Samantha Brown’s Places To Love - General Discussion

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Samantha's guide to Quebec City

Canot à Glace - When I saw that there was a thing in Quebec City called ice canoeing, I thought, “that’s the most Canadian thing I’ve ever heard!” I met up with Caroline Boyaud and Lauriane Oullet, both competitive ice canoers. It’s one thing to canoe across the Saint Lawrence River in summer. It’s something else completely to do it in the winter.

The creation of the sport was born out of necessity. Long ago, people needed to get to the other side of the river year-round. Hence ice canoeing, where you paddle until you hit ice, then scramble over the flows with one leg in the boat and the other on the ice. Trust me when I say this is one winter sport that won’t make you cold.

La Cabane à Pierre - La Beauce is a region in the province of Quebec and it’s known for one thing: producing the most maple syrup in the world. I met with Pierre Faucher, owner of La Cabane à Pierre. His family bought this land over 115 years ago, operating a simple farm with some maple syrup production. Today, he’s still making maple syrup the old fashioned way, collecting buckets of maple water and boiling it down to syrup in his shack. He knows his stuff—Pierre doesn’t use much technology, only fire and eyesight to determine when the syrup is ready for bottling.

If you’re going to put all this effort into creating maple syrup, you’re gonna want to share it.  And share it they do at La Cabane’s restaurant, built right next to the source.  Pierre’s son, Stefon, runs this magical restaurant, where family, friends and stranger s sit at communal tables eating stick-to-your-bones meat and potatoes topped with maple syrup, listening to live music and celebrating the approaching spring season. Most sugar shacks are open seasonally, between February and April.

Fairmont Château Frontenac - Soaring over the St. Lawrence River, the Fairmont Château Frontenac is not only an icon of Quebec City, but the country of Canada. Its spires, turrets and gables have served as a regal entrance to this World Heritage city. The Chateau was built on a hill in 1893, and for over 125 years, the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac has been a sight no one forgets – including me! My family visited when I was nine, and it was the most beautiful building I’d ever seen. The romanticism of this hotel, inspired by the 14th- and 15th-century châteaus of the Loire Valley, will have you feeling like you’re living in a fairytale. You’re never too old to love that!

Sculpteur Flamand - Outside the Fairmont Château Frontenac, you’ll find a funicular dating back to 1879. This elevator takes you down to the beautiful district of Petit-Champlain, the site of the first French settlement in North America. The area sprung up in 1608, making it a wonderful area for a historical walking tour.

One of its biggest draws is its main street, Rue de Petit-Champlain. This postcard-perfect street wasn’t always so enchanting. For decades, the buildings fell into disrepair, and the street was nearly bulldozed to make space for a parking lot. In the 1970s, visionaries bought a block of derelict houses and began to recruit artists and artisans interested in working and living there. They kept the traces of the many changes to the houses over the years, recycled as much material as possible, and spruced them up discretely so as to preserve the historical character. Today, it’s the heart of the city—an absolute treasure almost lost entirely.

Québec Winter Carnival - You might think winter isn’t the ideal time to visit Quebec City. But this city shines come late January or early February. It’s their Winter Carnival, where Quebecers’ full embrace of winter is on display. People of Quebec don’t hide and hunker down from the cold – they embrace it. Check out snow and ice sculptures, ice canoe races, snow baths (yes, that’s exactly what it sounds like) and giant slide and more. I even had the great opportunity to learn the art of ice carving with the carnival’s Chief sculptor, Michel Lepire. Yes, it’s as hard as it looks.

Hôtel de Glace - Another reason to visit Quebec City in winter? Hotel le Glace, the only ice hotel in all of North America. With its majestic snow arches, crystal clear ice sculptures and beautiful rooms, the Hôtel de Glace offers its guests a one-of-a-kind winter experience. The hotel transforms itself year after year to charm its visitors… and the fact that the whole thing is made entirely of ice and snow simply boggles the mind. Go for a tour or a cocktail, and if you can’t get enough, stay the night in one of their rooms. Some even come with fireplaces, private hot tub and sauna!

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Although I grew up somewhere cold with snow, I am now spoiled by the warm weather we have in California so this entire episode made me think thank goodness I don't live anywhere that cold. But the toboggan run looked really fun!

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S4.E2: Dutchess County, New York

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Samantha starts off her trip to historic Dutchess County on the Walkway Over The Hudson, taking in dramatic views over the Hudson River. She visits Chef Brandon Walker at his nearby Essie’s Restaurant, where she samples some of his Caribbean/Southern dishes. Heading to McEnroe Organic Farm, Samantha learns how this revolutionary farm converted itself into one of NY’s first fully organic farm and compost recycle hub. At Orvis Sandanona Shooting Resort, Samantha takes aim at shooting sporting clays, one of the fastest growing sports in the country. Next, it’s on to one of her personal favorite tea shops, Harney & Sons, and talks with its Master Tea Blender.  Samantha also visits the Barrett Art Center and talks with accomplished artist, Ransome, about his art influence and the importance of his work. At Innisfree Garden, Samantha enjoys the beauty of one of the top 10 gardens in the world. Finishing off her trip, Samantha discusses the accomplishments of Eleanor Roosevelt with a National Park Ranger at at Roosevelt’s former home, Val-Kill.

Original air date: 4/8/21

[aghst]

Wasn’t too excited by the location of this episode but it looked spectacular.  Samantha didn’t make a big deal out of the fall colors but that has to be a big draw there, with the emphasis on views and landscapes.

So filmed last October, you see people masked up on that bridge with beautiful views around it.  They film Sam with other people distancing.  Really liked the creative use of different wide shots and shots of people speaking to each other from a distance with the cameras behind each person.

Sam acknowledged there’s a pandemic to explain why she masked during the shooting club segment.  HHI won’t say when they filmed, whether they filmed during the pandemic but you clearly see people distancing from each other.

You wonder if they decided to put together a short season, because they didn’t know when they might go into full production schedule again.  So two of the five episodes aren’t destination specific.  They may be filmed near Sam’s home.  She’s originally from New York so maybe Duchess County was chosen because it’s close?  Quebec is also close to NY.  The only other episode left is Fort Meyers and Sanibel n Florida but I see that they’re a sponsor so that explains that choice.

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Samantha's guide to Dutchess County

Walkway over the Hudson - The historic Hudson river starts in the Adirondacks and flows 315 miles to New York City, creating the breathtaking Hudson River Valley. Throughout Dutchess County, you’ll find no shortage of spectacular views. But I’m unsure any rival the one you find on the Walkway over the Hudson. The bridge now known as the Walkway Over the Hudson opened in 1889 as the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge, transporting western raw materials to eastern industrial centers. At the time, it was the longest bridge in the world. 120 years later, retired from its rail car carrying duties, locals began a campaign to save the bridge. Today, it’s the world’s longest elevated pedestrian bridge. Sitting 212 feet above the Hudson, the 1.28-mile trail boasts incredible views of the Catskills to the north, and the Hudson Highlands to the south. The Walkway welcomes more than 600,000 visitors annually from all over the world who enjoy walking, cycling and running amidst its scenic beauty.

Essie’s Restaurant - Four years ago, Brooklyn-born Chef Brandon Walker opened Essie’s Restaurant in Poughkeepsie. Named after his grandmother, the eatery pays homage to the women in his family—all of whom Brandon says were great cooks, and ignited his love of food. It’s no accident Brandon opened a restaurant in the Hudson Valley. He graduated from the acclaimed Culinary Institute of America and fell in love with the access to incredible ingredients. The modern American restaurant pulls inspiration from Brandon’s familial roots in the Caribbean as well as the American South, showcasing dishes like jerk ribs, cheese grit croquettes, elegant burgers and more. Chef Walker’s alma mater, the Culinary Institute of America, is just up the road. Make a reservation at one of their many restaurants to dine with country’s best up-and-coming culinary talent.

McEnroe Organic Farm - I can’t get enough of Dutchess County’s rolling hills and beautiful vistas. I love the farms and farm land, and one of the area’s most iconic is McEnroe Organic Farm, the largest and most diversified organic farm in New York. I met with farmer, Ray McEnroe, to learn about this iconic Hudson Valley business. Formerly a dairy farm, Ray dedicated his land to farming organic produce in the 1980s. What once operated as a farm stand out of a two-car garage stand has grown to a 1500-acre farm, featuring 20 greenhouses, chickens, turkeys, beef cattle and more. McEnroe is more than just a store, it’s destination where people can reconnect with their food.  Whether it’s berry picking in the summer, a Discovery garden for kids or seeing animals out in the pasture, there’s always something fun going on at McEnroe’s.

Orvis Sporting Clays Course - Sandanona is the oldest permitted shotgun shooting club in the country. The main lodge dates all the way back to the Thomas Jefferson presidency. I met with Paula Moore, the Chief Shooting instructor at Sandanona. I was a little nervous about clay shooting—I’d never done it before, and I take handling guns very seriously. Paula made me feel comfortable and confident. After completing a gun safety and etiquette orientation, we headed out to the course. Sporting clay courses are designed to simulate the hunting of ducks, pheasants, upland birds and even rabbits. Under Paula’s expert tutelage, I learned the proper stance, gun mount, chin placement, and somehow, magically, I hit my very first shot! Paula is clearly an exceptional coach and teacher as she is helping me tap into a skill I never knew I had. This course is huge—400 acres! The entire thing encompasses 20 stands, each one a new environment with a different new challenge.  Nothing here has been created– you are using the natural landscape to provide the different types of terrain you would encounter in a hunt. The course is ever changing and ever challenging.

Harney & Sons - It’s no secret that I love tea. In fact, I always travel with a real tea cup! And when I’m in Dutchess County, Harney & Sons is a must-stop. I met with Michael Harney, the man in charge of this 37-year-old family business. Michael’s father, John Harney, started the Millerton, New York, tea company in 1983. Michael says at the time, no sons were involved in the business, but his father was optimistic—and right! Michael taught me the correct way to taste tea. No, you don’t just drink it. First, you look at the leaves. Then, you smell. Next, brew. And then, sip. It’s a lot like wine, except that I can drive myself home afterward. Not only is the shop located in Millteron, but their headquarters and factory as well. The Harney & Sons tea shop is a bit like a match-making service. You tell them the kinds of flavors you like, and they will scout the perfect tea for you.

The Barrett Art Center - On a residential street in Poughkeepsie, you’ll find the Barrett Art Center—a gallery featuring contemporary art curated globally. On my trip, I explored the gallery with James Ransome, an artist living in Dutchess County. Ransome’s 11-piece collection, The View From Here, is displayed at the center. Inspired by James Baldwin essay, Ransome’s work reflects the juxtaposition between being an artist in a beautiful, rural area of New York while also looking at what was happening in the urban centers of the United States. He likes to incorporate quilt imagery in his pieces, signifying how everyone really does carry all of the experiences of our past into the current day. The Barrett Art Center is open to the public and free, ensuring there are no financial barriers to visitors. If you can’t make it to Poughkeepsie, you can also view the collection online.

Springwood and Val-Kill - Dutchess County is home to a family who profoundly shaped our nation and the world.  The Roosevelt’s Springwood estate is a National Historic site with 50 historic structures, gardens and over a 1,000 acres of landscapes, woodlands and trails. Franklin D Roosevelt called this place home from his birth until his death. His Presidential Library is the first in the nation. However, I wanted to visit the cottage belonging to his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt. I had the great pleasure of touring Val-Kill with park ranger Fran Mascali-Urban. She was thrilled to accept a position here when it first became a National Historic site. She’s been here ever since. Formerly a furniture factory, Val-Kill became Eleanor’s personal retreat. When FDR died she made it her permanent home. It’s not the palatial estate you’d expect. Instead, you’ll find a rambling, stucco-covered, L-shaped building, reflecting its piece-meal construction during its career as a factory. It’s very humble and down to earth, just like Mrs. Roosevelt. The property is the first national historic site dedicated to a first lady. From this relaxed and comfortable space she held national and international court. In addition to the home, you’ll find trails on the property—one that leads to FDR’s own cottage in the woods.

Innisfree Gardens - As a part of the Hudson River Valley, Dutchess County was designated by Congress as a National Heritage Area. It’s a place where culture, history and a beauty of landscape should be preserved. If there’s one place that really sums this lofty title, it is Innisfree. I met with Kate Kerin, the landscape curator, at this show-stopping garden. Recognized as one of the world’s ten best gardens, Innisfree is a powerful icon of mid-twentieth century design. The 180-acre park features a number a different types of gardens—from Modernist and Romantic to Chinese and Japanese—all set around a 10,000 year old Glacial Lake. Innisfree is described as “a distinctly American stroll garden — a sublime composition of rock, water, wood, and sky achieved with remarkable economy and grace.”

Edited April 22, 2021 by ElectricBoogaloo

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S4.E3: International Food Special, Part 2

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Food is a powerful connector to the world we live in. It’s a source of joy that helps strengthen the bonds of family, friends and even strangers. It has always played an important part of the travel experience. Some people feel food completely defines it. Along with enjoying meals, we are also taking in the sights, smells and sounds of a place. Together, travel and food offer a total sensory experience that no recipe cooked at home can quite capture. From a cafe that embodies the love and warm fuzzies you can only get from a grandma’s cooking; to a 3.5-hour prix fixe meal that’s full of surprises; and quite possibly the best tamales in the United States, exploring culture through food is one of the best parts of my job. Here are a few of the most memorable food experiences from filming Places to Love.

Original air date: 4/15/21

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Samantha's guide to international food

The Granny Cafe - Vienna, Austria is an historic capital city known for its grand must-sees. However, it’s the smaller places that will make you fall in love with this city. One of the most unique and homey cafés I’ve ever visited? Vollpension, aka the Granny Café. Started by a group of students, this unique café brings young and old together, with intention. Not only does it look like everybody’s grandmother’s home, it feels that way, too. Nearly half of the staff is made up of bona fide grandparents, who bake, run the cash register and serve customers. Don’t expect the same menu on every visit. Each oma or opa working the in the kitchen bakes their own specialty. Since I visited when Judith was here, I got to try her special recipes, including her decadent apricot cake. Tasted just like home. The cafe’s name is German for “full pension,” which refers to both the one that Austrians get from the government upon retirement, and to the kind of hotel stay that includes meals, or full board.

La Tanière - Quebec City is one of the oldest urban centers in North America. While this 400-year-old gem may look like a version of Europe, it has its own unique culture. Food, of course, plays a large part of that experience, and it’s safe to say that no one does cozy comfort food quite like Quebec (hello, poutine). But within its historic stone walls (dating back to 1686!), you’ll find La Taniere—a restaurant melding history and modern gastronomy in what I can only describe as a dining adventure. Inside, you’ll find a dark and quiet space, void of distractions. Chef François-Emmanuel Nicol doesn’t even provide diners with a menu— he wants guests to find surprise and delight with every course. Hence, you sit down and trust the team. I was fortunate enough to sit at the chef’s counter, enjoying riffs on Quebec’s prized ingredients like sturgeon, scallops, rabbit three ways, and even gnocchi flavored with local acorns.

The Tamale Store - With year-round sunny days and stunning sunsets, some would say Phoenix offers the whole enchilada – but Marta Castillo might disagree. Marta is the woman behind The Tamale Store, an operation she runs with her grown children, Pauline, Maria, and Eddie. The Tamale Store does one thing and one thing only… and I’ll bet you can guess what it is. Concentrating on a single item means they’ve perfected the art of tamales, bringing forth a huge variety of options. There are chicken and green chili tamales, pork and red chili tamales, there are vegetarian tamales, breakfast, lunch and dinner tamales. Every single one of their steamed bundles of goodness are made from scratch, daily. No heavy machinery or mixers, just old fashioned elbow grease and love. A tamale is made of three components: masa, filling and the wrapper. The masa is a dough made from ground corn; the filling can either be just the masa, an addition like pork, chicken or beans. Corn husks are wrapped around the masa and filling, next they are steamed, and served.

The Blond Giraffe - If you go to the Florida Keys and don’t try Key lime pie, does your trip even count? The Blond Giraffe offers one of the largest selections of Key lime everything. Founded in 1999, Tonia and her husband Roberto started the Blond Giraffe as a vegetarian restaurant, but when their key lime pie kept winning awards as the best in the Florida Keys, demand skyrocketed and, well, a decision was made. Now everything on the menu is Key lime, and made in-house. Think Key lime pie topped with chip cream, meringue or naked; chocolate-dipped frozen key lime pie on a stick; key lime meringues and more. Dine al fresco! But be warned, you’ll be sharing space with the Blond Giraffe’s resident free-range chickens and bunnies.

Grand Central Market - I swear I’ve racked up more steps exploring European cities than I have on an actual hiking trip. Budapest, one of the world’s greatest capital cities, is no exception. Sightseeing definitely works up an appetite – and when you need to refuel, go to the Grand Central Market. From fresh produce and meats, seafood, pickles and spices, they have everything one would need to create a delicious meal from scratch. Of course, you can’t cook a meal in your hotel room. And that’s where Chef Marti comes in. In 2015, Marti traded in her chef’s whites to create Kitchen Pixie, a cooking school and brand based in Budapest. She took me shopping at the market, where we bought all the ingredients for chicken paprikash. Then, we ventured to her kitchen and cooked the dish from scratch. It was so fun to explore the market through a chef’s eyes, and even better to learn a new recipe.

La Cabiñita - As the home of the Culinary Institute of America, Dutchess County, New York certainly has its fair share of great food. But one of the loveliest places to enjoy a meal has to be at La Cabanita in Poughkeepsie. Housed in a former church, La Cabinita pays homage to the culinary vibrancy of Oaxacan cuisine. Chef and owner Vicky Pinelo serves up her grandmother’s recipes in this casual, inviting restaurant. Her cousin, Elvis Pinelo, oversees their bar program, which highlights the region’s finest collection of Mazcals. Not only did I try sopas, quesadillas, malotes, and falutas, I washed it all down with Mezcal—served in the traditional way. Elvis presented me with a small bowl, not glass, designed for sipping. Everything felt so authentic, and made with love. It’s easy to see why Vicky’s been in business for two decades.

The Free House - The South Island of New Zealand is epic destination, complete with mountain peaks that astounded us in the Lord of the Rings. But one of the gateways the region is a small, bayside city called Nelson. Here, you’ll find the Free House, a down-to-earth spot serving as a convivial community hub, where locals and tourists alike may enjoy live music, food and a pint. The difference between a free house and traditional pub is the fact that they don’t sign contracts with breweries, meaning they can serve whatever they like. On my trip, co-owner Eelco Boswijk explained they built it as an English-style pub, intended to feel more or less like a living room, where friends could connect over beer. Not only does the Free House serve excellent beer, but they do New Zealand wines and ciders, too.

[aghst]

Just clips from previous episodes, maybe a comment or two about how food is important to travel, blah, blah, blah.

Maybe she will get vaccinated and then shoot a lot of US locations for next season.

Some countries like Greece, Iceland have indicated they will take in vaccinated American tourists so she could go there for shoots but those might be more difficult to set up logistically and the rules could change in a couple of months.

Not to mention expensive, to transport Sam and any staff over there.  I notice a lot of her sponsors now are US or North American-based so they may not be interested in underwriting production costs to shoot on other continents.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S4.E4: Fort Myers & Sanibel, Florida

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Samantha kicks off her trip with a boat ride to the remote island of Cayo Costa. Hopping islands, Samantha meets Rob Wells, co-owner of the family owned Cabbage Key, who talks to her about being a steward of the island. Back on the mainland, Samantha takes a tour of Edison Ford Winter Estates, where Thomas Edison once had a laboratory. At ECHO Global Farm, she learns about sustainable plants, techniques and technologies aimed to help farmers who are struggling to feed their families. Exploring the funky artist community of Matlacha, Samantha visits various local galleries and colorful shops, and talks with artist Leoma Lovegrove. At the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge Samantha tours the grounds with a ranger and gets the insight into this revered Sanibel destination known for its spectacular bird viewing and its award-winning restrooms. Heading to the Sanibel Community House, Samantha joins a shell crafting class to make a keepsake with the shells she has collected on her trip.

Original air date: 4/22/21

[Spunkygal]

1 hour ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

S4.E4: Fort Myers & Sanibel, Florida

Original air date: 4/22/21

I’m really looking forward to this episode. One friend and one friend of a friend recently highly recommended visiting Sanibel and we’ve been talking about going. We were supposed to leave for Normandy today and have LOTS of flight credits to use!

[aghst]

The place may be worth visiting, or loving, in the parlance of this show.

But the fact remains that they are sponsors of this season at least, doing a little ad at the beginning and I think also the ending of the show.

That's fine, I understand PBS shows have to go begging for funding sometimes.

It wouldn't bother me too much if they got one of the big airlines as a sponsor, just to give the show some sound finances and an airline or say a hotel or vacation rental booking site wouldn't necessarily be pushing one specific location over another.

 

 

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Samantha's guide to Fort Meyers & Sanibel, Florida

Cayo Costa - Whenever I’m in Florida, I can’t wait to get to the ocean. On this trip, I joined Captain Brian Holaway, a boat captain and certified master naturalist, on a journey to Cayo Costa. One of Florida’s largest barrier islands, Cayo Costa boasts eight miles of untouched beaches with incredible shelling. Brian spends around 240 days a year out on the waters, leading historic and natural tours of the area. The two of us combed Cayo Costa’s beach for shells (I even found a sand dollar!), and explored the primitive island. In addition to shelling, you can find hiking, biking, beaches and camping. The only way to get to Cayo Costa is by boat. Captain Brian operates charter tours. Ferries are also available.

Cabbage Key - Near the wild island of Cayo Costa, you’ll find Cabbage Key. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, there’s been an inn here since 1944, with many of its cabins date back to the 30s. Things haven’t changed much on Cabbage Key in the last 90 years—it still holds firmly on to its laid-back vacation vibes. On Places to Love, I met up with Rob Wells, who grew up on the island. It was idyllic as it sounds: an 80-acre paradise of which only 20 are developed. You’ll find paths weaving through lush greenery, people kicking back on quiet beaches, and zero cars. Though some choose to stay at Cabbage Key, you can just visit for a few hours. And there is good reason to! Known by many as “the bar with all the money on the walls”, the Cabbage Key restaurant opened 60 years ago. Thought the space boasts fire places, original hardwood floors and Cypress walls, it’s the thousands of one-dollar bills taped to every surface that people remember. On any given day, there is approximately $70,000 worth of bills taped all over the restaurant. Whatever money falls from the ceiling is given to charity – roughly 15 to 20 thousand dollars annually. People have called Cabbage Key home for eons. In fact, there’s a Calusa Indian shell heap located on Cabbage Key. The Calusa Indians were known to have lived in the Pineland area for about 2000 years until the mid-1700s.

The Edison and Ford Winter Estates - When you think Fort Myers, spring breakers may come to mind. However, it was once the favorite winter escape for one of the world’s greatest inventors: Thomas Alva Edison. Sitting along the Caloosahatchee River, the Edison estate features his beautiful 1885 Seminole Lodge (still furnished with furniture and inventions from Edison), and 20-acre botanical garden with 7500 plants from 450 different species and six continents. There’s also a lab and workshop, left just the way it was when Edison worked there. If you’re wondering why it’s called the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, it’s because Henry Ford spent his summers next door. Longtime friends, the Ford family first visited the Edisons in Fort Myers in 1914, and two years later, Ford purchased the property next door. Ford’s Craftsman bungalow estate, The Mangoes, includes lush grounds brimming with. The onsite museum dedicates 15,000 square feet to the legacy of Edison and Ford. While in Florida, Edison spent much time attempting to invent rubber from an American plant. The goldenrod plant came close, but in the end, not close enough.

ECHO Global Farm - With its sunshine and humidity, the Florida climate makes for some excellent farming. However, at ECHO Global Farm, it’s about more than growing local produce. Globally, over 500 million farming families rely on one or two acres to eke out a living. ECHO is dedicated to helping families make the most of those small scale farm through face-to-face, hands-on training all over the world. Additionally, ECHO introduces sustainable plants, techniques, and technologies to farmers. One way they do this is by researching best farming practices for the world’s most challenging agricultural climates are regions. At their North Fort Myers Farm, ECHO recreates landscapes—from urban areas tropical highlands—and troubleshoot those regions’ biggest hurdles, like lack of soil. Their education efforts change the lives of millions. ECHO started in 1970s, when Indiana businessman Richard Dugger led a group of high school students on a visit to Haiti. After the trip, he founded ECHO (Educational Concerns for Haiti Organization). Today, they focus on farming and now serve over 190 countries worldwide.

Sanibel Community House - Sanibel island is known for its seashells. And if you love art like me, crafting with them seems like the perfect daytime activity. On Mondays, the Sanibel Community House hosts the meeting of the Shellcrafters, a group that’s met weekly for years. They create one-of-a-kind pieces of art, including animals, jewelry and even floral arrangements.  A shellcrafting class is held every Monday as well, 10:00 a.m. sharp. It’s free, but you pay for supplies. Children are put on the easiest of animals, while adults will try jewelry or even flowers. Seashells are so beloved in Sanibel that it’s the home of the National Shell Museum. It’s the only accredited museum in the United States devoted solely to shells and the little creatures that create them.

J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge - The unspoiled beauty of Sanibel is legendary. Sixty-seven percent of Sanibel Island is designated as a natural wildlife habitat, and home to 245 species of birds. One of the best places to enjoy Sanibel? At the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Ding Darling, a Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist, loved the area so much that he was instrumental in purchasing sixty-four hundred acres of it to keep it safe from development. Today you can walk, cycle or drive through the refuge along the four-mile wildlife road for a nominal fee. And there are so many ways to enjoy some of the most beautiful and abundant bird life you’ll ever see. It’s calm, serene and almost like an impressionist painting. In 2018, Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge won Cintas’ America’s Best Restroom Award. You’ll find manatee sculptures made of recycled bike tires, beautiful underwater mural, and educational information in the stalls.

Matlacha Island - Matlacha is a tiny fishing village known for its one narrow street. It’s so pint-sized you have to keep zooming in on a map just to find it! Here, you can explore art galleries and laid-back seafood restaurants. Of course, no trip to Matlacha is complete without visiting Leoma Lovegrove’s gallery. Leoma is an impressionist-expressionist painter known worldwide for her vivid colorful paintings. With its distinctive pink roof, polka dotted walls and mix of art, pop sculpture and gift ideas, Lovegrove’s gallery sets the tone for the island’s entire art district. Out the back door, guests find unexpected treasure in the form of a relaxing technicolor botanical garden with a view of the tranquil waters of Matlacha Pass. Visit the WildChild Art Gallery, featuring the works of 115 Florida artists.  There are always artists on site providing demos and daily workshops are held as well. After, check out Bert’s Bar, a favorite local eatery– especially when Skip Bowman performs on the steel drum.

[aghst]

I thought Fort Meyers was one of those spring break destinations with a lot of cheap hotels and bars.

Samantha featured things and attractions for old people, which makes sense since the city and region tourism is sponsoring her show.

To stand out vs. other coastal cities in FL they had to show different aspects.  But does FL attract a lot of marine wildlife and plant lovers?  Some maybe but typically?

A museum for a Thomas Edison in a place with a lot of sun and beautiful coastlines?  It’s surprising but not the place that people seeking sea and sun would think of visiting.

[chessiegal]

I don't think of Ft. Meyers as a spring break destination. I think of more east coast cities like Daytona and Miami where there is surf as spring break destinations. My grandfather bought a trailer in a trailer park when he was older. It was filled with snowbirds - old folks like him. I've been to Ft. Meyers - full of retirees.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S4.E5: How to Make Travel Count

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There’s no doubt that recently we have experienced a loss of travel, but that has only reinforced our deep need for it. Going forward, there’s going to be even greater importance put on our travels: making up for lost time, reconnecting with love ones, and creating memories that we put on hold. This episode is all about how I make the most of every trip– no matter the location, the people I’m with, or how long I’m there.

Original air date: 4/29/21

[aghst]

On 4/29/2021 at 5:41 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

S4.E5: How to Make Travel Count

Original air date: 4/29/21

So essentially another clips show but little practical advise.

Sam says take a walk around, try to connect with the locals.

Sure not a bad idea but that certainly can't be how she plans her shows.  I'm sure producers are doing research, communicating with local tourism groups, screening potential locals for appearing on camera, researching some of the attractions.

She talks about not going instantly to the tourist areas, which is fine for some people.  But her audience on PBS are older and probably travel more or have traveled more.  So they may or may not need as much handholding.  Some may research on their own while others go on package tours, cruises and the like where accommodations and itineraries are preplanned.

So Places to Love often tries to go off the beaten track, see if some of the locals willing to appear on camera can provide some unique perspectives.

Compare that to Sam's earlier shows where there's more practical advice.

She probably wants to differentiate herself from Rick Steves who's on the same PBS channels and will attract much bigger audience.

Places to Love doesn't have a practical focus like European destinations that Steves concentrates on.  Seems like one of the criteria for choosing destinations for PtL is whether they can get sponsorship from local tourism resources (tourism boards, businesses).  I never watched Great Weekends but I'm guessing that's how they chose many of the destinations they featured on that show.

Also, now that she's older and has children, maybe she prefers US locations so that she doesn't have to be away from her family as much.

 

I don't know if there's a popular show which appeals more to Millenials and Gen Z.  That would have to be a HUGE market.  They might want younger hosts who talk up things like sustainable travel or supporting local or family-owned hotels and businesses, though I'm not necessarily sure all younger generations prioritize those things.

Sam did talk in this show about going to strip-mall restaurants.  Well there are certainly local restaurants worth patronizing but a lot of them are nothing special.  I wouldn't just pull into any strip mall that I came across.  I think people would look at Yelp or Google to see how different local places are regarded by the hive mind instead of walking into any random place on a whim.

Hope that she's able to film more shows this year, though with travel restrictions and still uncertainty, she may not want to be too far away from home this year.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

On 4/17/2021 at 9:59 AM, aghst said:

Just clips from previous episodes, maybe a comment or two about how food is important to travel, blah, blah, blah.

The businesses from the food episode were from cities she'd visited in previous episodes but the actual restaurants, markets, etc. were ones that hadn't been featured in the original episodes. I didn't mind because we hadn't seen those businesses before.

[aghst]

OMG, worlds collide!

Samantha is a guest on Rick Steve's podcast.

https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/radio

 

 

[aghst]

Samantha is on Rick Steves podcast again.  I don't know if they just replayed the segment from earlier this year or it's a new interview.

She talks about Quebec City, which she did for the abbreviated season 4.  She talks about how safe they were, how they filmed everything outside, took longer than usual to film.

They talk about where they will and won't travel during the pandemic a bit.  So she may not have traveled this past summer when travel restrictions were loosened and Americans were allowed to visit Europe.

She says she majored in musical theater at Syracuse and came down to NY but then got the job as hostess on the Travel Channel.  She doesn't say which show, but probably Passport to Europe.

She says she loves social media posts on travel.  Don't think she means the young attractive women who post photos of themselves in scenic locales but rather diverse perspectives from POC.

If you Google for Places to Love episodes, it shows a couple of season 5 episodes, due to air in January.  Asheville, NC on January 4 and South Jersey on January 11.

So it sounds like she may just hit places near her home, rather than flying overseas.  She didn't want to travel overseas and deal with the restrictions?  Maybe she didn't want to get vaccinated?

 

[aghst]

TiVo recorded a new episode, Asheville, NC.

Labeled it Season 4, Episode 6.  But on Samantha’s website, it’s listed as the first of Season 5.

https://samantha-brown.com/episodes/season-5/

All the episodes are of domestic locations.  She doesn’t even go to Canada again though that makes sense Canada didn’t open up to American visitors until late summer of 2021.  She goes to Houston, San Antonio and Boston.  She’s don Houston already, am the other ones too.

One of the sponsors is a train which traverses the Canadian Rockies though.

The furthest that she ventures is Colorado Springs.  She apparently  skipped Europe for this season even though it was open to Americans this summer and fall.

She still has AMA Waterways, which I believe specializes in European river cruises.

I think places like Asheville, Jersey Shore, Colorado Springs, even Houston are nice regional destinations but people don’t go across oceans or even the continent to go to these places.  PBS viewers will be more drawn to the glamorous places, so I would guess that Rick Steves’ show draws a much bigger audience, because he’s a bigger name but also, people would rather watch travel shows about say  Alps, which can encompass several iconic Alpine villages compared to whole episodes devoted to Asheville or upstate NY.

These regional getaways seem more like Samantha’s Great Weekends vibe than her Passport to Europe vibe.

Places to Love touched on both types of destinations in the early seasons which featured both international and domestic places.  

Maybe Samantha just needs to pick a lane.

The international destinations are more popular but requires a larger budget and maybe more sponsors.  Also more time away from her family.  Other possibility is that they couldn’t make the logistics work.

Still, the rewards may be there.  The first season of Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy found a huge audience, with people cooped up at home binging a lot of TV.  They also filmed their second season in the latter half of 2021 so it will be interesting to see if it gets the same kind of ratings again.  I like Tucci but Samantha can do Italy justice too, and her reactions to Italian food may be better than Stanley’s reactions, which aren’t a high bar.

 

[chessiegal]

Are Canada's borders even open? I don't blame Samantha and crew for sticking to the US. In fact, I remember being a little pissed at her for saying - hey, we can't go out of the country, but let's get traveling around the US. Sorry, just no, not with a pandemic that won't-go-away. We're fully vaccinated, and ventured out mid-December to visit family for the first time in almost 3 years. It involved flying - too far away to drive (for me). We were set to visit them for the first time in about a year early April 2020, just when the virus was heating up. We cancelled that trip. With Omicron, we wouldn't take the trip we took last month today. It's just not worth it.

[aghst]

Canada opened to Americans in August or September.

On December 15, they updated their requirements.  First they discourage non-essential travel to even their own citizens.  But American who are fully vaccinated and take a PCR test can enter, though they are subject to a random test and quarantine.

At some point, Samantha will probably feature one of these experiences in Canada:

https://www.rockymountaineer.com/routes_destinations

Unless they stop sponsoring the show at some point, of course.

 

 

[chessiegal]

17 minutes ago, aghst said:

 First they discourage non-essential travel to even their own citizens.

Thus my point. 

[aghst]

Jersey Shore

Cape May certainly is not what one would associate with New Jersey.  Certainly historic with the Underground Railroad and the Victorian buildings.  Then all the bucolic landscapes with farms.

But if you look at it on a map it’s surrounded by water as one would expect with that name but Samantha didn’t feature any waterfront.

For oceanfront, she featured Ashbury Park, which is much further north.  Of course a lot of music history with Springsteen’s past there.

Again these places seem like weekend destinations for people who live nearby, such as when she had episodes in upper NY state or Vermont.

Tourists visiting NYC would be hard-pressed to visit these places.  Ashbury Park is almost 2 hour drive from NYC while Cape May is almost 4 hours from the Big Apple.

 

Samantha isn’t distancing or using a mask like last season.  She even goes inside the Stone Pony club, refers to how we haven’t been able to go listen to music in a club for a year.

Maybe this episode was filmed before Omicron and even Delta variant had taken off.  Bars and clubs are not great places to be these days.

[aghst]

Samantha did a segment on Rick Steves podcast this week.

called him Steve once.

just talking about general travel advice, didn’t really pimp her own show or anything else.

if she hasn’t been filming this year, guess no new episodes.

[aghst]

Well a new episode popped up on my TiVo, Belfast and the Antrim Coast.

Couple of new sponsors at start of show.  She mostly wears long sleeves and boots in one segment so guessing it may have been filmed in spring or fall.  But it’s Ireland so it could have been the middle of summer.

Has to be first episode outside North America since the pandemic.  In the 2021 episodes she masked and even kept long distances from local guides, even when talking to them outside.

None of that in this episode, as she spends a fair amount of time inside in restaurant and bar settings.

Arguably there are more reasons to be cautious as Omicron is way more infectious.  I’ve traveled internationally in the last couple of years and still won’t dine inside restaurants if I can avoid it.

But maybe she got tired of doing shows just near her home or PBS wanted more glamorous international locales.

But the next ep in season 6 will be in Alaska.

Her website doesn’t show any season 6 episodes but displays some IG posts where she mentions this Belfast episode.

Format is still the same, the local people introduce themselves and Sam narrates at the end why this is a place to love.

Time to shake it up.  Travel has changed since the pandemic and there’s huge pent up demand.  So even if she went back to some places she visited in her old shows and just gave out basic tourist advice rather than go to quirky places or things off the beaten path, I think there would be an audience for it, though I guess she needs a niche because other tourist TV show host like Rick Steves will cover more places and do all the fundamental stuff.

Still, Passport to Europe is now 20 years old now and she’s older as well as her audience so she can feature nicer, more costly places and highlight experiences that older travelers might be willing to spend more money on.

[aghst]

Inside Passage of Alaska - really beautiful, glaciers, whales, bald eagles.

Sam’s family is along and her kids convey the most joy in the things they see and do.

Not a place I would be too interested in visiting.  The glacier cruise was spectacular but I don’t know about doing it for 9 hours.  They hooted about the glaciers breaking off and falling into the water but it’s a sign of climate change.  Actually they said not long ago, the waters they were cruising was frozen over.

 

[chessiegal]

I had this on today while I wasn't paying close attention, and thought I heard Sam say she was in Santa Fe. Next thing I know she's in Salzburg and I thought wha....? Then I realized it was a clip show of foods she had tasted on her travels. 🤣

[aghst]

She hasn't done many overseas episodes in a few years.  Maybe not since before the pandemic, except maybe Quebec.

About a year ago, she was touting a European cruise that viewers could sign up for and she would be on that cruise.

I would have thought she'd have filmed episodes of the show since at least one cruise company sponsors the show.

Or she could have filmed episodes before or after the cruise, though maybe she doesn't want to be away from her family too long.

[chessiegal]

One of my PBS stations airs this show weekdays at 12:30 pm ET. I enjoy watching it because Samantha is so good.

[aghst]

My DVR is picking up a lot of recordings from the various PBS stations around here, even though it's only suppose to record new ones.

Most are repeats but it recorded Darwin, Australia, which on Sam's site is listed as the first one in Season 7.

So they don't feature the city that much.  It's mostly visiting an outdoor market where she has a bowl of Laksa and they show other Asian foods, because Darwin is closer to Asia than it is to Sydney and Melbourne.

I'm pretty sure you can get Laksa and other Asian foods in Sydney and Melbourne though.

They featured wildlife and the coast, showed a crocodile boat ride where they try to draw crocs near the boat so that people can see them more up close.  The sides of the boats are fenced.  But they said those things could get as big as 800 kilos?  They could probably capsize those boats if they were wily enough, to get themselves a hearty meal, I thought.

Darwin does have history, as it connected Australia to the world in the 19th century and there were events tied to WWII as well.  But it seems the main draws, at least the ones they featured, were bush walks, some Outback-like deserts with these giant termite skyscrapers and the swamp with the crocs.

 

Seems like they chose a place they hadn't featured on PTL or Sam's previous shows but probably doesn't have as much appeal to viewers as other destinations.

Nice to see an international destination.  In Season 6, the only international destination they featured was Ireland, on two different episodes.  Otherwise, all the places were in North America.  She did go to Alaska, which is far enough away from the continental US.  She also went to Montana so that was likely one trip.

She may be trying to limit distant trips so Darwin would be a strange choice.  With the pandemic and having young children and being older, she may not have the interest she used to have in international travel.  Or maybe the show sponsors limit their budgets.

Last year she was going to host a cruise in Europe for viewers who wanted to book a package with one of the show sponsors.  So we may get some more episodes in international destinations based on that cruise.

Rick Steves still does a lot of international travel, to film his show as well as do tours, I believe.  But supposedly he split from his wife because he refused to change his lifestyle and business.  He has older children than Samatha does so he may not be as encumbered from taking off for several months out of the year.