Episode Details

Happy World Car Free Day! On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Travel with Terri" Podcast, travel journalist Terri Guthrie kicks off a new series exploring Amtrak's Mardi Gras Train, joined by Knox Ross, Chairman of the Southern Rail Commission.

Terri just rode the full route herself — from New Orleans, through coastal Mississippi, to Mobile, Alabama — and shares what stood out most about slow train travel along the Gulf Coast: the wide seats and legroom, alligator sightings from the window, and the walkable hotel scene waiting at every stop. Knox walks through how the route came back after two decades without Gulf Coast passenger rail service post-Katrina, the Mississippi-led push to fund it, and why it's become one of the highest-rated customer service trains in the entire Amtrak system, with 150,000 riders in its first year.

Along the way: the best places to stay near each station, why downtown Mobile is quietly having a food-and-culture renaissance, what's in the café car, and the Facebook community of Mardi Gras Train superfans already planning their next trip.

This episode kicks off Big Blend Radio's new Mardi Gras Train series — stay tuned for upcoming episodes diving deeper into Bay St. Louis and Mobile.

Links & Resources

- Amtrak Mardi Gras Service: https://www.amtrak.com/mardigras

- Southern Rail Commission – Mardi Gras Service: https://www.southernrailcommission.org/amtrak-mardi-gras-service

Listen to Terri's New Orleans Episodes:

- The Roosevelt: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/the-roosevelt-new-orleans

- Travel New Orleans: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/travel-new-orleans-with-terri

Keep up with Terri's Podcast & Digital Podcast Magazine at https://www.travelwithterri.com/

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