starri July 19, 2018 Share July 19, 2018 Oh, it's on PBS. I figured it couldn't be on the Travel Channel, since I didn't see any mention of ghosts in the title of the show. I didn't always like Samantha, but on an episode of Passport to Great Weekends, she took a turn behind the bar at a a dive-bar adjacent place in Vegas. One of the patrons recognized her and asked why she was there, and her answer was "I'm working! Cable doesn't pay shit!" At that point, she totally won me over. She seems like she'd be fun to go out drinking with. Link to comment
Happywatcher July 23, 2018 Share July 23, 2018 She seems like someone you would trust, which I think is not at all easy through TV. 1 Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo July 24, 2018 Share July 24, 2018 (edited) Please note that the original airdate may be different in your area due to the show airing on PBS and Create. Quote Samantha ends this season with an all-American family RV road trip throughout the state of Oregon. From Hood River to Fossil to Bend, Samantha and her family take in the magnificent scenery and explore some of the most intriguing stops along the way. She also learns how to drive an authentic Model T car and visits a real-working ranch, where she gets to herd Black Angus cattle. Edited July 24, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo Link to comment
TimothyQ July 27, 2018 Share July 27, 2018 I’ve loved Samantha since back in the Great Hotels days. Looking forward to watching this! 6 Link to comment
Happywatcher July 28, 2018 Share July 28, 2018 Watched two in DVR. Samantha is just as likable as ever. You get the sense she likes people and she wants us to enjoy going wherever she is. Plus, the show is informative and easy to follow 2 Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo July 28, 2018 Share July 28, 2018 On 7/23/2018 at 3:30 PM, Happywatcher said: She seems like someone you would trust, which I think is not at all easy through TV. I agree. She always seems sincere and honest. I still remember when she went to Milan for Passport to Europe and she was very blunt about the fact that she didn't enjoy it, but without seeming like a grump. 2 Link to comment
stormy October 1, 2018 Share October 1, 2018 For me, she's so likeable, that I'll even watch her sell her luggage on HSN. Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo October 2, 2018 Share October 2, 2018 5 hours ago, stormy said: For me, she's so likeable, that I'll even watch her sell her luggage on HSN. Same here! She is just so friendly and likeable that I love listening to her chat about anything! 1 Link to comment
sadtvjunkie October 18, 2018 Share October 18, 2018 Sad that all her kids wanted to do was watch tv. We did a 2 month long trip with our 12 yo dd of the western national parks and then came back through South Dakota and Indiana and down through Georgia back to Florida. Our dd can still tell us everywhere we went and what we did on that trip. She earned about 20 junior ranger badges. We had a tv but it was only used for DVD watching if the weather was bad at night. Otherwise we made a campfire, looked at the stars, did night hikes, played with other kids. What childhood is all about. Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo October 18, 2018 Share October 18, 2018 Mr. EB has joked about us taking an RV trip since I met him so I am looking forward to seeing this episode! Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo January 5, 2019 Share January 5, 2019 FYI - S2 just started airing a few days ago! I'll see what I can dig up about the first episode! Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo January 5, 2019 Share January 5, 2019 S2.E1: Hong Kong Quote Traveling to a city with so much to see is often a challenge, but not for Samantha. She starts her journey through Hong Kong by first visiting PMQ, a venue for local arts and design. After visiting various shops, Samantha meets designer Douglas Young at his popular Goods of Desire shop (and plays Mahjong!). She also visits an East meets West tea shop, ventures outside the busy city for a tranquil hike, and much more. Samantha's guide to Hong Kong I definitely agree with her recommendation to try Tsui Wah. They have a really extensive menu with tons of different food and they're open early/late. If you go at different times of the day, they have different menus - I learned this when my husband tried to order something he'd had in the morning when we went in the late afternoon on a different day. One of my favorite late night snacks was toasted bread with condensed milk. SO GOOD. One thing she didn't mention but that I recommend is getting an Octopus card. It's a card that you can put money on and it can be used to take public transportation as well as paying at many retail establishments (like Tsui Wah), supermarkets, etc. There were some places that would not accept any of the major credit cards my husband and I had (Visa, Mastercard, American Express). They would take only Hong Kong dollars or Octopus cards. Fun fact: the Octopus card is the precursor to the UK's Oyster card! Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo January 13, 2019 Share January 13, 2019 (edited) Despite the fact that I lived in southern California for most of my life, I've never been to Palm Springs so I was interested to see what Samantha would do there. I am not into mid-centry modern so the architecture and old school furnishings are not appealing to me, but I did love how many consignment shops were in the city so that people could rent or buy things that would fit in with the homes. I didn't know that all the houses have to be one story so that no one's views of the mountains are blocked so I learned something new! The thing I love most about Samantha Brown is that she does not try to hide how she feels about things, so when she started freaking out and squealing about touching the mealworms, it just made me like her even more (I may have been known to make similar noises when confronted with something that made me uncomfortable). The BMW driving course seemed more random than the other places she visited, but it was fun to see her learn how to do the movie bank robbery move. The other reason I found that segment interesting to watch is that on most travel shows, the hosts who visit places like that are usually men who are into cars so it was different to see a woman who wasn't the typical "I love fast cars and muscle cars" kind of person learning how to do this stuff. I am going to try that head tilt/blind spot adjustment with my mirrors! Edited January 13, 2019 by ElectricBoogaloo 1 Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo January 19, 2019 Share January 19, 2019 (edited) S2.E2 Palm Springs Quote What Art Deco is to Miami is what Mid-Century Modern is to Palm Springs. Samantha finds this out first-hand by taking a tour of several iconic homes, then visits Gypsyland, a local furniture shop that specializes in Mid-Century furniture. At The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, Samantha volunteers to help assemble some of the unique enrichment meals with an Animal Care Curator. She also takes a course in stunt driving, visits Shields Date Garden, and ventures out to the historic Joshua Tree National Park. Samantha Brown's guide to Palm Springs Edited January 23, 2019 by ElectricBoogaloo Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo January 23, 2019 Share January 23, 2019 S2.E3 Lake Geneva and the Valais region, Switzerland Quote Of all the magnificent parts of Switzerland, the Valais Region is special. It’s home to Barryland, where Samantha visits a living museum that serves as a hospice for the famed St. Bernard dogs. She also visits the historic Beau Rivage Geneva Hotel, takes a stroll through Old Town, and boards a steamship to take in the stunning views along Lake Geneva. She also visits Chaplin’s World, the estate turned museum-studio of Charlie Chaplin. Add in fabulous wine, a popular music festival, a gondola ride to the top of the Alps, and a lesson in playing the iconic alphorn instrument, and you’ll see why Lake Geneva is a place to love. Samantha Brown's guide to Lake Geneva Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo January 23, 2019 Share January 23, 2019 Samantha was definitely correct - she could have showed an entire episode of just her playing with this adorable roly poly St. Bernard puppies and that would have been enough! 2 Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo January 24, 2019 Share January 24, 2019 S2.E4: Santa Fe, New Mexico Quote Follow Samantha as she explores one of her favorite places in the United States: Santa Fe. She gets a lesson in breakfast burritos at popular Tia Sophia’s, and meets the renown cartoonist, Ricardo Caté, whose Native American inspired cartoons combine politics with humor. Next, it’s on to the New Mexico Capitol Art Collection, followed by a breathtaking hike to the peak of Dale Ball Trail #9. After that, a deserved margarita at legendary Cowgirl BBQ. No trip to Santa Fe could be complete without a massage at Ten Thousand Waves. All this and more make Santa Fe a place to love. Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo January 28, 2019 Share January 28, 2019 Samantha Brown's guide to Santa Fe Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo January 29, 2019 Share January 29, 2019 I've never been to New Mexico, so I was interested to see what Samantha Brown loves so much in Santa Fe that she keeps going back. Despite her obvious love for the city, I wasn't convinced that it's a place I need to go. There was nothing bad about Santa Fe, mind you. Lots of art, lots of food, lots of sunshine. But I live in California so I can already get that here! Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo January 31, 2019 Share January 31, 2019 S2.E5 Seoul, South Korea Quote Seoul is a huge metropolis and the capital of South Korea, where high-tech and pop culture meet palaces and street markets. Samantha starts her journey by taking a tour in Yeonnam-Dong. This neighborhood has been re-purposed into a green space filled with a resurgence of diverse restaurants, and most importantly, coffee shops. Next, Samantha samples some of the popular banchan (side dishes) at an authentic restaurant, and learns about the proper etiquette of eating and drinking. Add in a lesson in Jogakbo, a style of patchwork; a day at the Korean Stone Art Stone Museum; and a stunning stroll through the Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival, and you’ll fall in love with Seoul, too. Original air date: 1/30/19 Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo February 6, 2019 Share February 6, 2019 The Jogakbo was so pretty! But it made me feel bad thinking about these women who weren't allowed to go outside and resorted to sewing together tiny scraps of cloth as something to do. Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo February 6, 2019 Share February 6, 2019 (edited) S2.E6: Lafayette and Cajun Country, Louisiana Quote Welcome to the heart of Cajun Country. It’s a place where you’re never far from a good dance, fantastic live music, great food and one of America’s best-preserved and most unique cultures. Cajun Country clearly moves to its own beat. Here, hospitality isn’t a travel buzzword, but a way of life. It’s easy to see why Lafayette and Cajun Country are a place to love. Original air date: 2/6/19 Edited February 9, 2019 by ElectricBoogaloo Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo February 9, 2019 Share February 9, 2019 Samantha's guide to Lafayette Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo February 13, 2019 Share February 13, 2019 My favorite part was Samantha's dance lesson and then flashbacks to her bouncing to the music at the festival. I love that she isn't afraid to make fun of herself. Mmmm, five pound of crawfish! I thought she might ask about all the different names (crawdads, crawfish, mud bugs, etc). My mouth was watering when I saw all that delicious food! 1 Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo February 13, 2019 Share February 13, 2019 S2.E7: Rhine River Cruise Quote Samantha takes an epic trip along the Rhine River, first stopping at Freiburg, Germany, the gateway to the Black Forest. Next, Samantha visits a workshop, whose craftspeople work on restoration pieces for the Strasbourg Cathedral in Strasbourg, France. Then it’s on to Heidelberg Castle, the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz, and takes a gondola ride to a vista atop Rudesheim, Germany. The trip wraps with a visit to the magnificent Dom Cathedral, and a stop at a Kölsch brewery. You’ll daydream about this river adventure (and maybe need to book one for yourself!). Original air date: 2/13/19 Link to comment
Angeleyes February 15, 2019 Share February 15, 2019 I’ve been enjoying the new season. I was happy she had a Switzerland episode. It’s one of my favorite places. Those puppies were so cute. I also liked the art exhibit in Santa Fe, especially the slide inside the clothes dryer. Our PBS is a bit behind schedule on the episodes. The Seoul episode should air tomorrow for us. Samantha is fun to follow on Instagram. She gives a lot of behind the scenes stuff when filming the episodes and she shares general life things too. 1 Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo February 19, 2019 Share February 19, 2019 I was a little disappointed that we didn't get to see more of the cruise/boat part of her trip through France and Germany. I really enjoyed seeing the restoration work at the cathedral. And I loved seeing her use the old printing press. Man, it used to take a lot of work to create a book! Hell, it took a lot of work to create just one page. 1 Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo February 19, 2019 Share February 19, 2019 Samantha's guide to the Rhine River Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo February 21, 2019 Share February 21, 2019 S2.E8: Naples and Paradise Coast, Florida Quote Samantha kicks off her Florida adventure with a kayak tour in the salt-waters of Everglades National Park. Back on land, Samantha visits the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens and meets Uno, a rescued blind Florida Panther. Next, a visit to Bayshore Arts District, followed by craft cocktails and a gorgeous Florida sunset. Add in a trip on a dolphin tracking boat; a fantastic meal at Grouper and Chips; and a photography lesson in Big Cypress swamp, and you’ll see why they call this place the Paradise Coast. Original air date: 2/20/19 Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo February 25, 2019 Share February 25, 2019 Samantha’s guide to Naples, Florida Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo February 27, 2019 Share February 27, 2019 I've only been to Florida twice and both times were for work (once in Sarasota and once in Orlando) so I was interested to see a different part of the state. I can't lie - when that guy said that the reason most people don't venture in is fear of alligators, I couldn't disagree. I couldn't believe those huge shells that were just lying on the beach - so pretty! Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo February 28, 2019 Share February 28, 2019 S2.E9: Christchurch, New Zealand Quote Innovative art installations temporarily fill the gaps of the earthquake devastated city of Christchurch, New Zealand. Samantha explores it all, encountering fun distractions like the Dance O Mat, where you can plug in your digital device into an old washing machine, blast your music and dance to your favorite tunes with your friends on a dance floor. Leaving Christchurch, Samantha visits Akoroa Harbor stopping off at the Giants House, a mosaic art collection utilizing porcelain. Next, it’s on to a penguin colony, a foraged lunch, local wine, and much more. Original air date: 2/27/19 Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo March 5, 2019 Share March 5, 2019 The Dance-O-Mat is such a cute idea! I loved that Samantha was brave enough to jump in and dance. I've never been to New Zealand but a friend of mine moved there for work for a few years and said it was really beautiful. She moved again before the earthquake so I didn't know about all the new art that's sprung up since then. The tiny penguins were so cute! Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo March 5, 2019 Share March 5, 2019 S2.E19: Baltimore Quote Samantha starts her visit in Charm City at the American Visionary Art Museum. Then, it’s off to the Sunday farmers’ market with Chef Thomas, who picks up some local ingredients for his soul food restaurant, Ida B’s Table. Samantha then fulfills her dreams of getting a full Hon makeover at one of the wildest festivals in town. Next, it’s on to the Treason Toting Company, followed by a tour of historic Fells Point. In a wonderful finish, Samantha joins a local dance “step” team, the Lethal Ladies. You’ll see why this east coast city is a place to love. Original air date: 3/6/19 Link to comment
chessiegal March 5, 2019 Share March 5, 2019 Baltimore is awesome. Can't wait to see the hon makeover. I spent some time in New Zealand on my way to Australia in 1990. It was beautiful. So much green, so many sheep. And I think the beer was better than Australia's. 1 Link to comment
scrb March 10, 2019 Share March 10, 2019 Just saw the Hong Kong episode. I’ve mostly seen her Passport to Europe shows. Some interesting choices, seem to be aiming for quirky, off the beaten path and “authentic” Hong Kong. Who’s the target audience, people who want to be inspired by the destinations as well as get some practical info? Or do they figure there are plenty of such travel shows already so they have to try to differentiate by showing things that typical international travelers won’t see? In the case of Hong Kong, people go for iconic views and luxury hotels among other reasons. But instead of expansive shots of Victoria Harbor — and I will never get sick of those views — they have rather claustrophobic shots of interiors of little shops, a tofu factory and so on. I appreciate the cultural significance of what they showed but I can’t imagine for example that most viewers wouldn’t have preferred views from Victoria’s Peak or Lantau Island, for example. Was it a deliberate choice or maybe they couldn’t get a license to film at these popular places? I don’t recall any shots of any body of water even though Hong Kong is an island and there are many other islands nearby. Sam probably did cover the more popular aspects of Hong Kong in the Passport to Asia series. Again maybe she didn’t want to repeat what she did or maybe they weren’t allowed. Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo March 10, 2019 Share March 10, 2019 (edited) Per Samantha Brown's website, all episodes of Places to Love (including S1) are available to watch on PBS during the month of March. If you missed any episodes, now is the time to catch up! Edited March 10, 2019 by ElectricBoogaloo Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo March 13, 2019 Share March 13, 2019 Ha, I loved Samantha's hon makeover - that giant red beehive! Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo March 14, 2019 Share March 14, 2019 S2.E11: International Food Special Quote There’s no better way to experience a new place than through its food. Join Samantha as she revisits some of the most iconic dishes, drinks and culinary experiences from around the world. Original air date: 3/13/19 Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo March 19, 2019 Share March 19, 2019 Samantha's guide to international food Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo March 19, 2019 Share March 19, 2019 I liked that although we saw some of the same locations from previous episodes, we got new footage so that it wasn't just a clip show. I was cracking up at the owner's mom telling Samantha to hurry up and roll. Time is of the essence when you're making spring rolls! The chocolate class in Switzerland looked fun. I took a chocolate making class a few years ago and really enjoyed it so I can see how that would be a good vacation activity. That Maori meal looked delicious. I could practically smell it cooking! Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo March 19, 2019 Share March 19, 2019 S2.E12: Charleston, South Carolina Quote The Holy City certainly has quite the history, as Samantha takes a walking tour through its hidden alleyways and the French Quarter. Other adventures include a lesson in blacksmithing and woodworking, rice harvesting, and a traditional gourmet dinner at Revival, where the focus is on rice and other low country traditional recipes. Add in bluegrass music, a tour of the haunted Old City Jail, a visit to the City Market, and much more. There’s no place in the world quite like Charleston. Original air date: 3/20/19 Link to comment
bkathi March 19, 2019 Share March 19, 2019 9 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said: I liked that although we saw some of the same locations from previous episodes, we got new footage so that it wasn't just a clip show. I was cracking up at the owner's mom telling Samantha to hurry up and roll. Time is of the essence when you're making spring rolls! The chocolate class in Switzerland looked fun. I took a chocolate making class a few years ago and really enjoyed it so I can see how that would be a good vacation activity. That Maori meal looked delicious. I could practically smell it cooking! I've been to a Hangi in New Zealand - it is indeed delicious! Worth the plane ride :-) 1 Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo March 25, 2019 Share March 25, 2019 Places to Love has received three Emmy nominations! Outstanding Travel and Adventure Program Outstanding Directing for a Single Camera Lifestyle, Culinary, Travel or Educational and Informational Program Outstanding Host for a Lifestyle, Childrens or Special Class Program This is the first time that Samantha has been nominated for host (after 20 years and 14 different series)! 1 Link to comment
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