
Armed with his trusty Appleton's Guide, Michael Portillo reaches San Francisco, where he boards one of the city's iconic cable cars. Behind the scenes in the engineering powerhouse, he uncovers the street cars' secret to scaling the city's famously steep hills. In the Presidio neighbourhood, a leading publisher introduces Michael to San Francisco's long tradition of fine printing and book-making. Michael takes the opportunity to have his own treasured book appraised.\n\nHitching a ride on a hippy 'love bus' to the heart of the city's gay district, Michael traces the roots of the city's LGBTQ scene back to the era of the gold rush and meets the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. At Fisherman's Wharf, Michael samples a local seafood speciality brought to the city by Italian immigrants. Across the bay at Sausalito, he boards a schooner to hear the story of Matthew Turner, the most prolific shipbuilder of his time. In Chinatown, Michael hears about the huge contribution Chinese immigrants made to the Californian economy, both as miners and in building the transcontinental railroad. He discovers an entrepreneurial community who overcame discrimination and finds that fortune favours the brave when he learns to create an iconic Chinese treat.\n\nIntrigued by a reference in his guidebook, Michael visits the Sutro Baths, where he learns the story behind an ugly 19th-century incident of racial discrimination, which prompted an African American to sue one of the richest white men in the state. A trip out into the Bay with the San Francisco Police Department's marine unit, established in 1864, shows Michael how the force continues to keep the waters safe.
Source: BBC 2
Series 2 Reversions: 9. Chicago To Champaign, Illinois
16-09-2024
BBC 2
Series 2 Reversions: 5. Santa Fe, New Mexico, To The Grand Canyon
09-09-2024
BBC 2
Series 2 Reversions: 4. La Junta To Colorado Springs
05-09-2024
BBC 2
Series 2 Reversions: 2. Sedalia To St Joseph, Missouri
04-09-2024
BBC 2
Series 2 Reversions: 1. St Louis To Jefferson City, Missouri
02-09-2024
BBC 2
Series 3 Reversions: 5. Los Angeles To San Diego
Michael Portillo strikes oil in the suburbs of Los Angeles, contemplates his navel in the orange groves of Riverside, makes a California roll and paints a pretty picture in Lagu ...
11-06-2018
BBC 2
Series 4: 5. Kamloops To Calgary
Clutching his 1899 Appleton’s Guide, Michael Portillo boards one of the world’s most famous trains, the Rocky Mountaineer, to cross the backbone of the North America ...
26-09-2022
BBC 2
Series 3: 1. Boston
Armed with his 19th-century Appleton's guidebook to the United States and Canada, Michael Portillo embarks on a 1,100-mile railroad journey from Boston, Massachusetts, across th ...
07-11-2022
BBC 2
Series 3: 8. Montreal To Ottawa
Steered by his Appleton's guidebook Michael Portillo's train journey continues in Canada's Quebec province. \n\nVenturing into the wooded hills of Vaudreuil, Michael explores a ...
17-11-2022
BBC 2
Series 2: 19. Mattoon, Illinois To Columbus, Kentucky
16-02-2017
BBC 2
Series 4: 1. Ninilchik To Wasilla
Michael Portillo heads for the last frontier of the United States, armed with his 1899 Appleton’s Guidebook to Alaska.\n\nBeginning his journey amid the snow-capped mounta ...
19-09-2022
BBC 2
Series 3: 16. Santa Clara To Santa Cruz
Michael Portillo's thousand-mile rail journey through California continues south toward Santa Clara in the heart of Silicon Valley and ends in the surf of Santa Cruz. In a high- ...
01-12-2022
BBC 2
Series 4: 2. Talkeetna To Juneau
Armed with his 1899 Appleton’s Guidebook to Alaska, Michael Portillo rides the Alaska Railroad north to explore the remote former goldrush settlement of Talkeetna. Deep in ...
20-09-2022
BBC 2