NEW YORK, NY, December 3, 2025 – Samantha Brown, beloved travel expert and host of PBS’s two-time Emmy Award-winning series Samantha Brown’s Places to Love, will kick off 2026 with the premiere of her highly anticipated ninth season. Known for her signature curiosity, joyful storytelling, and ability to make global destinations feel deeply personal, Samantha continues her mission to highlight the people, cultures, and moments that make travel truly meaningful.
Season 9, rolling out on January 9, 2026 (check local listings), sponsored by Canyon Spirit, Oceania Cruises, Railbookers Group and Road Scholar, is especially momentous as Samantha completes her multi-year journey along historic Route 66, coinciding with the Mother Road’s 100th anniversary. Filmed across New Mexico, Arizona, and California, the series captures the spirit of America’s most iconic road trip through the lens of the communities that keep its legacy alive. This milestone feels even more meaningful as it aligns with the American Semiquincentennial in 2026. These episodes are nostalgic, but also reflective of those who forged the American identity.
“This season feels especially personal,” said Samantha Brown. “We explored communities shaped by resilience, creativity, and tradition, from cliff dwellings in Arizona to centuries-old libraries in Italy, to artisans reinventing Zurich’s design heritage. Every stop along this season’s journey reminded me why travel matters now more than ever.”
Now entering its ninth season, Places to Love continues to bring Samantha’s globally minded, people-first travel philosophy to life. From her early days at the Travel Channel to her current role as Executive Producer and host on PBS, Samantha has filmed over 350 episodes, visited over 65 countries, and traveled more than 2.5 million miles, all while maintaining the warmth, humor, and accessibility that have made her a trusted voice for millions of viewers across the globe.
Samantha begins season nine in New Mexico, where she revisits the early spirit of Route 66 through classic car museums, Indigenous history, neon motel culture, and Santa Fe’s rich crossroads. In Arizona, she encounters fossilized forests, storied hotel landmarks, cliff dwellings, observatories, and some of the Mother Road’s most eccentric roadside stops – including a dinosaur “poop” museum and the Route 66 preservation legends. Her journey concludes in California, where she explores desert towns being lovingly restored, iconic motels, historic gas stations, the famous Formosa Café, and the official terminus of the Mother Road in Santa Monica.
“Finishing Route 66 during its centennial is one of the great honors of my career,” said Samantha Brown. “This road isn’t just a line on the map – it’s a living story written by dreamers, creators, and small towns that refuse to fade into the background. ”
In addition to completing Route 66, Samantha travels across the U.S. and Europe, exploring design, history, food, and craftsmanship through deeply meaningful human stories:
- Route 66 – New Mexico: Samantha continues the ‘Mother Road’ in New Mexico, beginning at the retro Motel Safari and the Santa Rosa Car Museum. She explores Santa Fe’s cultural crossroads, Albuquerque’s KiMo Theatre, Man’s Hat Shop, the Mining Museum in Grants, and Gallup’s Earl’s Café. She ends her visit with the moving story of the Navajo Code Talkers.
- Route 66 – Arizona: Arizona presents incredible scenery and Route 66 icons. Samantha visits the Petrified Forest, shops at the Jackrabbit Trading Post, and explores Winslow’s La Posada. She tours Walnut Canyon’s cliff dwellings, gazes at the stars in Flagstaff, meets Route 66 legend Angel Delgadillo in Seligman, and learns Dust Bowl history at the Kingman museum.
- Route 66 – California: Samantha ends Route 66 in California, exploring the Mojave Desert’s historic Goffs and revived Amboy before accessing the only military stretch of the route in Barstow. She wanders Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch, visits the Wigwam Motel, stops at Pasadena’s Gamble House, dines at the Formosa Café, and celebrates the road’s finale on the Santa Monica Pier.
- Zurich, Switzerland: In Zurich, Samantha explores Old Town’s guild history, discovers Swiss design at the Museum für Gestaltung, and relaxes at a riverside bathhouse. She rides to Mount Uetliberg for sweeping views, samples classics at Hiltl, visits makers at Werkstadt Zurich, and ends with badminton and unexpected honky-tonk music.
- Williamsburg, Virginia: Samantha begins her journey at Jamestown’s active archaeological dig, then explores Colonial Williamsburg, meeting “Patrick Henry” and visiting the Bray School and First Baptist Church site. She discovers Masala Craft’s Indian flavors, tours rare instruments, watches a fife and drum performance, and witnesses a powerful naturalization ceremony at the American Revolution Museum in Yorktown.
- Italy Part 1 – Bologna: Bologna’s history shines as Samantha revisits Italy for the first time in 20 years, starting with a visit to Piazza Maggiore, the world’s oldest university, and hidden canals. She hikes the portico to San Luca, shops the Quadrilatero, samples mortadella, learns pasta-making, and visits a centuries-old cutlery shop before meeting twin sisters crafting sustainable leather bags at Double Trouble Bologna.
- Italy Part 2 – Modena: In Modena, Samantha explores Luciano Pavarotti’s home, tastes artisan gelato, and enters a warehouse of 77,000 Parmigiano Reggiano wheels. She rides a vintage racing car, learns balsamic vinegar traditions at Acetaia Malpighi, and samples vibrant Lambrusco varietals crafted by a local winemaking family.
- Art and Artisans Special: In this special episode Samantha travels the globe finding stories about art and artisans. In Zurich she learns about the famous Swiss artist Giacometti. In Albuquerque she gets a Flamenco lesson and watches a performance in the Flamenco capital of North America. In Berlin she tours an art gallery housed in a WWII bunker. During her visit to Darwin, Australia she meets with Indigenous Australian artisans.
- Tampa, Florida: Tampa’s cultural blend unfolds as Samantha strolls Ybor City’s historic streets, visits J.C. Newman Cigar Company, and dines at Ulele. She explores the Oxford Exchange, hikes with the “Outdoorsy Diva,” tours Bern’s wine cellar, tries kayak fishing, attends a silent film, joins chicken yoga, and samples treats at the Thai Market.
- Food Special – Part 3: Samantha showcases global flavors, starting with bean-to-bar chocolate in Costa Rica before tasting Berlin’s currywurst and North Carolina’s beloved tomato pie. She enjoys Melbourne’s Pellegrini’s, blends coffee in New Orleans, shapes Rothenburg snowballs, and ends with cherry ice wine from Traverse City.
