On this 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 rode the full route herself — from New Orleans, through coastal Mississippi, to Mobile, Alabama — and this episode traces both her firsthand experience and the story of how the route came back to life.

Listen to the episode below in the YouTube player or download it from Podbean:

Before Hurricane Katrina, the Gulf Coast had passenger rail service through the Sunset Limited, running three days a week between Los Angeles and Jacksonville. After the storm, that service disappeared — and it took two decades, a three-state compact called the Southern Rail Commission, and champions like the late Senator Thad Cochran and Senator Roger Wicker to bring it back. Mississippi ultimately led the funding push alongside Louisiana and the City of Mobile, and the Mardi Gras Train relaunched with twice-daily service between New Orleans and Mobile.

In its first year, the Mardi Gras Train carried 150,000 riders and became one of the highest-rated customer service trains in the entire Amtrak system — nicknamed the "happy train" by its own onboard crews. Amtrak Executive Vice President Jennifer Mitchell called it a route that "has exceeded every expectation for ridership and revenue," crediting the onboard teams and regional tourism partners who helped spread the word.

Terri's own trip started in New Orleans, where she stayed at the Roosevelt Hotel — a Waldorf Astoria property and her longtime home base in the city — before heading out along the coast. Onboard, she was struck by the wide seats and legroom, the quiet, window-watching pace of the ride, alligator sightings in the bayou between New Orleans and Bay St. Louis, and a café car stocked with Community Coffee, muffulettas, and Zapp's potato chips.

In Bay St. Louis, she stayed at the Pearl Hotel and had a standout meal at the Thorny Oyster, and made time for the Katrina museum in nearby Waveland. In Mobile, she checked into the historic Battle House and got around entirely by golf cart — admitting it was her first time ever exploring the city's downtown despite driving through the area for years.

Plan your trip: Amtrak Mardi Gras Service | Southern Rail Commission

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.

🎧 New episodes of Big Blend Radio's Travel with Terri Podcast air every Tuesday at 9am CST.