All language subtitles for The Worlds Most Scenic Railway Journeys S06E03 1080p WEB DL H264 BTN_track3_[eng]

Escape with us into
a Californian dream

on a coastal journey
unlike any other.

As our train glides along cliff tops

and skirts the waves
of the Pacific Ocean,

we'll sample the best that
California has to offer.

From fruits of the land...

Coming right from the field,
as we said,

picked less than an hour ago.

..to life affirming pastimes.

There he goes. He's up.

Delving into the past...

TRAIN WHIRS

That lovely sound
was actually engineered

to be just like it was originally.

..and revelling in the present.

You know, you never know
what you're going to see

when you're here at Madonna Inn.

We'll feel the
majesty of the land...

Being here gets you
a bit closer to that

and caresses you within the
curves of the mountainsides.

..as we meet the people who
live and work along this line.

This is my favourite view.

And on the way,
we'll learn how this line's

very existence is threatened.

Worst case scenario
for this train track

is it ends up
falling into the ocean.

This isn't just any railway journey.

This is one of the most scenic
railway journeys in the world.

A Californian dream on
board the Pacific Surfliner.

Our journey starts in the
coastal town of San Diego,

one of America's thriving tech hubs

and home to one and
a half million people.

In many ways,
this is a railway city,

made by the arrival of the Southern
Transcontinental Railway in 1885.

Hard to believe that until then,

it was a small community
of fewer than 3,000 people.

Hidden away amongst
the modern tower blocks

is our boarding place.

The Santa Fe Depot
is a glorious edifice.

Built in 1914,

it's an early
example of the so called

Spanish colonial revival style.

Which soon became popular
throughout California.

In fact, California's Spanish
roots go back several centuries.

Overlooking the city is a statue
of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo,

who claimed California
for Spain back in 1542.

And our whole journey,

350 miles along
California's spectacular coast,

traces the route
Spanish missionaries took

to bolster Spain's
influence on the land.

Our train is the aptly
named Pacific Surfliner.

Its carriages and locomotive
are all relatively new.

A reflection of the fact
that this is a busy line

with steadily growing
passenger numbers.

And looking to the future,

the 15 foot tall
Siemens Charger locomotive

is one of the cleanest diesel
electric passenger locomotives

in operation today.

With a final check for stragglers,
the doors are closed...

..and the train leaves backwards.

There's no room to
turn an engine here

amongst San Diego's skyscrapers,

so, for the first leg of our trip,

the engine pushes the train,

with the driver controlling
it from the other end

in a specially designed cab car.

HORN WAILS

Our day long journey starts
on the far south western edge

of the United States
in downtown San Diego.

From there, the train travels north,

hugging the coast through
the spa town of Carlsbad,

and along some of the best
surfing beaches in the world.

In San Clemente,

we'll see how the coast
is threatening the train tracks,

before we head inland to the
vast metropolis of Los Angeles.

Here, we'll take in the
splendour of Union Station

and venture out for a trip on
America's shortest railway,

the funicular Angels Flight.

Leaving LA, the train passes
through prime strawberry fields

before returning to the coast
and exclusive Santa Barbara.

Here, we'll visit one of
California's 21 Franciscan missions

before enjoying a
final breathtaking coastal journey

and ending our day in kitsch
splendour at San Luis Obispo's

fantastical Madonna Inn.

On board today is
Blake Phillips Rios.

Some years ago, Blake took
a holiday job on this line

to help fund himself
through college.

It was a bit of a surprise.

The first thing that I noticed
was that people were just

happy to see us, you know,

they would literally clap as
we were pulled into the station.

And I thought it was so cool.

And I heard that it's built into
the DNA of the Wild, Wild West,

that when the train comes in,

it means that good
things are coming to you.

Blake was hooked.

He stayed with the railway,

becoming a train driver and
now a manager of the line.

This is my office.
This is what I do every day.

You know, not bad.

Not bad at all.

Blake's office, our train line,

is mainly single track,

and is largely a busy commuter line,

serving the towns and
beaches along the coast.

We have all types of riders.

We have surfers, we have commuters.

We have a lot of college students.

We literally serve all types of
passengers in Southern California.

If you're going to be
on your cellphone,

please talk quietly so that you
don't disturb those seated nearby.

There's just time for seats to be
found and tickets to be checked

before we start to see just
how the Surfliner got its name.

This is my favourite view.

You have the surfers.

You can see the ships that are
going in and out of San Diego.

So, the number one reason why people
love taking the Pacific Surfliner

is because we are literally
right at the Pacific Ocean.

This is the view.

Yeah, not too shabby.

So that passengers can get the most
out of the not too shabby view,

the Surfliner has an observation
car with extra large windows,

the perfect place to relax
at a table or stare straight out

at the changing view.

You really get to take in what's
unique about

the Southern California landscape,
ocean, rolling hills.

We're just like in
the presence of majesty.

HORN WAILS

We soon pass through the tiny
station at Carlsbad Village.

A town that was at the forefront

of California's
health food obsession.

Back in 1882, this station
was just a nameless depot,

about to be made famous
by farmer John Frazier.

He had just discovered
a spring on his farm.

The water from it did marvels
for his rheumatism,

so he started
selling it to passengers

on the nearby railway line.

140 years later, the well,

now under a replica
German Hanseatic house,

is still going strong,

and people flock to buy
its health giving liquid.

I drive 30 miles to come get my
alkaline water here in Carlsbad.

I've been doing it
for more than ten years.

It's easy to see how a whole
town grew up around this business.

Three, six, nine.

I think there's... There's 11 there,

and then we already did
three or four in the car.

Yeah, we make it a family trip.

Come down here, found some
favourite restaurants doing this.

So, we'll go to lunch, fill
up our water, huh?

Go to the beach.

It tastes good.

It's healthy for you.

The PH, I think it's 9.5,
if I'm not mistaken, or above.

And that is the
secret to its success.

High PH, or alkaline water,

is thought by many
to have health benefits

above that of run of the
mill neutral PH water.

After Frazier found the
water to help his rheumatism,

tests showed to be similar to the
water in the spa town of Carlsbad

in the now Czech Republic.

So Frazier, seizing the marketing
opportunity, renamed his farm,

and the station and
town of Carlsbad was born.

Leaving the alkaline water
of Carlsbad behind,

we'll soon be taking
a dip in the water

the other side of the tracks.

There he goes. He's up.

Let's see if that
wave's going to cooperate.

Yes, it is.

We're travelling 350 miles
from San Diego to San Luis Obispo

on California's Pacific Surfliner,

indulging in some of the most
spectacular views in the US.

Looking out the window, it feels
like a painting everywhere you go.

Yeah, it just feels like California.

60% of our journey
runs right along the coast,

and this stretch takes us 20 miles
along largely untouched coastline.

A beautiful breath of nature,

sandwiched in between
the huge metropolises

of San Diego and Los Angeles.

Yeah, it's really beautiful.

I much prefer it to
sitting in my car alone

listening to the radio.

It's also a haven for that
very Californian pastime, surfing.

Right now, we're going
over Trestles Bridge.

Trestles is one of the
most famous surfing spots

in all of the United States,
if not the world,

and it got its name from the
railroad trestles from the bridge

that we're going over right now.

That water looks inviting,
but it is freezing cold.

Cold or not, nothing separates
Don Craig from his surfing.

He was virtually
brought up on this beach.

I was born in 1948,

and we started coming
down here as a family

in the very early '50s.

We would drive down to
San Onofre almost every weekend.

As he's done for several decades,

Don is meeting up with his
friend, Steve, and eyeing the waves.

That's a good sized wave.
Look at that.

Yeah. That looks really fun.

I think my longest ride here,
I have one of those GPS watches.

Yeah? It was 468 yards.

Wow. How's that?

That's a third of a mile. Yeah.

Yeah. I feel lucky to
have some good waves today.

It just takes one to make your day.

Another day in paradise. Yeah.

All right, well, wax it up.

Get out there. I'm ready to go.

Trestles Beach plays host to World
Championship surfing competitions

thanks to its near-perfect
surfing breakers.

All of the bottom out
here for nearly four miles

is this kind of
rock that's been deposited

coming down out of the rivers.

And at the breaks that we
call upper and lower trestles

are bottom contours
that make the waves break

really exceptionally well.

Here he goes. He's up.

Let's see if that
wave's going to cooperate.

Yes, it is.

But shortly after World War II,

access to the perfect
breakers was under threat.

Trestles and the area south of it,
known as San Onofre,

was now part of a marine base.

Something it still is to this day.

As you're riding the train
coming north along the coast,

that bases nearly
16 miles of coastline,

almost 200 square miles
that goes inland quite a ways.

The military don't tend
to allow civilians access

to their bases, for good reason.

Surfing on the new Marine
base was about to be banned.

But a few determined surfers
persuaded the military

they could continue to surf
the waves if they restricted

beach access to a
well regulated club.

The San Onofre Surfing Club
was born, and surfing was saved.

At least along the
San Onofre part of the beach,

but not the best part,

Trestles.

The Trestles area wasn't
part of the surf club,

so a lot of guys would
just sneak in there.

Me, I got caught one time,
and I had to bring my mom down there

and had to sign a release saying
I would never go in there again.

You know, of course,
I went in again.

But anyone can now surf at Trestles

is down to another member of
the San Onofre Surfing Club,

albeit an honorary one,

Richard Nixon.

Richard Nixon,
when he became president,

was looking for a vacation home.

He settled on a property that
is on the extreme southern tip

of San Clemente.

And it's a rather
historic structure.

We would see him periodically,
and he'd wave to us.

The story goes that
having exclusive access

to this beautiful
military owned coast

inspired Nixon to create his
legacy of the Parks programme,

a huge push to give the public
access to vast areas of state land.

And one of the first state parks
created under the programme

was the beach.

The whole beach,

San Onofre and Trestles.

So all Don has to worry about
now is catching the right wave.

You look like you were having fun.

It did, that last one that
you had from over there.

That was a good one.

It was an OK wave. Yeah. Yeah.
That was a nice one to finish on.

Always, you got the
grin on your face.

The one that makes your day.
That's all.

You going to go back out?

Maybe.
HE LAUGHS

But there's trouble in paradise.

As we pass through the
small station of San Clemente,

a coastal mist envelops us.

But the weather here is more
than just a temporary threat,

something that coastal
preservation manager

Stefanie Sekich-Quinn
is all too aware of.

Well, the train ride
from my home in San Diego

up to Northern California
is some of the most

beautiful stretch
of land on the Earth.

But for Stefanie, the location of
the railroad is a serious concern.

That's because the coast is
on a one way track to oblivion.

The railroad is extremely
close to the beach.

It's amazing for that reason,

you get to be on the
train and see wildlife,

whether it be a dolphin,
or a whale or a seal.

But now we're starting to see
erosion and other types of problems.

Coastal erosion threatens
everything on the beach,

including the railroad.

So what's fascinating
about where we're standing

and where the railroad
tracks are is it's all beach.

So underneath,
it's lacking stability.

And the continual storms and
sea level rise we're having

are making this
even more problematic.

Attempts are being made
to hold the waves back.

All of these rocks are put here

to protect the infrastructure
that's here, including the train.

Unfortunately, it hasn't
been necessarily working.

There used to be a basketball
court that was down here,

concessions, a large
bathroom with showers,

where surfers could come and
take a shower after surfing.

None of these things are still here.

And photographs of the
area back in the 1950s

showed just how much
land has been lost.

So while these rocks
are have good intentions,

they're just not strong enough
to fight against Mother Nature

and climate change.

This is a great example right here.

Look at this.

This entire corner is being
undermined by the ocean.

Literally, there's nothing
holding up this piece of concrete

but itself.

Eventually it will collapse,

because the ocean will erode
underneath all of the concrete.

And this is potentially what could
happen underneath the train tracks.

So the thing that makes this
railway line so special,

the coast and the sea,

threatens its very existence.

And there's a compounding factor.

So as our climate is changing,

we're having more
south swells come in,

we're having different
types of sea level rise.

So it's not just the ocean
that's threatening the tracks,

it's climate change that
is threatening the tracks.

Worst case scenario
for this train track

is it ends up
falling into the ocean.

This is one scenic railway
journey that begs to be taken now.

HORN WAILS

And as the mist clears,
we're back on the line.

And once more, dreaming
the Californian dream.

We have the best view in all of
southern California right here.

But it's soon time to take
a break from the seaside.

Now we're making a hard right,
and we're going to Los Angeles.

We're going to say goodbye
to the beach for a couple of hours,

but hello, LA.

TANNOY: Seven, seven, general.

At first sight,
Los Angeles Union Station

is a relatively
unexciting place,

but once we exit the tunnel,

we're in luxury.

We're in one of Los Angeles's
architectural gems.

Built in 1939...

..a mix of Art Deco and Spanish
colonial revival styles.

It's recently been
beautifully refurbished

and restored to its original glory.

Working the sumptuous replica

of an early 20th
century shoeshine stand,

we find Marco Ramirez.

I've been here eight
years at the Union Station

in downtown Los Angeles.

I started in 2016.

I have always wanted
to be in a public area,

and what better public area
than here at Union Station,

Los Angeles, California?

I just love what I do,
counteracting with people.

Here we have Mr Mario
that's just passing by,

enjoying the afternoon.

And with an expert brush,

attention to the soles
and a final shine...

HE SPEAKS SPANISH

...we're ready to explore.

We wander past the ticket hall

with a 110 foot long
black walnut counter,

the backdrop to the
2021 Oscars ceremony.

The vast waiting room adorned
with inlaid marble floors

and hand-painted mission tiles.

And outside, we can watch the
world go by on shaded patios

lulled by the tiled fountain.

And if we're feeling
like refreshment,

inside is Traxx's Bar
and Restaurant.

Chris, the owner, is opening
up specially for us.

The bar has always
been a talking place.

It was the old phone booth room,

where reporters in
the 1930s and '40s

would run with gossip
on the new phenomenon

of the Hollywood movie star.

Back in the day,

we had a lot of celebrities
pass through the station,

mainly because they had to go

to Chicago, New York.

They did projects here and there.

So when the celebrities were to come
in on the trains,

the reporters then took
the hottest latest story,

and they ran to
the switchboard room.

So here we have the
old switchboard cabinet.

Which are now full
of wine and booze.

They had the switchboards in here.

They had an attendant over here.

The journalist would then
pay the attendant

and phone up headquarters,
tell them what the latest news were.

Now it's an iPhone.
You can do it from anywhere.

So that's how it worked.

With the phone cabinets
replaced by cocktail mixers,

the bar is still a
great place for gossip.

You know, we still get celebrities
coming through Traxx Bar.

And when you drink, you're
brave enough to talk to people

who are not like you.

Everybody in our bar,
they talk to each other.

So at Traxx, we get all kinds
of people walking through,

anything from people
getting out of jail,

to celebrities, politicians,

attorneys, actors,

construction workers.

There's no better place,
I think, in LA.

There you go.

After enjoying our cocktail,

we'll go in search
of something to eat

as we exchange the best place in LA

for some of the best
agricultural land in the US.

Sweet, and crisp and delicious.

We're travelling up California's
sun drenched coast

on the aptly named
Pacific Surfliner.

We've explored Los Angeles's
magnificent Union Station,

where we've spruced up
and enjoyed a cocktail

and are looking forward
to the next leg of our journey.

From Los Angeles,

the Surfliner takes us through some
of the best strawberry growing land

in the States,

before skirting magnificent beaches
to make our way to Santa Barbara

and an historic Franciscan mission.

We'll then hug the coast
for a final stunning view

before reaching our
destination and relaxing in style

at San Luis Obispo's Madonna Inn.

But first, we're swapping
our 350 mile journey

for one a little bit shorter.

300 foot long Angels Flight.

Opening in 1901, this little railway

carried pedestrians up Bunker Hill,

allowing them to avoid one of
downtown LA's steepest streets.

But that ride almost came to an end
when Bunker Hill was redeveloped

and Angels Flight removed.

Angels flight was taken
off the hill in 1969

and stored for 30 years

before it was put back now
here in its second location.

So in 120 years, we've been
closed for 30 and open for 90.

This is a funicular railway,

which means that it has two cars
connected by a cable or rope.

Best seen underneath
in the engine room.

There's two ropes here.

One of them comes in and
around that bull wheel,

around and out.

And then we have our emergency rope
that comes in and around and out.

We strive to maintain
originality up front,

but down underneath here, we do
things a little bit differently.

And if you follow me...

Every move of the train
is computer monitored

and controlled for safety.

But whilst the engine room is
state of the art,

up top, everything is just as
it was when this was a city

of a mere 100,000 people.

Making it a place where
the old spirit of LA lives on.

There's something very neat
about Angels Flight to me.

It's a place where you can
feel community as an Angeleno,

one of the few places left.

You see moms and dads come
here early in the morning,

and you see young couples
steal a first kiss together.

Old people reliving their
youth of coming down here

with their grandparents
to go shopping.

It's a pretty magical place to me.

Going for a ride on Angels Flight
is one of my favourite things.

Hmm.

Up here, keeping everything
the way it was is key.

And really, the longest
part of riding Angels Flight

is waiting for it to load.

It's the exchange of money
that actually takes so long.

We've gone through conversations
about automating the process,

and we've firmly landed
on the textile experience

of exchanging a dollar for a ticket

and getting on the ride,
the old world way.

From the time the operator
pushes the button to send us...

..Angels Flight takes 62
seconds from start to finish.

You can hear the bells of
the cable rolling over it.

That lovely sound
was actually engineered

to be just like it was originally.

Modernising the undercarriage
would stop the wheels noise

as they scrape over
the bend in the tracks,

but the noise is all part of this
little train's undeniable charm.

But it's time to leave and
return to our rather larger

but still quite charming train.

HORN WAILS

We pull out of the
station the way we came in

so that now the engine
is at the front.

In Southern California,
we have a unique system.

It's called a push pull service.

So going north into Los Angeles,

the train is being
pushed by the engine.

And then after Los Angeles,

the train is being pulled
by the engine.

Leaving LA behind, the Surfliner
takes us through agricultural land,

overlooked by the
Santa Monica mountains.

I think the way that we travel
through here gives us a bit

more intimate of
a relationship with...

..the scenery around us.

The mountains and the valleys,

gets you a bit closer to that.

Caresses you within the
curves of the mountainsides.

It's really beautiful,
really impeccably...stunning.

This stunning land includes some
of the best agricultural areas

in the US, and at this time of year,
the peak crop is strawberries.

TANNOY: Our next station
stop will be Ventura.

Beautiful Ventura!

Ed Terry has been working
these fields for most of his life.

He's a fifth generation
strawberry farmer.

California is about 80%
of all strawberries sold

in the United States.

It's greater than a $2 billion
industry on about 23,000 acres

of land up and down
coastal California.

We have such a
Mediterranean climate,

not too hot, not too cold.

And the strawberries
don't like to have extreme

differences in temperature.

Ed and his crew take great care
to ensure that every strawberry

they sell is perfect.

Let's take a look at the berries
here on the strawberry bed.

A lot of them got
damage from all the rain

we had earlier in the week.

And so the crew is
going to go through,

and they're going to
pick off everything

that is diseased-looking
from the rain.

This discoloration that
will never turn red.

We've got to get that off the plant.

We'll throw it in the juice bin,

and get the plant
to regenerate itself.

Like a computer, it's
going to reboot itself

and propagate new berries.

Once picked, the strawberries
are given a thorough inspection

by foreman Lorenzo.

IN SPANISH:

IN ENGLISH: Those
that make the grade

are put into
containers called clams.

Then they're loaded onto a truck

and taken a short drive away
to where a growing crowd

is eagerly waiting for them.

This is where it is.
So here we go.

Coming right from
the field, as we said.

Picked just less than an hour ago.

And in no time, the strawberry
stand is in full swing.

Folks are here excited
about strawberries

because the thing about
strawberries, you can't but help

look at a strawberry box
and call it the happy crop.

They're sweet,
and crisp and delicious.

They're going like hotcakes.

Finally getting through the big
line, slowing down a little bit now,

but we're getting down towards
the end of our inventory, so,

it's working out well.

They only let us get four.

And my wife went and got four,
so I came back and got four more.

So that's how you beat the system.

With such a long queue,

it's not long until the
stand is sold out.

Last two. Last two.

Time to pack up and reflect
on a good day's work.

We get folks coming all
the way out of Los Angeles,

Bakersfield, Northern California.

They'll make a day
trip down to Ventura.

Next thing you know,
they're back the next week

just saying how
much they enjoyed it.

And I just got to tell you,
that's just a great feeling

for me to have and
our family to have.

Stuffed with strawberries,

we're back on our train
and heading for another feast,

a feast for the eyes.

It just gets more, and more,
and more and more beautiful

all the way up the coast.

It's literally the ocean, a cliff,
the train tracks and the mountains.

It's wonderful.

Refreshed after making a small
dent in America's strawberry crop,

we're continuing up
the coast and past

some of the finest
houses in California.

One of the coolest things
that I like about this trip

is that if you're into architecture,

we go through neighbourhoods,
and you get to see the back yards

of these like beautiful houses

that are right next to the beach.

There's no two houses in a
neighbourhood that look the same.

We're approaching our next stop.

TANNOY: Santa Barbara
coming right up.

Thanks for travelling with us.

The uber desirable seaside
town of Santa Barbara.

But we're not here for the fancy
restaurants or smart houses.

Instead, we're seeking
solace for the spirit.

This is Mission Santa Barbara.

A place of Christian worship
and home to Franciscan friars,

like Brother Mark, since 1786.

Franciscan friars are
a Catholic order of men.

And we were started by
Saint Francis of Assisi.

And we take three vows.

Vows of poverty,
chastity and obedience.

Poverty means that
we share with everyone.

Chastity is to love all people.

And obedience comes from the
Latin word that means to listen.

The mission's history is
intertwined with our journey.

San Diego, San Onofre, San Clemente,

Ventura, Santa Barbara.

Our journey has had a theme.

In California,
when you take the train,

you're going to see all
these names of Spanish saints.

And that's the name of the cities.

Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo claimed
California for Spain

in the 16th century,
and in the 18th century,

Spain decided that Franciscan friars

would help extend
Spanish influence in the area

by setting up missions
where Native Americans

could be baptised and live.

So the first mission that was
established was in San Diego.

Then the friars picked different
spots in California,

the spots where the Native Americans
were, friendly, saying,

"You know, live with us
and we'll work together."

Each mission was
within 30 miles or so,

a day's horse ride of each other.

So, many of the cities in
California get their name

from the California missions
and from other saints

that the friars
labelled along the way.

So when you ride the train,
you're going to see that.

The Franciscans
influenced everything here.

The red tiled roofs, whitewashed
walls and arched colonnades,

as well as palm trees.

They were the first to plant palm
trees ornamentally in California,

something that has
definitely caught on.

The mission is now home to
a magnificent working church

and peaceful courtyards,

all curated by a
community of friars.

So there are 18
friars that live here,

and we live in the second story,

if you can see, around.

Friars, pray together twice a day
in the morning and before dinner.

Each friar has a different ministry.

My ministry is for the Western US,

I promote justice and
nonviolence issues,

so I travel around promoting that.

Leaving Brother Mark to his work,

we board the train again
for our last breathtaking journey

along the coastal railway.

A line that will take us from the
simplicity of the early Franciscans

to the opulence of
modern California.

It just gets more, and more,
and more and more beautiful

all the way up the coast.

It's literally the ocean, a cliff,
the train tracks and the mountains.

It's wonderful.

And after our last awe inspiring
ride on the Surfliner,

we pull into our destination,
San Luis Obispo.

Here, we get a very Californian
reward for the end of our journey.

Quirky indulgence
in San Luis Obispo's

famous Madonna Inn.

Built in the 1950s by
construction magnate Alex Madonna

and his wife Phyllis,

the Madonna Inn is a shrine
to the Californian dream.

Making sure that the inn
keeps its fun extravagance

and fulfilling her own dream
is marketing manager Amanda Rich.

I grew up in San Luis Obispo.

So I spent many years as a child

coming in here and
checking out the decorations.

And now that I've been working here,

I've actually got
to flip the circle,

and I am helping with
all the decorating,

and I get to be a part of it,
which is just amazing.

The inn has a pool
and a pretty garden,

but it's its architecture
that really sets it apart.

Well, Mr Madonna, he was
in the construction business,

and he would travel
up and down the coast

and stay at different places,
and they all were the same.

And so he wanted to do
something different and unique.

Unique it certainly is.

Every room has its
own individual theme.

The caveman, to the
Austrian to Edelweiss.

From that little girl who wants
to come and stay for her birthday

to that couple who was
here for their honeymoon

and want to stay in romance.

There's something for everybody.

There's not two rooms alike.

There's even a room
for gnome lovers.

And, of course, with
an inn built by someone

in the construction industry,

a highway room.

Though this room is far
removed from your average

construction workers hut.

Mr Madonna, you know, he had
a really silly personality.

That's why there's so many fun
little things around Madonna Inn.

Like the men's urinal.

Built to look like a waterfall,

it's an interesting example
of Californian inventiveness.

So if it's over the top,
we usually go for that.

Like, for example, with this bunny,
he's kind of eclectic and strange,

but, you know what, that's perfect
because we're very unique,

and you're not going to
see it anywhere else.

And it's not only the
inn that's inventive,

sometimes, it's the guests.

One of the waitresses said,
"I have a strange question.

"We have a guest that's here
that actually has a chimpanzee,

"and they want to sit down and
have breakfast. Is that allowed?"

And I thought to myself,
you know, I don't know.

We've never had that experience
before, but sure, why not?

And that chimpanzee just sat
down and used silverware

and sat there politely
and ate their meal.

So, you know, you never
know what you're going to see

when you're here at Madonna Inn.

Mr Madonna loved red
and he also loved pink.

And he thought that it
was a flattering colour,

and looked good on
everybody and a romantic colour.

So you'll see lots of that
around here at Madonna Inn.

It's kind of our theme,
our pink theme.

It certainly is. Pink is everywhere.

Pink chairs, pink leather,

pink ice buckets,
pink tennis courts,

and even pink sugar in the cafe.

And after a trip to the pink bar,
it's time to retire to our room,

allow the fire to spring into life,

relax in the quirky splendour and
look back on a fantastic journey.

Over nine hours, we've been
treated to breathtaking views

of the Californian coast...

..enjoyed travel from another age...

..and experienced a land marked
by Californian dreams of health...

..spirituality and fun.

All this on a busy commuter line

that is also one of the most
scenic railways in the world.