TV TRAVEL WITH RICK STEVES AND SAMANTHA BROWN

It is summer. Time for everyone to plan their annual vacations.

Sadly, not me. I haven’t been on vacation in over five years.

Yet, I love watching travel shows. I watch them too much.

Rick Steves has always been a favorite. His TRAVELS IN EUROPE has been airing on PBS for years. I’ve probably seen every episode two or three times. I watch it most afternoons (now that I’ve discovered it is on a PBS digital channel).

Each episode is about the same. He visits a European city and gives tips on the best places to go, things to see.

Rick is sort of the Ned Flanders of tourism. He is very proper, and serious. Yet, he knows everything, and travels everywhere.

He made this news this year when in April he travelled to Iran. It was one of the most informative views of that country that I have seen on American television. I learned more about the country and the people than I do on the nightly news. An excellent episode.

Lately though, I’ve discovered someone else.


Samantha Brown.

Samantha Brown is the new Queen of the Travel Channel, hosting many shows over there. I found her when they were showing a weekend marathon of her taking cruises around the world. After that, she launched a new series, PASSPORTS TO A GREAT WEEKEND. And, I’ve been hooked every since.

Samantha is a lot less serious than Rick. Maybe it is because she reminds me of 80’s comedy actress Corinne Bohrer (they could pass as sisters), but she can be downright goofy at times, and I mean that in a good way.

While Rick is trying to tell travelers the best things to see, Samantha is just there to have fun.

Although sometimes, especially on her US weekend trips, I have to wonder how much fun the trips would be without her alcohol consumption. I mean, she had a weekend in Orlando, a city I know somewhat, without visiting any of the theme parks or major tourist attractions and instead going to a glass blowing demonstration. Really? You can find that in most artist communities anywhere in the US. Why go to the home of Mickey or Universal or the many nightspots and miss all that? But since she spent one night at a wine bar, maybe she wasn't up to it.

From watching both of them, I kind of feel like I’ve been there, but not quite.