Samantha Brown: America's Travel Sweetheart Celebrates 10 Years

Since 2000, Samantha Brown, aka the Travel Channel’s Travel Goddess Extraordinaire, has taken us all over the world in search of exotic, historic, and just plain fun places to visit. 

Travel Goddess Samantha Brown Celebrates 10 Years with the Travel Channel. (Photo from Travel Channel)

In just 10 years, Brown has done what most of us can’t do in a lifetime – traveled around the globe and back again. From Great Hotels to Great Weekends, and Girl Meets Hawaii to Passport to Europe, Brown has visited dozens of countries and hundreds of cities and has shared her experiences and opinions with the rest of the world, all with a perky pixie and a smile. And, with her quirky personality, girl-next-door charm, and top-notch travel journalism skills, it’s easy to see why Brown is America’s travel sweetheart. 

Getting Hooked on Samantha Brown

Samantha Brown and her shows hold a particularly special place in my heart. On maternity leave a few years back, I was confined to the house with a preemie. The doctors advised that I avoid going to the mall, church, or anywhere where I would come in contact with people, other than my family – which was, of course, everywhere but my house. It was a happy but rather difficult time for me…caring for a new baby on a very little sleep and having very little contact with the outside world.

It was then that I became hooked on the Travel Channel, and more specifically, the travels of Samantha Brown. Prior to my pregnancy, I rarely watched television – we didn’t even have cable. But after having my son, my husband decided getting cable might be a good thing for me – not to mention he could watch the College Basketball’s final four.

For three months, I was glued to the television twice a day – both times that Samantha Brown’s shows were on. Babe in arms, I watched and listened to Brown’s tales, engrossed by the scenery and, admittedly, a little jealous of her jet-setting life and awesome wardrobe. When I returned to work, my husband and I contemplated getting rid of cable. Hmm…that would mean saying goodbye to the Travel Channel and Samantha – not a chance. Over the years, I learned so many fun things about US cities, European destinations, and the do’s and don’ts of cruising. I still love to watch reruns of Brown’s travels and am looking forward to many more years of following her global escapes.

Samantha Brown Anniversary Specials

If you are not familiar with Samantha Brown, check out her four 1- hour anniversary specials (all times are Eastern):

1. Samantha Brown’s Vancouver (February 8 at 8PM) where Samantha discovers the natural beauty, winter activities, food and culture of the 2010 Winter Olympics host city.
2. Samantha Brown: Inside the Suitcase (February 9 at 8PM) Samantha shares her travel secrets, packing tips and her favorite moments from the road.
3. Samantha Brown Fan-a-thon (February 10 at 8PM) Samantha celebrates ten years of travel at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida with some VIPs — her fans.  Fans share some of their favorite show moments. 
4. Samantha Brown’s World of Sports (February 11 at 8PM) Samantha takes viewers through a personal compendium of her best and worst sports-related moments throughout her time on the Travel Channel.