Great American Railroad Journeys

S02E05 Lawrence to Topeka, Kansas

Michael Portillo embarks on his 1,500-mile expedition across the American Wild West, guided by his 19th-century Appleton's Guide. In Lawrence, Kansas, he participates in a lively prairie chicken dance with a student from Haskell Indian Nations University and discovers the historical treatment of Native Americans in the 1800s. He also gets swept up in the excitement at Allen Fieldhouse, cheering on the Jayhawks basketball team alongside their spirited cheerleaders. Continuing his journey through Tornado Alley, he meets one of America’s earliest storm chasers in Topeka. While traversing the Great Plains, Michael explores the Tallgrass Prairie and encounters a majestic herd of wild buffalo.