John Ringling is barreling towards Florida at about 80 miles an hour.

Usually he travels for work. He is the advanced man for the circus.

But this time, it's not a business trip. He's on vacation.

Working in the circus has made John Ringling very, very, very rich.

So he travels in style. He travels in his own private, customized train car, sort of like a cross

between a private jet and a traveling luxury hotel suite.

It's shiny emerald green.

It has beautiful mahogany, interiors, stained glass, opalescent glass, gold gilt.

So it really is luxury on the rails.

John, or his wife, Mabel, who we usually traveled with, could ring a bell right by the sofa,

and their staff would appear.

There could be up to eight guests on the train car at a time, one staff and seven guests.

They would entertain on this train car.

On board, refreshments included steak, bacon, apples, cream, beer, and rye whiskey.

There was a full dining room and there was an even larger observation lounge that had music in it.

Sitting out on the observation deck, watching the green hills and scenery roll by.

John must have felt like he was on top of the world.

But, you know, sometimes with ambitious people, that feeling only lasts so long, there

always needs to be a next thing, a next mountain to climb.

And right at this moment, John is barreling towards his next mountain. It was called Sarasota, Florida. I'm Dillon Thuris, and this is Atlas of Skira,

a celebration of the world's strange, incredible, and wondrous places.

And this episode was produced in partnership with Visit Sarasota.

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