the same room as the Arch's architect and was given two weeks to design and present in front of the team. He knew a normal system wouldn't do, so for the Arch he combined elevator and Ferris wheel elements to create a unique system where a tram of eight elevator pods that by rotating, allows the visitors inside to remain leveled the entire way
Beautiful write-up Avery! Did you actually ride Greyhound from NYC to LA? If so, my idea to take Greyhound to Laredo is probably a bad idea?
I love the beautiful trains of Europe and the beautiful trains of Canada that DownieLive has shown us. Every time I've ridden an Amtrak train I marvel at what non-true life forms the owners are, to offer such low class unhealthy, horrible tasting food for extra high prices & uncomfortable seating and accommodations. The owners are below the meaning of "useless eaters". They are comparable to a disease that would destroy all life everywhere, including their own & their low class oligarch friends who do not practise The Golden Rule, if not dispatched with extreme prejudice.
Also, the Greyhound busses I've ridden on in the US a long time ago, all had such very uncomfortable seats, your body would be hurting on a long bus ride. It's like the owner's of both, are horrible monsters like the pure evil emperor In Star Wars, always striving to torture as many people as possible.
In contrast, the B class, most inexpensive bus lines similar idea to Greyhound in Mexico, but way, way, way, WAY cheaper, that I took from Mexico City to Nogales, are much, much, MUCH nicer and way more comfortable than Greyhound busses, with much more comfortably designed seats (I think they were all Mercedes busses), with thicker, firm memory foam padding on seats designed with much better posture (Mercedes) and had TV's every other seat playing good movies in English with Spanish subtitles.
And at every stop, local makers of delicious Mexican sandwiches for about 2 pesos each, would come on the bus selling to anyone who wanted some. You didn't even have to get off the bus. They kept you stocked up via local sweet-hearts all along the way. There's a lot of caring, loving people in Mexico making sure people can afford to eat and live and be comfortable (at very very low prices which is all they can afford, so the things necessary for life are available at very very low prices, but high quality).
I did greyhound from Orlando to Vegas!! Just as bad!! Lol
I once took a bus from Springfield MA to Madison WI. 27 hours! I was going out there to buy a car and drive it back. It was an epic adventure for a then 19 year old but I would never do it again. 🤣
Love St. Louis
My grandmother made this journey with my two cousins and me when we were just kids. My "Nannie" was quite a trooper to make such a long journey with three girls under the age of ten, but I see now that she wanted to spend time with us and leave us with memories that would last a lifetime.
Michael, I'm so glad you're able to travel with your dad. Happy trails to you and here's to many more wonderful train trips with your family and friends.
The COOLEST part about this video is that you spent time with your dad. Many of us don't have or did not take the opportunity to do so. Whether it was on a train, plane, automobile or boat...the time spent with him will create so many memories to be cherished forever. Congrats to you! And now it's your mom's turn. Can't wait for the release.
Oh wow - your dad is the best!! Please cherish him. ❤❤
Also, how cool to see Cesar again!!
Hi from Malaysia. Ive been binge watch your channel for the last couple the days. Please don't stop making great videos like this. It's amazing!
Awesome! Thank you!
@@DownieLive Mike! Don't eat the veggie burgers! The veggie burgers from the major suppliers to all restaurants & McDonald's, etc., are made from GMO plants! I researched it as soon as they came out!
@@DownieLive Thanks for your wonderful videos!
@@valerieann8007 Get over it soyboy.
Loving this series! Have to admit, although my Dad has been gone for 12 years now, this trip with your father really made me miss him. Hold these moments tightly! Thanks for the adventures! 💜
Mike you’ve got your dad in you. Some of the most happy and positive guys I’ve seen. You’re lucky to have such a great example.
I keep saying this but your born to do this you never fail to deliver it blows my mind how good you are at doing this i carnt get enough of these..
Mike, your writing has seriously levelled up. The way you tie in the voice over with the live comments and then again with the teaser for next week. Respect!!🇨🇦
I'm glad you appreciate it, Art. Thanks!
I have no interest in trains, but I haven’t been able to stop watching this because I really appreciate you, your family, your friends and your dad, such a beautiful and wholesome video.
What wonderful experience to share with your dad! I'm totally envious! Your dad looks fantastic for 76! Thank you for sharing this with me/us!
You are so welcome!
as someone who lost father 13 years ago I got legit teary eyed over this episode
With four days in a train you'd better pick the right travelling companion, and your dad seems to have the right easy and positive attitude . I hope Amtrack gave you advance notice about the lack of a real dining car and observation car in advance and that it wasn't a rude surprise. Nice scenery and next week sounds special.
I feel like having a son who’s a travel TH-camr would be amazing as a retiree. You’re both lucky guys to have such a good relationship 😊
Cesar may soon become the Stan Lee of DownieLive videos; always the potential for a surprise cameo!
True. Maybe.
He looks like he has such a sweet and loving relationship with his dad....its so nice to see
Love this video Mike. So great that you spent the time with your Dad. Obviously, he taught you well by example. Look forward to next one with your mom.
As someone with both parents deceased… this was so heartwarming and heart wrenching for me. I never knew my dad but I miss my mom so much and this would’ve been something we would’ve done and loved!. Thank you for an amazing video!.
your love, admiration, and relationship with your father is so pure. love to see it, you inspire me.
The first video in this series was recommended to me (thanks, youtube!) and I've binged all episodes in one go. You're great and your adventure is awesome!
Your father has a great spirit. I have never been on a train but your videos get me excited to try it.
You should!
Dad is awesome! What a gentleman! I am loving the series.
You are so fortunate to do these trips with your dad. Someday you'll look back and see how precious those time were. Blessings to you both.
So true!
I’m I so envious but extremely happy for you that you and your dad are taking this trip together, Dad’s 85 now and putting up a good fight with bone cancer so won’t be making trips no more. It’s cool we got to see Cesar again and growing up in a Pontiac family I knew I like you. Enjoy and please keep bringing us along, loving your videos enough that I will definitely be planning on a train ride across America and or Canada 🙋🏻♂️
It is very appropriate that this video was released today, Father's Day in Australia. Lovely to be travelling with your dad again, he is such a charming man.....and Im looking forward very much to next week's video with your mum.
Wonderful!
Mike!!!!! You got my again!!! Making me emotional with spending time with your dad. Love your videos, keep up the great work!!!!
I was waiting for this one! And while you went with your father, i took this exact trip from Chicago to El Paso to go see my father while I was on leave. We were both in the Army at the same time, he has since retired. I took a flight from North Carolina up to Chicago, then took the Train to El Paso before getting a flight back. Fantastic Episode, your fathers smile says it all.
There is no value higher than siezing these moments in “the living years.” Some of my most treasured moments are the train trips with my Dad from Portland, OR to Pasco, WA and back on the former SP&S main; or, on a 7” gauge live steamer train in Molalla, OR; or, the Coast Starlight to Sacramento, CA. There wasn’t any train he wouldn’t take, no matter where it was going. As a long-retired UP dispatcher, he couldn’t resist arranging meets or issuing track warrants, even if it was CTC. All this to say…. You guys are doin’ it right. Savor it. At 99, Dad left us in June, but we will always ride ride the trains, in his honor, no matter where they are going.
Your dad seems like a great traveling companion. Great you got to spend the time with him. So glad you enjoyed the SA Riverwalk!
I love when you take your dad with you. Everyone should take the time and enjoy their parents like you do.
OMG you've got BOTH your parents. I don't have either, made me cry. Thumbs up on a great episode, love you and the video - Big thumbs up 👍👍👍
The city I live in has an area called Halfway. "Where do you live?" "Halfway" "Huh?! To where?"
It also confuses people to see a bus with a destination sign which reads Halfway.
So that tower you saw in Dallas is called the Reunion Tower. It's been around since February 1978 and opened alongside the Hyatt Regency. It was part of an urban redevelopment plan that also renovated the station that you stopped at! Wolfgang Puck used to have a revolving restaurant there that opened in 2009, it closed permanently in April 2020 due to the pandemic
Oh it closed? I had no idea! I always wanted to visit the restaurant just for the experience...
@@Ronald.Golleher Well in the 20+ years I have known about it the restaurant has changed a couple of times. SO maybe something else is there now.
As someone who absolutely loves road & train travel, I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Sadly, since I became wheelchair-bound, I haven't really gone anywhere.
If your dad is up for any trip, might I suggest a network of three unique scenic railroads in mountains of West Virginia. All three have the same type of vibe as Strasburg, but with completely different characteristics. The Cass Scenic Railroad, in particular, is truly one of a kind. It was an old logging railroad that went up grades that are too steep for traditional locomotives. You need special Shay, Climax, and Heisler locomotives to tackle the grades. You can ride a train to the second highest peak in the state! Most of all, this is probably the most peaceful place on earth because, by law, there are no cell phone or wireless signals of any sort. There is a Radio Observatory that is only a few miles away from Cass that has equipment so sensitive that those types of signals block out what they are really trying to receive: pictures of some of the furthest points of our galaxy. My family has been on those trains many times and I highly recommend it!
What a great tip with your DAD!! Go DAD!!! That was such a nice thing you did with your father. I wish my father was that easy to travel with. Tears… great job.
Greetings from Scotland. Thank you for your videos. It's nice to remember that it's not always about the destination, but the journey to get there.
My parents are both gone. Time with your dad is priceless.
Dang… I lost my 76 year old dad last year… we did this kind of stuff together and you Mike will never regret it… like my dad, your dad appears to be a really cool guy.
As someone who LOVE the trains and a brother-in-law who served in one of Asia's/World's largest rail networks, I enjoyed watching this episode: Chicago to LA via TX. What was extra special and very touching, authentic is a son who takes his dad along with it to enjoy (not too often in the US) .. those moments/hours are priceless. Thank you for sharing it with everyone and looking forward to your other trip videos across our beautiful country. All my childhood memories of train travel with parents/family came alive in my mind and my heart was filled with fond feelings. One suggestion: interview few other passengers, especially visitors/immigrants and ask them a couple of questions about their experience! Namaste.
One day on this train, our conductor said, “this is the least amount of time we’ve been late all week.” Hahaha
Thank you for letting us enjoy you and your dad, your relationship is precious. You both are good at expressing your joy for the little things, and yet, you convey it well to others. It is very contagious. Soaking it all in seeing parts of my country I have yet to explore This series is a real treasure! 💚
Somebody give Cesar a raise already
Your dad is a delight every time he is on your channel.
I'm from Europe and it's really interesting to see how different train riding is in America! I'm definitely enjoying watching your adventure and cant wait for the next parts! :)
Welcome aboard!
We get it you have better trains 😒
Gotta say I'm hooked watching this. The production quality of this rivals that of most TV shows
As a Texan, it was cool to see y’all go through Dallas, and see things like where the spot that JFK was shot, it’s a cool place to drive through!
hmmm yikes thats nothing to praise Dallas on its so much better here than that 😏
I am so thankful (and a bit envious) you have the opportunity of sharing these adventures with your dad. Well done. Great show!
All of this really makes me want to try out more train journeys in USA. North East Regional was functional but this journey is epic :)
For 2000 fpr the trip i personally dont like the whole dining situation at the beggining
This episode was absolutely beautiful, thank you for sharing with us ❤
It's my pleasure
Caesar telling everyone to ‘Like and Subscribe’ is too good. What a legend. 👍👍👍
Your dad is now my favourite person on the planet. Just look at him!
I living vicariously via yourself, thank you. I'll never be able to make it to the US, the cost and long flight (Dr says a bad idea since I'm prone to DVT with a medical issue) are the issues, so your videos help me travel these trains in my lounge here in Australia. Happy Australian Father's Day (4 Sept) to Papa Downie.
So happy that you were able to do this trip with your dad. My dad passed away 12 years ago and never got the chance to do any traveling with him.
I like how you’re so nice to your dad and he seems like an adventurous person too.Such a wonderful video to watch.I love love love trains! I had great experiences with trains!
Stumbled across the channel and loving the content. As someone who lost their father unexpectedly back in December, it's nice to see a reminder to take the opportunity to spend time with your parents before that chance is gone.
Plus I lived in Durango, Colorado for a few years so I'm looking forward to the upcoming Durango-Silverton Railroad video.
Sorry to hear that
I feel like this channel is so underrated, love your videos Mike, i appreciate you so much
I appreciate that!
More videos with your dad! I love that both of you have such a great bond. He's so funny. I never got to experience anything like that since my decided not to be in the picture. If I ever have kids I want to have the same bond with them that you have with your dad. Thanks for the entertaining videos and have a great rest of your day.
This series is incredible
It's so beautiful to spend time with your dad. Thank you for sharing this great moment with him. I wish I could have spent some time with my dad when he was with us but being a father of 2 boys. I've done things that my dad never did for whatever reasons with my boys so I'll never regret it 😢. Thank you again for sharing this time with us
I found you a bit over a year ago... I think it was your dad's birthday trip.... so this is awsome that your dad gets a great trip with you again!!
How wonderful to enjoy this trip with your Dad. So nice to see families who get along so well. Looks like a fun and restful adventure.
You are so lucky to be able to take that trip with your dad. Watching this made me really miss my dad.