0:00:02 > 0:00:07I have crossed the Atlantic to ride the railroads of North America
0:00:07 > 0:00:09with my reliable Appletons' Guide.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14Published in the late 19th century,
0:00:14 > 0:00:19Appletons' General Guide to North America will direct me to all that's
0:00:19 > 0:00:26novel, beautiful, memorable and striking in the United States.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28- ALL:- Goed!
0:00:28 > 0:00:30As I journey across this vast continent,
0:00:30 > 0:00:34I'll discover how pioneers and cowboys conquered the West.
0:00:34 > 0:00:35MEDLEY OF GUNSHOTS
0:00:35 > 0:00:39And how the railroads tied this nation together,
0:00:39 > 0:00:42helping to create the global super-state of today.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13By the time of my guidebook,
0:01:13 > 0:01:16railroad tracks stretched across the continent,
0:01:16 > 0:01:20and Americans were using them to tour their land for pleasure.
0:01:27 > 0:01:32My rail journey westwards from St Louis to the Grand Canyon,
0:01:32 > 0:01:37covering maybe 1,700 miles, is reaching its climax.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41I've hugged the banks of the Missouri and Arkansas rivers.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45I've followed the wagons along the old Santa Fe Trail.
0:01:45 > 0:01:51And I've ridden on transcontinental tracks first laid in the 1870s.
0:01:51 > 0:01:56Now it's time to wallow in some of the luxury offered by the West today
0:01:56 > 0:02:00before witnessing one of the greatest sights on earth.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08I began my journey in St Louis, Missouri.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Then headed to Kansas City.
0:02:11 > 0:02:16From there, I struck out west across the plains to gun-toting Dodge City
0:02:16 > 0:02:20before arriving in the Rocky Mountains at Colorado Springs.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Now I'm heading south, through New Mexico,
0:02:24 > 0:02:29ending at the spectacular natural wonder of Arizona's Grand Canyon.
0:02:32 > 0:02:38Today, I explore historic Santa Fe, I visit New Mexico's largest city,
0:02:38 > 0:02:42Albuquerque, and the cross into Arizona to Williams,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45from where I'll end my trip at one of the world's most
0:02:45 > 0:02:48marvellous geological landmarks.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53I discover how the great outdoors adds to the drama of opera.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57It would be a shame to enclose the theatre
0:02:57 > 0:03:01when we are surrounded by such incredible natural beauty.
0:03:01 > 0:03:06I'm honoured to be invited to an ancient Native American pueblo.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08How long has there been a settlement up here?
0:03:08 > 0:03:10We've been here since the beginning of time.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16I'll marvel at American steam technology.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18HE LAUGHS My goodness, John,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21that is enormous!
0:03:21 > 0:03:24And I get a spectacular bird's eye view.
0:03:24 > 0:03:30Here we go, over the edge and the ground falls away beneath us.
0:03:40 > 0:03:46Amtrak's Southwest Chief service crosses eight states between Chicago
0:03:46 > 0:03:48and Los Angeles in three days.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55A full restaurant service means that hungry passengers
0:03:55 > 0:03:58can eat great food, as some of the world's
0:03:58 > 0:04:00most awesome landscape rolls by.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11- Your steak, sir.- Thank you.
0:04:11 > 0:04:12Steak knife for you.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15Is there anything else I can bring you right now, Michael?
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Oh, Linda, it looks great.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19I'm going to be just fine.
0:04:19 > 0:04:20Thank you.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Look at that - perfect.
0:04:27 > 0:04:28Mmm!
0:04:45 > 0:04:50My journey West has brought me into the state of New Mexico,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53which retains its Hispanic heritage dating back to the time
0:04:53 > 0:04:57before its conquest by the United States.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01After the rough-and-tumble of the Wild West,
0:05:01 > 0:05:02it's time for some luxury,
0:05:02 > 0:05:08and to discover how, in Santa Fe, there arose a biblical epic,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11appropriately, perhaps, since the city's name
0:05:11 > 0:05:13translates as "holy faith".
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Founded in 1607,
0:05:24 > 0:05:29Santa Fe was the capital of the Spanish kingdom of New Mexico,
0:05:29 > 0:05:30and is the state capital today.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37The city's distinctive low adobe buildings
0:05:37 > 0:05:40with their round walls and flat roofs
0:05:40 > 0:05:44are made from bricks formed of sun-dried earth and straw.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07The architecture of Santa Fe is delightfully dominated
0:06:07 > 0:06:09by the Spanish colonial period.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11We Europeans scoff at the Americans
0:06:11 > 0:06:14because they don't have many old buildings.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Well, the mission of San Miguel was built at the beginning of
0:06:17 > 0:06:19the 17th century, which makes it older
0:06:19 > 0:06:22than London's St Paul's Cathedral,
0:06:22 > 0:06:24or France's Palace of Versailles.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27So perhaps we should show some humility.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38In the late 19th century,
0:06:38 > 0:06:42railroad refreshment was a much less leisurely experience
0:06:42 > 0:06:44than mine aboard the Southwest Chief.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48Passengers had to disembark and were given 15 minutes
0:06:48 > 0:06:51to eat and freshen up before re-boarding.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56Thanks to a British immigrant named Fred Harvey,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58arrangements began to improve.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02'I'm meeting Jenny Kimball at La Fonda Hotel.'
0:07:04 > 0:07:09Jenny, now, I believe it was once a Harvey hotel, what did that mean?
0:07:09 > 0:07:15Well, Fred Harvey operated hotels all along the railroad line.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19And the Fred Harvey Company bought it in the early '20s,
0:07:19 > 0:07:21which meant it was part of the Harvey chain.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Fred Harvey had worked as a railroad caterer,
0:07:26 > 0:07:29which is how he spotted a gap in the market
0:07:29 > 0:07:31for good food on long journeys.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33In 1876, he struck out on his own
0:07:33 > 0:07:36and opened the first of his restaurants
0:07:36 > 0:07:39on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45At its peak in 1928, Fred Harvey's empire
0:07:45 > 0:07:50comprised nearly 100 restaurants and 25 hotels known as Harvey Houses.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54Within his hotels and restaurants,
0:07:54 > 0:07:58tell me about the sort of service you could expect?
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Service was impeccable, only the best,
0:08:00 > 0:08:02white glove silver service.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05And it was mainly because of the Harvey Girls.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09The Harvey Girls were educated women, mainly from the East Coast,
0:08:09 > 0:08:10that wanted an adventure.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14They were trained in manners, service.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18They had impeccable starched uniforms.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20And they couldn't be married.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22They couldn't fraternise with the guests.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25So, I mean, they had a whole list of dos and don'ts.
0:08:25 > 0:08:30But they really elevated the service at all of the Harvey Hotels.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32The Santa Fe Railroad Company
0:08:32 > 0:08:35introduced Pullman dining cars in 1888.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38And Fred Harvey provided both the menu and the staff.
0:08:39 > 0:08:45What was served until then was what they called slop, the Western slop.
0:08:45 > 0:08:46He served lobster.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51He served very sophisticated European food on the train.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55May have been kind of the precursor to first class on an aeroplane.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58He didn't do badly for a lad from Lancashire, England.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00No, he did not do badly, yeah.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05With good quality food and impeccable service,
0:09:05 > 0:09:09the Fred Harvey Brand became widely known in America.
0:09:09 > 0:09:14And in 1946, Fred's Harvey Girls were immortalised in a film
0:09:14 > 0:09:16starring Judy Garland.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22'Bernette Jarvis and Beverly Ireland worked at La Fonda Hotel
0:09:22 > 0:09:24'in the 1950s.'
0:09:25 > 0:09:28How did you get the job of being a Harvey Girl?
0:09:28 > 0:09:32We moved here from Minnesota in 1955.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34We thought it was a temporary job.
0:09:34 > 0:09:40It turned out to be several years of a wonderful experience.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44What attracted you about the reputation of Harvey Girls?
0:09:44 > 0:09:50Fine service, elegant dishes, food was marvellous.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54It just was a prestige job.
0:09:54 > 0:10:00It was the only place in Santa Fe that was a nice hotel.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02And we worked breakfast and lunch
0:10:02 > 0:10:05only because we were 18 years old and couldn't serve liquor.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09Looking back, are you pleased that you were Harvey Girls?
0:10:09 > 0:10:10Absolutely.
0:10:10 > 0:10:16It was a hard job because of the standard,
0:10:16 > 0:10:20but it was a way to get ladies a job.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23To get away from home.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26And to be in the workforce.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28I wouldn't trade it for anything.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43I'm heading seven miles north of Santa Fe
0:10:43 > 0:10:47to an adobe building inspired by the high desert landscape
0:10:47 > 0:10:48which it inhabits.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01As though to symbolise the civilisation of the West,
0:11:01 > 0:11:05Santa Fe has an opera house of global renown,
0:11:05 > 0:11:07attracting the best talent.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10Audiences travel for thousands of miles.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14I made the pilgrimage myself some years ago.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16The auditorium is like no other.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18It has no sides.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21For many productions, the backdrop is provided by the mountains
0:11:21 > 0:11:24and the sunsets of New Mexico.
0:11:24 > 0:11:29What better place to perform Puccini's La Fancuilla del West -
0:11:29 > 0:11:31The Girl of the Golden West?
0:11:42 > 0:11:45The general director of the Santa Fe Opera is Charles MacKay.
0:11:49 > 0:11:54Charles, how and why did they think of building an opera house here?
0:11:54 > 0:11:5760 years ago John Crosby, the founder,
0:11:57 > 0:12:01had always had the dream of founding an opera company here.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03And so, lo and behold,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06he talked his parents into fronting the money
0:12:06 > 0:12:08to build the first theatre
0:12:08 > 0:12:12and persuaded a group of businessmen in Santa Fe to back it
0:12:12 > 0:12:14and the company got started.
0:12:15 > 0:12:20John Crosby was a New York musician with a passion for opera.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24Santa Fe had a long connection with visual artists and writers
0:12:24 > 0:12:25but little with musical life.
0:12:26 > 0:12:31Crosby set out to change that in 1957 by building
0:12:31 > 0:12:32a 480-seat wooden theatre
0:12:32 > 0:12:36and inaugurating a summer opera festival.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41He always had the idea of doing something that was very different,
0:12:41 > 0:12:46to combine standard, rarely performed and new works,
0:12:46 > 0:12:49and to create the first apprentice programme for singers
0:12:49 > 0:12:51in the United States.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57Fire destroyed Crosby's Theatre in 1967.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Within a year, it was replaced with a larger structure.
0:13:00 > 0:13:05And in 1998, the present 2,000-seat auditorium opened.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Was it always the idea from the beginning
0:13:11 > 0:13:14- to have a sideless and backless opera house?- It was.
0:13:15 > 0:13:21John Crosby thought that it would be a shame to enclose the theatre
0:13:21 > 0:13:25when we are surrounded by such incredible natural beauty.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29And to have a beautiful sunset as the performance is beginning.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32And occasionally that the elements
0:13:32 > 0:13:36contribute to the telling of the story.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38So what happens when you get torrential rain?
0:13:40 > 0:13:45If the rain is coming down vertically, everything is fine.
0:13:45 > 0:13:50But when it's coming horizontally, that's a little bit of a problem.
0:13:50 > 0:13:55It can get a little bit dicey if the rain gets into the orchestra pit.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Sometimes you might end up with a performance
0:13:58 > 0:14:02where there's just one first violin playing at the end of the opera.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05You do a whole range of opera and I'm wondering whether you feel
0:14:05 > 0:14:08there's a particular suitability
0:14:08 > 0:14:11to performing The Girl of the Golden West here.
0:14:11 > 0:14:16You better believe it. We have the mountains for Puccini's great opera.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Do you know, it's so often the case
0:14:19 > 0:14:23that the scenery becomes part of the set
0:14:23 > 0:14:26so it is a very, very magical setting.
0:14:35 > 0:14:41Puccini's The Girl of the Golden West is a love story between Minnie,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44a saloon owner, and a bandit called Dick Johnson
0:14:44 > 0:14:48and is set during the California gold rush of 1849.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55Cooper Nolan is an apprentice singer at the opera.
0:14:55 > 0:14:56Cooper. Good to see you.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58- Good to see you, how's it going? - Very well.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02I understand you're on the Santa Fe Opera apprenticeship programme.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04Yes, I am. This is my second year.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Now you're studying the role of Dick Johnson?
0:15:06 > 0:15:08- Correct. - In The Girl of the Golden West.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Would you be so kind as to sing me a little bit?
0:15:11 > 0:15:13- Sure, absolutely. - What are you going to sing?
0:15:13 > 0:15:16So this is the second act aria after she's discovered
0:15:16 > 0:15:19that Dick Johnson is not who he says he is.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21He still loves her, but he's been lying.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23He's actually the bandit that everyone's been looking for.
0:15:30 > 0:15:37# Or son sei mesi che mio padre mori
0:15:41 > 0:15:51# E il labbro mio mormoro un'ardente preghiera
0:15:51 > 0:15:52# Oh Dio!
0:15:52 > 0:15:56# Ch'ella non sappia mai
0:15:56 > 0:16:04# Non sappia mai la mia vergogna!
0:16:04 > 0:16:14# Non sappia mia!
0:16:16 > 0:16:21# Il sogno e stato vano!
0:16:22 > 0:16:30# Ora ho finito. #
0:16:33 > 0:16:35Well done. You've convinced me you're a good guy.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38Thank you very much. Appreciate it. Thanks for coming around.
0:16:38 > 0:16:39- And a very good singer.- Thank you.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42NOTES ON XYLOPHONE RING OUT
0:17:05 > 0:17:09When the railroad arrived in 1880, it followed the route of the earlier
0:17:09 > 0:17:13Santa Fe Trail, which had brought pioneers from Missouri.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18As people in the eastern states grew wealthier,
0:17:18 > 0:17:22the more intrepid among them began to venture west as tourists.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29Appletons' quotes the writings of a Mrs Wallace, who was married
0:17:29 > 0:17:33to the United States Governor before New Mexico was a state.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35"The ancient governor's palace
0:17:35 > 0:17:39"extends along one whole side of the plaza,
0:17:39 > 0:17:42"a long low structure built of adobe.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44"Santa Fe was a stronghold before
0:17:44 > 0:17:48"the Spanish conquest and a town of some importance
0:17:48 > 0:17:53"to the white race when Pennsylvania was still a wilderness.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55"It is rich in historic interest."
0:17:55 > 0:17:59Time to discover more about the palace and about the Wallaces.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19'Meredith Davidson is curator at the Palace of the Governors,
0:18:19 > 0:18:21'a New Mexico history museum.'
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Meredith, I'm very struck by the depth of history here.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33The number of regimes that there have been in Santa Fe,
0:18:33 > 0:18:35and specifically in this governors palace.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37It was built in 1610.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40It's the longest continuously occupied public building
0:18:40 > 0:18:42in the whole United States.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46When the White House was built, it was 200 years old already.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49It's seen five separate governments across its history.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51Before it was cited in 1608,
0:18:51 > 0:18:55New Mexico was occupied by Native Americans.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59It was part of the Spanish Empire from 1610 on.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01After that it was briefly part of Mexico,
0:19:01 > 0:19:05when Mexico declared independence in 1821.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08And following that, it became a US territory
0:19:08 > 0:19:11and then later became a state in 1912.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15I'm in search of one particular governor mentioned in Appletons'.
0:19:15 > 0:19:16Governor Wallace.
0:19:16 > 0:19:23Yes, Governor Wallace was our governor from 1878 to 1881.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26And he was here at a really fascinating moment
0:19:26 > 0:19:31where the railroads were coming into New Mexico for the first time,
0:19:31 > 0:19:35where there was still quite an environment
0:19:35 > 0:19:39of what romantically is sort of called the Wild West.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Lew Wallace was a Union general in the Civil War,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45a lawyer and diplomat.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48But his fame today largely rests on his work as a writer.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58So we've come down here to look at the chair
0:19:58 > 0:20:01that belonged to Governor Lew Wallace.
0:20:01 > 0:20:06It was from here that he wrote or presumably wrote the book that
0:20:06 > 0:20:10he became most well known for, Ben Hur, which came out in 1880.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14So, he would sit there, and this is his writing desk, his table.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16- He has it on his lap.- Right.
0:20:16 > 0:20:17Exactly.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Set in the Roman Empire,
0:20:20 > 0:20:24the novel tells the story of a young Jewish man of means who loses
0:20:24 > 0:20:29his family and freedom because of the injustice of a Roman officer.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32But eventually triumphs through his own determination
0:20:32 > 0:20:35and the intervention of Jesus Christ.
0:20:35 > 0:20:40Adaptations for stage and screen followed, most famously in 1959,
0:20:40 > 0:20:43starring Charlton Heston as Ben Hur.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45Was it a successful book?
0:20:45 > 0:20:49Ben Hur was really an instant success.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52It very quickly surpassed sales of Uncle Tom's Cabin,
0:20:52 > 0:20:56a book that had been, since the Civil War, really,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59one of the most purchased books in the nation.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03'A bestseller of biblical proportions!'
0:21:18 > 0:21:21I'm continuing my journey from Santa Fe south-west,
0:21:21 > 0:21:24on an excursion recommended by my Appletons'.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39My next destination will be Acoma.
0:21:39 > 0:21:44Appletons' says, "The towns of these Indians are similarly interesting
0:21:44 > 0:21:47"and well worth a visit, on an eminence commanding a view
0:21:47 > 0:21:50"so situated that they can be approached
0:21:50 > 0:21:52"only through a narrow defile.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55"The houses are two or three storeys,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58"ranged in the form of hollow squares.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02"Access can be had only by ladders to the second storeys.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05"The first being built solid without an opening."
0:22:05 > 0:22:07By the end of the 19th century,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10the Native American had become a curiosity,
0:22:10 > 0:22:12a tourist attraction.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18The Pueblo Indians of the south-west
0:22:18 > 0:22:22take their name from the Spanish word used by the first explorers
0:22:22 > 0:22:26to describe the apartment-like buildings in which they live.
0:22:30 > 0:22:3419 Pueblo communities remain in New Mexico.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37They welcome tourists to buy the pottery for which they're renowned,
0:22:37 > 0:22:39but filming is rarely allowed.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51It's a privilege for me to be invited to visit Acoma Pueblo
0:22:51 > 0:22:56on its sandstone bluff 367 feet high.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03'I'm meeting tribal secretary John Sims.'
0:23:10 > 0:23:13These houses are very much as described in my guidebook
0:23:13 > 0:23:14with the ladders.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17It says that in those days, there was no opening on the ground floor.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21Yes. You know, the ground floor was basically meant for storage
0:23:21 > 0:23:25and in case there was intruders or anything like that,
0:23:25 > 0:23:26you would pull the ladders up
0:23:26 > 0:23:29and the living quarters were on the second storey,
0:23:29 > 0:23:30so everybody was nice and safe.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38Some of these houses are quite tall, three storeys high.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Is this a fine looking example?
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Yes, so the three-storey structures that you find in the pueblo
0:23:44 > 0:23:47are probably some of the older houses of the pueblo
0:23:47 > 0:23:50and they're all created out of adobe,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53which is the straw and mud mixture that you see here.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55- May we go inside? - Yes, sir, follow me.
0:24:02 > 0:24:07- It's wonderfully cool in here.- Yes, definitely keeps in the coolness
0:24:07 > 0:24:09during the summer and during the winter,
0:24:09 > 0:24:12it keeps it nice and warm in here, also,
0:24:12 > 0:24:14once you get the walls heated up.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16I notice it's got a wood stove.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21I don't see any sign of electric light or anything like that.
0:24:21 > 0:24:22No, and actually that's one thing
0:24:22 > 0:24:24that you'll find here in the pueblo -
0:24:24 > 0:24:27we still operate with no water or no electricity.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31People have hauled their water up, people are using wood stoves -
0:24:31 > 0:24:34the way our ancestors have done it for hundreds of years
0:24:34 > 0:24:35and we still do it today.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55The view from here is absolutely breathtaking.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58How long has there been a settlement up here?
0:24:58 > 0:25:00The way we describe it to ourselves
0:25:00 > 0:25:04is we've been here since the beginning of time,
0:25:04 > 0:25:11but in terms of anthropology, you can date us to 1500 AD.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14Did they settle here for defensive or religious reasons?
0:25:14 > 0:25:16The mesa top here was chosen, I think,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19more particularly for defence than anything else.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23How did you fare with the Spanish when they arrived?
0:25:23 > 0:25:25They originally came in
0:25:25 > 0:25:29and, for the most part, the Pueblos welcomed them.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31The Spanish had other things in mind,
0:25:31 > 0:25:34which was to take over land and territories
0:25:34 > 0:25:37and, for the most part, they were also looking for riches.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40They were looking for gold and they didn't find them.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44You know, the battle for Acoma is definitely a large one
0:25:44 > 0:25:46in the context of the Pueblo world.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52The battle of Acoma between the Spanish and the Pueblo Indians
0:25:52 > 0:25:58in 1598 was devastating, with up to 1,500 Native Americans killed.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02Over the following decades, the Spanish continued
0:26:02 > 0:26:07to repress the Pueblos, until in 1680, the tribes united in revolt.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11The Pueblos got together and through force,
0:26:11 > 0:26:12drove the Spanish out of New Mexico
0:26:12 > 0:26:16and the Spanish basically did not enter New Mexico territory
0:26:16 > 0:26:19for about a decade, for almost ten years
0:26:19 > 0:26:23and, in those ten years, it allowed the Pueblos to rebuild
0:26:23 > 0:26:27and to basically bring back their traditions.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29With regard to the present day,
0:26:29 > 0:26:32do you think that the Pueblos have survived better
0:26:32 > 0:26:33than some other tribe?
0:26:33 > 0:26:36The Pueblos have survived a lot better
0:26:36 > 0:26:41than our brother and sister tribes out in the rest of North America.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45For one instance, a lot of us weren't pushed onto reservations.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48We got to stay in our homeland, like you see us here today.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53And, secondly, our culture and language survived.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01When the railroad came through,
0:27:01 > 0:27:03not only did it bring jobs,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06but it brought commerce, it brought tourism.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10Up to that point, our people were basically farmers, hunters,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13but, with tourism, brought money.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16We took an item that was traditionally used...
0:27:17 > 0:27:20..in the homes and so our ladies started to make
0:27:20 > 0:27:24pottery for these people that were coming through the railroads.
0:27:24 > 0:27:29Later on, as the train kept building and the lines kept building,
0:27:29 > 0:27:32our people found work with them and so to this day,
0:27:32 > 0:27:38you find large numbers of Acoma people in places like Sacramento,
0:27:38 > 0:27:43in places like Arizona and that was the total direct result of them
0:27:43 > 0:27:44working for the railroad.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11How would you say the United States treats the Pueblo people today?
0:28:11 > 0:28:16The overall thing is that here in Acoma, we have been here
0:28:16 > 0:28:20through the Spanish, we were part once of Mexico also, you know?
0:28:20 > 0:28:24And then we're here through the American government
0:28:24 > 0:28:28and as strong as America is, once the Spanish thought
0:28:28 > 0:28:33they were just as strong and just as mighty, and so for Acoma people,
0:28:33 > 0:28:36we're going to be here till the end of time.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58TRAIN HORN BLARES
0:29:03 > 0:29:06This morning, I'll embark on the final stage
0:29:06 > 0:29:11of my 1,700 mile journey across the American West.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16For the traveller who had seen the Missouri River,
0:29:16 > 0:29:19the so-called Mighty Mo,
0:29:19 > 0:29:23who had gasped at the Arkansas River's Royal Gorge,
0:29:23 > 0:29:26who had marvelled at pueblo towns
0:29:26 > 0:29:30perched on pillars of rock 300ft high,
0:29:30 > 0:29:34the greatest, grandest wonder still lay ahead.
0:29:42 > 0:29:48Starting in Albuquerque, I'll head west to Williams, Arizona
0:29:48 > 0:29:51and finish at the Grand Canyon.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12My next stop will be Albuquerque,
0:30:12 > 0:30:15which Appletons' tells me, "has a population of about 6,000,
0:30:15 > 0:30:21"situated on the Rio Grande river at an elevation of some 5,000 feet.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24"Albuquerque is the eastern terminus
0:30:24 > 0:30:28"of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30"The junction with the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad
0:30:30 > 0:30:33"is just south of this point."
0:30:33 > 0:30:35I've been wondering, in the old days,
0:30:35 > 0:30:40what kind of locomotive was robust enough to haul a train
0:30:40 > 0:30:43all the way from Chicago to Los Angeles?
0:30:52 > 0:30:54BELL CHIMES
0:30:54 > 0:30:56TRAIN WHISTLES
0:30:58 > 0:31:00Downtown Albuquerque. Please watch your step.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03Thank you for riding the New Mexico Rail Runner Express.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08Like much of New Mexico, the city of Albuquerque
0:31:08 > 0:31:12blends Native American and Spanish influences.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15Founded by Spanish colonists in 1706,
0:31:15 > 0:31:18it was laid out as a traditional village,
0:31:18 > 0:31:21with a central plaza surrounded by public buildings,
0:31:21 > 0:31:24homes and a church,
0:31:24 > 0:31:26preserved today as the Old Town.
0:31:29 > 0:31:34The arrival of the railroad in 1880 transformed Albuquerque.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36It became home to the main locomotive works
0:31:36 > 0:31:40for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad,
0:31:40 > 0:31:43better known simply as the Santa Fe.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54Albuquerque - former railway hub.
0:31:54 > 0:31:59Choose your direction - west, north, east, south
0:31:59 > 0:32:01and all points in between.
0:32:22 > 0:32:27This enormous Albuquerque locomotive repair shed gives me an idea
0:32:27 > 0:32:32of how important the railroads were in this city,
0:32:32 > 0:32:35and it's as though they just left.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38Here are the tracks where the engines were moved.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41There are the cranes with which they were hoisted into the air.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44There are the pits for the work underneath.
0:32:44 > 0:32:50These vast buildings are often compared to cathedrals of steam,
0:32:50 > 0:32:53and this one even has stained glass.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04The glory days of the railroad in Albuquerque are long gone,
0:33:04 > 0:33:07but thanks to a group of keen volunteers,
0:33:07 > 0:33:09steam will soon make a comeback.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14'John Taylor is a member of
0:33:14 > 0:33:19'the New Mexico Steam Locomotive & Railroad Historical Society.'
0:33:22 > 0:33:24John, what was the impact on Albuquerque
0:33:24 > 0:33:25of the arrival of the railroad?
0:33:25 > 0:33:29Well, it was enormous. Before the railroad arrived,
0:33:29 > 0:33:32Albuquerque was a very small agricultural community,
0:33:32 > 0:33:34largely Hispanic.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37When the railroad came, it opened it up to the country
0:33:37 > 0:33:39and in fact to the rest of the world.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42People could come, goods could come, goods could go -
0:33:42 > 0:33:45it really made a huge economic difference.
0:33:45 > 0:33:49What kind of facilities had to be provided for the railroad
0:33:49 > 0:33:50out here in the West?
0:33:50 > 0:33:54Well, initially, of course, you had to provide stations,
0:33:54 > 0:33:57sidings, water and fuel stops,
0:33:57 > 0:33:59and then, eventually,
0:33:59 > 0:34:02Albuquerque developed into the largest workshop complex
0:34:02 > 0:34:04between Chicago and Los Angeles,
0:34:04 > 0:34:07and it was one of the major employers in Albuquerque
0:34:07 > 0:34:08for a number of years.
0:34:08 > 0:34:09Is there any work going on here today?
0:34:09 > 0:34:11Oh, yes, there is!
0:34:11 > 0:34:13We've been talking about history -
0:34:13 > 0:34:15let's go and see some living history.
0:34:15 > 0:34:16Let's do that.
0:34:21 > 0:34:26John and his colleagues are embarked on an ambitious restoration project.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33Ha! My goodness, John, that is enormous.
0:34:33 > 0:34:34What a whopper!
0:34:34 > 0:34:35Isn't she wonderful?
0:34:35 > 0:34:37Absolutely!
0:34:39 > 0:34:40What is this locomotive?
0:34:40 > 0:34:43This is the Santa Fe 2926.
0:34:43 > 0:34:48It was built in 1944 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Pennsylvania.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50It went 100mph,
0:34:50 > 0:34:53weighs a million pounds,
0:34:53 > 0:34:57and was built to pull freight and troop trains and passengers.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59Why was it necessary to have such a big locomotive?
0:34:59 > 0:35:03Well, this locomotive is actually equivalent in horsepower
0:35:03 > 0:35:04to about a modern diesel engine.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06So, if you're going to have...
0:35:06 > 0:35:10pull a big train, you have to have to have a big locomotive.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13The other thing about this is the combination of the size of
0:35:13 > 0:35:15the locomotive and the size of the tender,
0:35:15 > 0:35:19which holds 24,500 gallons of water,
0:35:19 > 0:35:22was to get a greater distance between water stops.
0:35:22 > 0:35:26This uses 100 gallons per mile of water.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29Of course, in Europe, water is normally plentiful.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31Here in the United States, it must be quite a big issue.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34Well, in the desert and the south-west, of course.
0:35:34 > 0:35:36- Wow. Fantastic.- Yes.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38Is it possible to get even closer to the locomotive?
0:35:38 > 0:35:40Oh, we have something planned for you!
0:35:40 > 0:35:42Let's go this way.
0:35:51 > 0:35:55This locomotive is at the pinnacle of steam technology,
0:35:55 > 0:35:59one of the last to be built burning oil rather than coal.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10I can't think of anything more fun.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13OK, come on down. Watch your head.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21Oh, my word. I don't think I've ever seen such a huge locomotive
0:36:21 > 0:36:22and now I'm underneath it.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25And at the end here, that very American feature, the cowcatcher.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28Indeed, sort of a reminiscence of the Old West.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31- This is Pete Adair. - Pete, hi. Michael.
0:36:31 > 0:36:32Hi. Glad to meet you.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34He's going to have you help us adjust part of the brake system.
0:36:34 > 0:36:35So what do I do, Pete?
0:36:35 > 0:36:39We need to twist this until it brings the brake shoes
0:36:39 > 0:36:42up close enough to the drivers.
0:36:42 > 0:36:43OK.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49Right! Very large spanner, very large screw,
0:36:49 > 0:36:51apply pressure.
0:36:51 > 0:36:52Yay, it's moving.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55How far do I need to take it, Pete?
0:36:57 > 0:37:00That's about right. That looks like it's got the brake shoes just about
0:37:00 > 0:37:02where they should be. Good.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05OK, guys, any time you need a hand, you've got my cell number.
0:37:05 > 0:37:06Absolutely.
0:37:09 > 0:37:14'This magnificent engine had a relatively brief operational life.
0:37:14 > 0:37:19'Introduced in 1944, she made her final journey only nine years later.
0:37:19 > 0:37:24'For over 40 years, she was exhibited in an Albuquerque park
0:37:24 > 0:37:28'before restoration began in 2000.'
0:37:28 > 0:37:32Who are you, the guys who've come together to do this great work?
0:37:32 > 0:37:34We're everything. I'm a nuclear engineer.
0:37:34 > 0:37:35We have a physician.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37We have a Lutheran minister.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40We have welders, we have police officers...
0:37:40 > 0:37:42It's a very, very diverse group.
0:37:42 > 0:37:43It looks like you've done
0:37:43 > 0:37:45an enormous amount of work on it already.
0:37:45 > 0:37:46Are you getting towards the end?
0:37:46 > 0:37:49It probably is, within six to eight months,
0:37:49 > 0:37:51actually having it running.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54It's just going to be an unbelievable experience.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56TRAIN WHISTLES
0:38:06 > 0:38:10'Here in New Mexico, it's hard to avoid the chilli.
0:38:10 > 0:38:15'New Mexicans are so proud of their 8,000-acre annual harvest
0:38:15 > 0:38:20'that they've designated the potent pepper their state vegetable -
0:38:20 > 0:38:23'an opportunity for me to test my mettle.
0:38:26 > 0:38:31'Brothers John and Jim Thomas have been running El Pinto restaurant
0:38:31 > 0:38:32'since 1994.'
0:38:33 > 0:38:37What a fantastic, beautiful garden restaurant this is.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39How did it get started?
0:38:39 > 0:38:43Back in 1962, our folks started the El Pinto restaurant,
0:38:43 > 0:38:45and John and I were three years old at the time.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49We grew up on the premises and we've been enjoying it ever since.
0:38:53 > 0:38:57'El Pinto began as one room with a handful of tables.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00'Now it seats over 1,200 diners
0:39:00 > 0:39:03'and once played host to President Obama.'
0:39:04 > 0:39:08New Mexico is just, kind of, famed for chilli, isn't that right?
0:39:08 > 0:39:09That's it.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12What are the influences that come together in New Mexican cuisine?
0:39:12 > 0:39:16Well, it's the Hispanic, it's the Indian culture, the Pueblo Indian,
0:39:16 > 0:39:19and the Spanish came in and they collaborated
0:39:19 > 0:39:21and they developed recipes like enchiladas,
0:39:21 > 0:39:24chillies, beans and corn.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26I have no idea, because I'm a foreigner.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29What is the difference between the red and the green chilli?
0:39:29 > 0:39:32- Well, Michael, actually, they're the same plant.- Are they?
0:39:32 > 0:39:35It's just that the green is not matured and the red is matured.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37What is the difference in the flavour?
0:39:37 > 0:39:40The red chilli has been ripened, so it has a sweeter flavour.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43- Yeah?- And then the green chilli has less sweet of a flavour,
0:39:43 > 0:39:46but we roast it and it gives a really nice, distinct flavour.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48You can smell it. The way they smell is so good.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50There's nothing like chillies.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52Chilli goes with everything.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56Michael, come along. We're going to show you how to make
0:39:56 > 0:39:58a red chilli and chicken enchilada.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00I don't even know what an enchilada is!
0:40:00 > 0:40:02You start off with the blue corn tortilla.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05Go ahead and just lay it in the chilli there.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07Flip it on one side, and then flip it on the other side.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09- Coat it all the way, Michael. - That's it.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11There we go. What do we to add to that?
0:40:11 > 0:40:13Now, we're going to put some onions first -
0:40:13 > 0:40:14just a sprinkle, like a light dusting.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16Then we go ahead and sprinkle some cheese.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19Not too much cheese. This is not a pizza, this is an enchilada.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22Give another tortilla a drench. Another tortilla.
0:40:22 > 0:40:23- Flip it in there.- There you go.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26- You got the hang of it after that. - Perfect. Lay it right on top.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29- You've got a job, dude.- There we go. THEY LAUGH
0:40:29 > 0:40:31Now we want to put a little chicken on there.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34- Layer it right on there.- Then you've got to put another tortilla on top,
0:40:34 > 0:40:37that's going to cover it.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40More chilli on top.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42- We're going to put an egg on top. - Put an egg on there.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45Now it all looks good and ready to me.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51You've got it. Let's go and grab a margarita and have a meal.
0:40:57 > 0:41:02I tell you what amazes me is how much of the chilli sauce you use.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05You guys really like your chilli, don't you?
0:41:05 > 0:41:08Like our grandmother used to say, "Panza llena, corazon contento" -
0:41:08 > 0:41:11"Full stomach - happy heart."
0:41:11 > 0:41:18So, chicken, cheese, onion, tortilla and chilli.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21Wow!
0:41:21 > 0:41:23That's great.
0:41:23 > 0:41:24Mmm.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27That fills your mouth and fills the stomach, doesn't it?
0:41:27 > 0:41:29Yes.
0:41:30 > 0:41:31- Salud.- Salud!
0:41:36 > 0:41:41I'm leaving Albuquerque and rejoining Amtrak's Southwest Chief
0:41:41 > 0:41:46for a really long journey, close to 400 miles west
0:41:46 > 0:41:48to Williams Junction in Arizona. TRAIN WHISTLES
0:41:54 > 0:41:58On the long rail journey from Chicago to Los Angeles,
0:41:58 > 0:42:01a lot of people invest in a sleeping compartment,
0:42:01 > 0:42:03and I thought I would take a look.
0:42:03 > 0:42:04Come on in.
0:42:07 > 0:42:08It is very luxurious.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11Look at this lovely sofa.
0:42:11 > 0:42:16I'm guessing that this comes down so that this makes two beds.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19Aha! A lovely armchair,
0:42:19 > 0:42:21so that I can face the direction of travel
0:42:21 > 0:42:23and see this beautiful scenery.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26The private facilities must be this.
0:42:27 > 0:42:28Ooh.
0:42:32 > 0:42:36Ah! Very small, but it does the job.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38And then the surprise is this -
0:42:38 > 0:42:41that it's also a shower.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46Every mod con.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50- Hello!- Good evening, folks. My name is Milton.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53- Very good to see you, Milton. - I'm you car attendant
0:42:53 > 0:42:57and I'm here to take care of your bed and put it down and put it up.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00- Can you show me how this works, then?- OK.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02First, you push this.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09- Aha!- This is totally going to be your bed and bunk.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14Heavens, Milton, that's virtually a double bed. That's very generous.
0:43:15 > 0:43:19Yes, this actually could sleep two.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21How many people are you looking after in the sleeping car?
0:43:21 > 0:43:23- Over 40.- Over 40?- Over 40.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25Do you get a lot of people
0:43:25 > 0:43:28- travelling all the way from Chicago to Los Angeles?- Yes, a lot.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30Why do you think they're travelling by train,
0:43:30 > 0:43:32as opposed to a plane?
0:43:32 > 0:43:37Well, travelling because most of them have a disability is one.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40- A lot of people are scared to fly. - Yes.
0:43:40 > 0:43:47That's two and I guess it's the best scenery you could see.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49You can't see that out the plane!
0:43:53 > 0:43:56Before air travel became commonplace,
0:43:56 > 0:43:58railroads competed for long-distance passengers.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01The Santa Fe launched its Super Chief service,
0:44:01 > 0:44:05between Los Angeles and Chicago, in 1936.
0:44:05 > 0:44:10Exclusively first-class, the train had three lounges,
0:44:10 > 0:44:15a five-star dining carriage and Pullman sleeping accommodation.
0:44:18 > 0:44:22It became the transport of stars during Hollywood's golden age.
0:44:22 > 0:44:25Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton,
0:44:25 > 0:44:29Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland were just some of those who enjoyed
0:44:29 > 0:44:30the luxury of the Super Chief.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56I've arrived in the Arizona town of Williams.
0:45:06 > 0:45:08I'm heading to the town's old train depot,
0:45:08 > 0:45:12built in 1908 by the Santa Fe Railroad.
0:45:17 > 0:45:21The Amtrak train delivered me in the dead of night to the truly remote
0:45:21 > 0:45:26Williams Junction, in a forest which is a great habitat for bears.
0:45:26 > 0:45:28At the time of my guidebook,
0:45:28 > 0:45:31you would leave the train at Peach Springs and take a stagecoach,
0:45:31 > 0:45:34but for the last century and more, there has been a train,
0:45:34 > 0:45:39and so, now, this is what Appletons' calls "the departure point
0:45:39 > 0:45:44"for one of the greatest wonders of nature in the world".
0:45:54 > 0:45:57TRAIN WHISTLES
0:45:58 > 0:46:00TRAIN WHISTLES AGAIN
0:46:04 > 0:46:08'I'm thrilled to be on my way to one of the greatest sights on earth,
0:46:08 > 0:46:11'and it seems that I'm not alone.'
0:46:13 > 0:46:17- Hello.- Hi.- May I join you a moment?
0:46:17 > 0:46:19- Sure.- Are you visiting the Grand Canyon for the first time?
0:46:19 > 0:46:21- Yes, we are.- We are, we are. We're very excited.
0:46:21 > 0:46:24I'm very excited. I'm visiting for the first time.
0:46:24 > 0:46:27- Oh, really?- Yeah, it's a great feeling, isn't it?- It is.
0:46:27 > 0:46:28Do you like rail travel?
0:46:28 > 0:46:29I love rail travel.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32It brings back the sense of history,
0:46:32 > 0:46:36and it allows you to see the whole of the scenery
0:46:36 > 0:46:37in a very relaxing way.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39Have you been to the Grand Canyon before?
0:46:39 > 0:46:41- Yes.- Oh, many times, yes.
0:46:41 > 0:46:43As many times as you go out there,
0:46:43 > 0:46:45you look at it and you go, "This is not real!"
0:46:45 > 0:46:47- Get over there...- Oh, go on, then.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50- This'll be the highlight of their trip.- Oh!
0:46:53 > 0:46:56- Thank you. - Oh, brilliant. Thank you very much.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07The Grand Canyon Railway stretches 65 miles
0:47:07 > 0:47:10from Williams to the south rim of the canyon.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12It opened in 1901,
0:47:12 > 0:47:16cutting the journey time from three days in a stagecoach
0:47:16 > 0:47:18to a mere three hours.
0:47:19 > 0:47:22America's love affair with the automobile
0:47:22 > 0:47:26meant that the line closed to passengers in 1968.
0:47:26 > 0:47:30It was a close shave, but luckily the tracks weren't scrapped,
0:47:30 > 0:47:34and on the 17th of September 1989,
0:47:34 > 0:47:3888 years to the day since the first train ran to the south rim,
0:47:38 > 0:47:40the Grand Canyon Railway reopened.
0:47:49 > 0:47:52Appletons' is ecstatic.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55"The Grand Canyon of the Colorado was made known to the world
0:47:55 > 0:47:59"in detail only a few years ago by the adventurous voyage of
0:47:59 > 0:48:02"Major John Wesley Powell down the river.
0:48:02 > 0:48:06"The Colorado River passes through a succession of remarkable canyons,
0:48:06 > 0:48:10"but all sink into insignificance before the Grand Canyon,
0:48:10 > 0:48:13"which is more than 300 miles long.
0:48:13 > 0:48:17"This canyon opens all the series of geological strata.
0:48:17 > 0:48:21"The walls are from 3,000 to 7,000 in height."
0:48:21 > 0:48:24And I'm prepared for much of what I've seen in my life
0:48:24 > 0:48:27to sink into insignificance today.
0:49:00 > 0:49:02Ha...
0:49:02 > 0:49:04Oh.
0:49:04 > 0:49:07Now, that really is... That is a great...
0:49:07 > 0:49:10That is a great moment of my life.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13It's almost like being punched, it is such a surprise.
0:49:13 > 0:49:15It's like...
0:49:15 > 0:49:17It's like a glimpse of the infinite.
0:49:19 > 0:49:22I had no idea it was going to be so multicoloured,
0:49:22 > 0:49:24so multi-layered, so...
0:49:24 > 0:49:26so wide.
0:49:27 > 0:49:30It just is the most...
0:49:30 > 0:49:32the most wonderful thing.
0:49:32 > 0:49:34Literally, literally awe-inspiring.
0:49:34 > 0:49:36Absolutely extraordinary.
0:50:08 > 0:50:10'The United States acquired the territory in which
0:50:10 > 0:50:15'the Grand Canyon sits from Mexico in 1848.
0:50:15 > 0:50:19'Emily Davis works for the National Park Service.'
0:50:27 > 0:50:31I'm seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time, and it's like seeing
0:50:31 > 0:50:33a compendium of infinite time,
0:50:33 > 0:50:36all the layers of rock built up, upon each other,
0:50:36 > 0:50:38and then eroded by the river, the Colorado.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41Over what period was the Grand Canyon formed?
0:50:41 > 0:50:44So, according to geologists,
0:50:44 > 0:50:47the Grand Canyon formed about seven million years ago
0:50:47 > 0:50:51and that's when the Colorado River took its present-day course.
0:50:51 > 0:50:54What we often say is we have a very young canyon, but very old rocks.
0:50:54 > 0:50:57The rocks that we're standing on right now,
0:50:57 > 0:51:01the youngest is about 270 million years old
0:51:01 > 0:51:03and the rocks get progressively younger
0:51:03 > 0:51:05as you make your way down into the canyon.
0:51:05 > 0:51:08My guidebook talks about Powell setting out in detail
0:51:08 > 0:51:09the Grand Canyon.
0:51:09 > 0:51:11What was it that John Wesley Powell did?
0:51:11 > 0:51:15In 1869, John Wesley Powell became the first European American
0:51:15 > 0:51:20to raft down the Colorado River to challenge the white-water rapids.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23While doing so, he basically made the first map of the Grand Canyon,
0:51:23 > 0:51:27and, in a way, he really opened the West to exploration, to study,
0:51:27 > 0:51:30and exploitation as well.
0:51:32 > 0:51:34During the American Civil War,
0:51:34 > 0:51:38John Wesley Powell had lost his right arm in battle.
0:51:38 > 0:51:40At the time of his expedition,
0:51:40 > 0:51:43much of the West had still not been mapped.
0:51:43 > 0:51:47His group of ten set off along a tributary of the Colorado River
0:51:47 > 0:51:51in Wyoming in May 1869.
0:51:51 > 0:51:53Three months and 1,000 miles later,
0:51:53 > 0:51:57six emaciated survivors arrived in Nevada.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03So, when the detail of the Grand Canyon had been revealed by Powell,
0:52:03 > 0:52:06did Americans want to exploit it or to treasure it?
0:52:06 > 0:52:10Most people back in the late 1800s did want to come to exploit it,
0:52:10 > 0:52:14so the earliest people after Powell were the miners, looking for,
0:52:14 > 0:52:16of course, gold or silver.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19They didn't find any of that, but mostly, once they got here,
0:52:19 > 0:52:23they realised it's better to mine the pockets of tourists
0:52:23 > 0:52:25rather than to mine the rocks themselves.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31To preserve the Grand Canyon for the nation,
0:52:31 > 0:52:37President Teddy Roosevelt designated it a national monument in 1908.
0:52:37 > 0:52:3911 years later, it was further protected
0:52:39 > 0:52:43when Congress made this area a national park.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46Roosevelt visited here as early as 1901,
0:52:46 > 0:52:50took one look at this place and was utterly inspired, and said,
0:52:50 > 0:52:55"This is the one great sight that every American should see."
0:52:55 > 0:52:57And now about five and a half million visitors
0:52:57 > 0:53:00come to the Grand Canyon to see the grandeur that Teddy Roosevelt
0:53:00 > 0:53:04spoke and wrote about, and the very place that Teddy Roosevelt helped
0:53:04 > 0:53:08to set aside for our children and our children's children.
0:53:12 > 0:53:19At 277 miles long, ten miles wide and over one mile deep,
0:53:19 > 0:53:23the scale of the Grand Canyon is hard to grasp.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44- Hello, guys.- Hi!- How do you feel about what you're seeing here?
0:53:44 > 0:53:47- Great.- It's amazing.- Yeah.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49- First visit to the Grand Canyon? - Yes, yep.
0:53:49 > 0:53:52- Where have you come from?- New York.
0:53:52 > 0:53:56- Has it lived up to expectations? - Yeah, and beyond, yeah.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59- Why so?- It's just so much bigger
0:53:59 > 0:54:04and the magnitude is just so much more than we thought coming here.
0:54:04 > 0:54:06- And how are you going to explore it? - We're doing both extremes.
0:54:06 > 0:54:09Today was the top and tomorrow we're going to go to the bottom
0:54:09 > 0:54:10and we're going to do a raft ride
0:54:10 > 0:54:12and be on the Colorado River.
0:54:12 > 0:54:14Go on enjoying the views. It's a lovely evening.
0:54:14 > 0:54:17- Thank you so much.- Bye-bye.
0:54:22 > 0:54:24Having seen the Grand Canyon from the ground,
0:54:24 > 0:54:28I'm convinced that I will get an altogether different image
0:54:28 > 0:54:30from the air.
0:55:00 > 0:55:02One of the things I noticed on the train,
0:55:02 > 0:55:04and it's apparent again from the plane,
0:55:04 > 0:55:07is how the Grand Canyon takes you by surprise.
0:55:07 > 0:55:12Below me is this rather unimpressive scrubby plain,
0:55:12 > 0:55:16and then, suddenly, you reach the edge of the Grand Canyon,
0:55:16 > 0:55:18which maybe explains why, for so many years,
0:55:18 > 0:55:22European Americans didn't know where it was.
0:55:24 > 0:55:26Here we go, over the edge,
0:55:26 > 0:55:29and the ground falls away beneath us.
0:55:37 > 0:55:38And now, for the first time,
0:55:38 > 0:55:42I see into the depths of the Grand Canyon,
0:55:42 > 0:55:46the River Colorado appearing like a muddy brown stream
0:55:46 > 0:55:47from this height -
0:55:47 > 0:55:53it's difficult to believe that it has eroded this vast landscape.
0:56:14 > 0:56:17If you want to think of a hero, think of John Wesley Powell,
0:56:17 > 0:56:22down there in the Colorado River, that one-armed army veteran,
0:56:22 > 0:56:25paddling, determined to map the Grand Canyon,
0:56:25 > 0:56:28to bring its wonder to the attention of others.
0:56:58 > 0:57:02Covering 1,700 miles since I left St Louis,
0:57:02 > 0:57:05I've crossed plains and mountains.
0:57:05 > 0:57:08This vast continent was once home to millions
0:57:08 > 0:57:10of Native Americans and buffalo.
0:57:10 > 0:57:14I've travelled along the valleys of the Missouri and the Arkansas,
0:57:14 > 0:57:17the route once taken by the wagon trains,
0:57:17 > 0:57:19and later by the railroads.
0:57:19 > 0:57:21The trains transformed this land
0:57:21 > 0:57:25and sealed the fate of its original inhabitants.
0:57:25 > 0:57:28When the settlers arrived with their European religions,
0:57:28 > 0:57:33they must have looked upon this landscape as a gift from God -
0:57:33 > 0:57:36proof that the United States was entitled to enjoy
0:57:36 > 0:57:40the wonders of nature from ocean to ocean.
0:57:40 > 0:57:43That was its manifest destiny.
0:57:48 > 0:57:54Next time, I begin a 1,000-mile journey from Minnesota's Twin Cities
0:57:54 > 0:57:56to Memphis, Tennessee,
0:57:56 > 0:58:00starting and finishing on the mighty Mississippi River.
0:58:03 > 0:58:06You'll be riding as my bitch!
0:58:06 > 0:58:08- It's a privilege.- Yes! - THEY LAUGH
0:58:12 > 0:58:14- There they go. Don't let them get away!- Oh!
0:58:16 > 0:58:18- I enjoyed the ride. Thank you so much.- I thank you!
0:58:18 > 0:58:212-58, your train's never late!
0:58:21 > 0:58:24TRAIN WHISTLES