The Best Episodes of Samantha Brown’s Places to Love

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8.8/10(6 votes)
#1 - Samantha’s 25th Anniversary Special
S8:E31/16/2025
Samantha Brown celebrates 25 years of travel through public television in this 25th anniversary special episode.
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7.9/10(10 votes)
#2 - Christchurch, New Zealand
S2:E92/27/2019
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.
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7.8/10(9 votes)
#3 - Quebec City, Canada
S4:E14/1/2021
Samantha visits this historic city during the Quebec Winter Carnival. She kicks things off ice canoeing on the frigid waters of the St. Lawrence River. From there, Samantha visits a popular Sugar Shack, tastes maple syrup and joins the band playing the wooden spoons. At the iconic Le Château Frontenac, Samantha tours the historic hotel and takes a nighttime toboggan ride. Samantha explores the picturesque streets of Petit Champlain, where she stops in a woodcarving shop and discusses the history of the storied neighborhood. There’s also a visit to the Hôtel de Glace (Ice Hotel), a seasonal hotel built out of ice, the only one of its kind in North America. She also meets Bonhomme, the legendary snowman Ambassador of the Quebec Winter Carnival, and learns of the Carnival’s history and importance in Canada.
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7.8/10(8 votes)
#4 - The Crystal Coast of North Carolina
S8:E51/30/2025
Samantha embarks on a boat ride to Shackelford Banks, where Wildlife Biologist Dr. Sue Stuska introduces her to the wild horse herd. She enjoys an afternoon in Beaufort, North Carolina, listening to musician Barefoot Wade. At the Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center, she helps build a boat. On Harkers Island, they sample oysters and learn about their unique "merroir."
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7.8/10(6 votes)
#5 - The Black Hills of South Dakota
S8:E82/20/2025
Samantha begins her adventure at Custer State Park, riding to meet the bison herd before driving the scenic Needles Highway. She arrives at Sylvan Lake, popular for water sports and stunning views. In Deadwood, she explores a historic landmark, then discovers Cold War history at the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. At Badlands National Park, she marvels at the unique landscape.
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7.7/10(11 votes)
#6 - Genesee River Valley, New York
S5:E31/18/2022
From a historic abbey to a majestic garden, to the “Grand Canyon of the East”, follow Samantha as she explores Upstate New York’s Genesee River Valley.
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The 20 WORST Episodes of Samantha Brown’s Places to Love

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7.6/10(11 votes)
#7 - Auckland, New Zealand
S3:E113/19/2020
Samantha sails Auckland Harbor aboard the 2007 America’s Cup winning Team New Zealand sailboat and talks with Peter Lester, a former cup competitor, coach and current sailing commentator.
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7.5/10(12 votes)
#8 - Vancouver, Canada
S1:E62/8/2018
The cosmopolitan city located on the edge of wilderness, Samantha travels to Vancouver and gets to experience firsthand the true beauty of this bustling Canadian west coast seaport. Samantha starts her trip off trekking beautiful Stanley Park. From there, she takes flight in a classic floatplane to enjoy a stunning tour of the city, followed by landing on a mountain lake. Back into the city, Samantha visits the unique shops of Granville Market, and gets a chance to taste the local salmon at a First Nations restaurant.
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7.5/10(9 votes)
#9 - Maine
S3:E123/26/2020
Samantha takes a road trip to Bar Harbor, enjoys breath-taking views from Acadia National Park and takes a cruise through Bass Harbor soaking in the sights of Desert Island and Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse.
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7.4/10(8 votes)
#10 - Bern Region, Switzerland
S1:E21/12/2018
From an Alpine Garden on an idyllic mountaintop to going deep underground experiencing the Cheese Grotto in Gstaad, biking through the waterfall covered valley of Lauterbrunnen and finally floating down the icy cold Aare River in Bern: Samantha has a most adventurous journey.
Director:Sylvia Caminer
Writer:Samantha Brown
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7.4/10(10 votes)
#11 - Lake Geneva and the Valais Region, Switzerland
S2:E31/16/2019
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.
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7.4/10(11 votes)
#12 - Top of South Island, New Zealand
S3:E31/23/2020
Samantha’s adventures on the South Island, New Zealand, include a bicycle ride through vineyards, a boat ride expedition through the Marlborough Sounds, a walk along Awaroa Beach, and a helicopter tour to the peak of Mount Olympus where the Lord of the Rings was filmed.
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7.4/10(8 votes)
#13 - Lakes & Mountains of New Hampshire
S3:E72/20/2020
Visiting her hometown state, Samantha arrives on Lake Winnipesaukee aboard the M/S Mount Washington and goes straight to Funspot, the world’s largest arcade. From here, she continues her tour of the Lakes Region by taking a loon-spotting cruise on Squam Lake. Samantha concludes her trip on a Cog Railway ride to the summit of Mount Washington.
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7.3/10(10 votes)
#14 - Big Sur & Monterey, California
S1:E82/20/2018
From Monterey to Big Sur, Samantha travels through the Central Coast of California. She learns about underwater sea life at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and then visits the “Artichoke Center of the World”. In Carmel, she learns about bees from a 14-year old entrepreneur who supplies honey to multiple prominent restaurants. She ends her trip on an electric bike ride along California’s Route 1 high atop the Pacific Ocean.
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7.3/10(11 votes)
#15 - Montreal, Canada
S1:E123/20/2018
From immersive to interactive, Montréal is a city that puts on a show of sheer artistry in practically everything that this city is involved with. From hidden-alleyway bicycle tours to the French-Canadian version of Little Italy to its world famous Cirques Festivals to a distiller making gin out of locally sourced botanicals, Montréal both surprised and inspired Samantha in her travels.
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7.3/10(10 votes)
#16 - Charleston, South Carolina
S2:E123/20/2019
The Holy City has quite the history, and Samantha takes a walking tour through its hidden alleyways and the French Quarter, including a tour of the haunted Old City Jail. She also visits the City Market to learn about the Gullah tradition of sweetgrass basket weaving.
Director:Sylvia Caminer
Writer:Samantha Brown
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7.3/10(10 votes)
#17 - Vienna, Austria
S3:E93/5/2020
Samantha begins her visit to Vienna at the 3rd Man Museum, where she learns about the city’s fascinating history. From there she visits the Imperial Library, part of the Hapsburg history of the city. A boat ride on the Old Danube River allows Samantha to take in the sights of this historic city before hiking up the hills and sampling wine with views of the city below.
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7.2/10(11 votes)
#18 - Santa Fe, New Mexico
S2:E41/23/2019
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 renowned 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.
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7.2/10(9 votes)
#19 - Budapest, Hungary
S3:E11/9/2020
Budapest is about classical music, and Samantha dives deep into its history with world-class violinist Joshua Bell. Of course, there’s also Hungarian Goulash to be sampled, mineral pools to be discovered, historic buildings to be seen and a live performance of gypsy violinists to take in before Samantha is off to her next location.
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7.2/10(11 votes)
#20 - Sonoma, California
S3:E41/30/2020
A road trip along the Sonoma coastline enables Samantha to learn about sustainability efforts along the Pacific coast and what to look for off the beaten path. From there it’s a visit to the Charles M. Schulz Museum where Samantha talks “Peanuts” with Charles’ widow, Jeannie. She also gets to meet a local wine maker’s family and learn about the famous Sonoma wine.
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7.2/10(12 votes)
#21 - Belfast and Antrim Coast, Northern Ireland
S6:E11/4/2023
Samantha begins her tour of Northern Ireland with a moving stop at the Peace Wall in East Belfast. From there, she heads to Titanic Quarter where she learns about what made the shipbuilders and ships of Belfast famous―including the most famous ship in history, the Titanic. Sam heads to Glenarm Castle for high tea, followed by an afternoon of Blokarting on the ruins of the Dunlace Castle.
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7.2/10(9 votes)
#22 - Big Sky, Montana
S6:E52/1/2023
Samantha starts off her Montana experience at Big Sky Resorts to learn about Avalanche Dogs and their rescue program. In Bozeman, Samantha visits with the curator of the Museum of the Rockies, where she learns about their dinosaur collection. At the Lone Mountain Ranch, Samantha joins a group group for a gorgeous sleigh ride. Back at Big Sky Resort, Samantha meets US Olympian, Bode Miller.
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7.1/10(9 votes)
#23 - Seoul, South Korea
S2:E51/30/2019
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.
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7.1/10(9 votes)
#24 - British Virgin Islands
S3:E52/6/2020
Samantha goes sailing around the historic British Virgin Islands with Capt. Lisa Roland and learns sailing essentials while at sea. During her island visit, Samantha plants coconut trees in Spring Bay, hikes through the Baths, (a Caribbean natural wonder), and experience freshly made conch ceviche from “Conch Island”. Finishing off her trip, Samantha and Capt. Lisa snorkel at one of BVI’s top snorkel sites, the Indians.
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7.1/10(12 votes)
#25 - Louisville and Bourbon Country, Kentucky
S5:E52/1/2022
Kentucky is synonymous with Bourbon and in this episode, Samantha will take us deeper into the history, the flavors, and the must-see spots for Bourbon fans, and those who love them, around the world.
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