maine to nyc by train: a lighthouse tour
15,608
Published 2024-01-07
5 days from Maine to NYC: a solo autumnal tour of lighthouses in the Northeastern USA, by train.
This idea for a trip had been on my mind for a while, but doing it was way better than I ever expected.
I had always wanted to see some of the amazing lighthouses in New England, and make another Amtrak video. So last autumn when I had the opportunity to go to the USA, I spent days scouring the internet for boat tours and cool towns to stop in, and came up with this. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed doing it.
You can book the same lighthouse tours as me with getyourguide here: getyourguide.tp.st/tdIUKmPW (this is a referral link where I receive a small commission)
Starting from a motel room in Brunswick Maine, the very far northeastern end of the train lines in the USA, I ride Amtrak's Downeaster service down to Boston, stopping overnight in Portland, Maine and Portsmouth, New Hampshire along the way. And then further with Amtrak's Northeast Regional down to Providence / Newport Rhode Island, and then New York City.
I was so lucky to end up doing this north-to-south, because I went to Portland Head Light first and discovered the Lighthouse Passport from the United States Lighthouse Society. Filling this passport with lighthouse stamps is now going to be my full-time hobby/obsession every time I'm in the USA...
Riding around on Amtrak was again good fun, I met a lot of Americans who had literally never ridden a train before and couldn't comprehend what I was doing, but to me it was fun. The service is better than some people give it credit for!
I also discovered another USA obsession of mine, sweetgreen's shroomami with light ginger-miso dressing, wow... I might have to book another flight ticket just to eat that again.
If you have any questions about planning your own solo rail travel in the USA trip, hit me up in the comments or on instagram :)
I hope that you're doing well and staying safe.
insta: www.instagram.com/tomth0rnton/
#travel #usa #amtrak
Music from Epidemic Sound, feel free to sign up using my referral link if you liked it :) share.epidemicsound.com/nu1tb0
Camera: amzn.to/3bGGrb2
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SSD I edit from: amzn.to/3syP7He
0:00 Brunswick, Maine by train
1:20 Train to Portland, Maine
2:19 Portland, Maine
3:28 Lighthouse boat tour Portland, Maine
4:19 Portland Head Light boat tour
5:50 Portland Head Light Park
7:12 Lighthouse passport
8:30 Amtrak Downeaster to New Hampshire
9:35 Portsmouth New Hampshire
12:23 Lighthouse boat tour Portsmouth New Hampshire
15:48 Amtrak Downeaster in autumn
18:16 Salem Massachusetts in October
20:10 Plymouth Rock from Boston
21:54 Train from Boston to Providence
23:40 Lighthoust boat tour Newport Rhode Island
28:07 Amtrak Providence to New York
All Comments (21)
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Remember to hit like on the video if you’re here for my lighthouse era 🍁🇺🇸⚓️ I already can’t wait to shoot another USA vlog collecting more lighthouse stamps 🏃🏻 Check out the Patreon for more content and to support my sweetgreen habit 🥺 With special thanks to the national lighthouse museum on Staten Island, as well as all the nice Americans who I met on this trip 👏
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This, my friend, is a trip many of us Americans would love to take. Thank you for sharing.
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You can tell a great travel video because it makes you want to pack your bags and travel too, thanks so much. And a bonus thank you for introducing me to the lighthouse passport, I'd been planning to get a stamp book for a future visit to Japan but now I want to visit lighthouses and get stamps in my lighthouse passport too!
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Haha he’s even wearing LLbean. Really getting into the spirit here. Also if you like the lighthouse passport you’d probably like the national park passport. I’ve been enjoying it way too much filling pages.
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The US Lighthouse Society is awesome and covers lighthouses all across America, from Maine to California (and you'd be surprised how many lighthouses there are in the MIDDLE of the country, like on the Great Lakes.) It's a great organization with tours, a genuinely well-written magazine full of lighthouse history, other great perks and in general, is exactly the type of, as you say so well, "pointless nerdy fun" we all love. As always, thanks for another great and informative video (I had no idea the Statue of Liberty had been used as a lighthouse!)
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Oh how I loved going along on your tour of New England. I lived there for 36 years and have been to all of those places. The lighthouse passport is GREAT! I live here and had no idea such a thing existed. Love it!
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Wow! that shot at 0:30! Just for 1 second of footage so much effort!!! We noticed it!!
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The Statue of Liberty stamp was truly the icing on the cake! Love that stamp collecting idea. It reminds me of how in Japan you can collect stamps at roadside stops and stations etc. featuring local landmarks etc. - so cool. Nice video, looked like a very special and memorable trip.
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As an American, it was great to see your enthusiasm and appreciation for our history in your travels. There's a sense of idealism about the US. that I admire when I see or meet travelers from other countries, and it makes me feel proud to be an American and helps see my country through another's eyes. I hope you were treated well, and thank you for documenting your time here. I LOVED your hat from Maine, If you ever find yourself in Los Angeles send me a message I would love to meet you and show you the sights here. 🏳️🌈😊
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As a Mainer living in Boston, I've ridden the Downeaster too many times to count. Thank you for sharing your experience and reminding us of the magic
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Your gentle humour and manner comes across in these videos and makes them into something really quite lovely to watch. My last four holidays have all been to NYC as it is such an easy place to go on my own. I can walk out of the hotel in the morning with a vague plan and just follow my nose. I think you've convinced me to follow it further afield on my next trip!
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The most wholesome travel content on YouTube. ❤
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Weww those autumn leaves deserve a supporting cast credit, incredible scenery! Next time you’re in NYC you’ll have to take the Long Island rail road to add Montauk lighthouse to the passport.
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Hey Tom, love your content! I stamp lighthouse passports where I volunteer. Looking forward to stamping yours someday. Lime Kiln Point State Park, Washington.
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That giddy smile throughout, what an adventure…😁😉
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Nothing I love more than train trips and lighthouses. Having seen 331 lighthouses in the US and a couple in Canada, I can say I love my passport books. I have only filled three of them about 180 because many locations for stamps were shut down during COVID. I love the geekiness. Love your videos and I was thrilled to see this combination! I loved seeing places I love. Newport is always fun and oh so many lighthouses - even on the rocks of Castle Hill. The head of the US LIghthouse Society lives in Portsmith, NH. He is great as are all lighthouse fans.
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Thank you so much for visiting, for what I think, is the best part of the USA: New England. I've stayed at the same motel in Brunswick, Maine. And as a ham radio operator, I've operated from some of the lighthouses you visited, communicating to other lighthouses around the country. And as a resident of New Hampshire, "Live Free or Die" means everything to us. The freedom to live without oppressive government regulation and taxation. That is why we have no state income or sales tax nor overzealous governmental intrusion into our lives. I hope you come back and visit .... you missed a few dozen lighthouses - and I don't think you had any of our famous lobstahs! Cheers mate!
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Best lighthouse video on YouTube. Hands down.
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I'm from Boston and I haven't been to all these places. Thanks for the inspiration and motivation!
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I lived in Maine for a few years, such a beautiful state with so much to explore! And I’m from Long Island, lots to check out here too, Montauk Lighthouse is worth the trip!
