Day 1
When I woke up this morning, I remember opening one eye and thinking, \”I am on the other side of the world right now!\” I jumped up out of bed at 7 a.m. and threw open the drapes so that I could see Chengdu in the daylight. I peered down to the street level below and across what appeared to be a river was a giant pagoda with red lanterns hanging from each of the levels. Continue reading: Part 3: Chengdu »
Samantha Brown
July, 2008 Archive
Part 3: Chengdu
Part 2: Arriving in Beijing
I was amazed when I entered the terminal in Beijing. My first reaction was, \”Holy s***! I\’m in Beijing!\” I then quickly came into contact with chaos. There were so many people, and everyone was moving so fast! It was like a mad dash to baggage claim, and I had no idea why I was running. Continue reading: Part 2: Arriving in Beijing »
Part 1: The Joys of International Travel
As kids, we were told that if we dug a hole too deep in the garden that we would fall into it and land in China. It was that far away. So, when I was given the opportunity to travel to China for Travel Channel\’s Passport to China project, I was excited, but still hesitant. In the back of my mind, I could hear myself say,\” and leave my 2-year-old motherless on the other side of the world?\” I would then rebut with, \”it\’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I have to take.\” That conversation with myself went on with other excuses — I would miss too much back at the office, the ticket would be too expensive, and what if I got sick there and got stuck in China. Then came the responses from relatives –\”You can\’t leave your daughter for that long!\”– and from friends –\”Wow, that\’s amazing.\” Constant mixed signals. Continue reading: Part 1: The Joys of International Travel »
New Hampshire
Portsmouth Journal
Day 1
I\’m thrilled that we are here as I have wanted to show off the New Hampshire seacoast ever since I started at Travel Channel. Of course, it\’s understandably hard to convince the execs when your series take place in Europe, Latin America and China, but now that we are doing a lot of American travel, I tell anyone who will listen how we HAVE to do my hometown. But it is a little strange being home and having to work. For the last 15 years, this has always been the place I returned to to clear the mind, be by myself and spend some time with the family. Very strange to look up and see a camera crew. I have to fight to keep from daydreaming, because it\’s just so automatic when I come here. Continue reading: New Hampshire »
New Orleans
It\’s great to be back in New Orleans again, even if it is in August and it\’s so hot you feel like you are going to melt. This is the first time I will have visited this great city since Katrina and I am bracing myself for being shocked by its unexpected transformation. As we go from the airport to our hotel, we pass neighborhoods of homes destroyed by the hurricane, but back in the French Quarter I am surprised to find it as I remember it.
Cabo
Day 1
Started the day at the farmers\’ market, which is just outside the center of San Jose, down a long dusty path to an open field — the Mexican version of where the Grateful Dead would play. I was a little nervous when all I saw were stands selling clothes, local crafts and honey, but we walked to the end of the field under a tall Mesquite tree where we found the fresh vegetables. The scene was like something out of a painting, it was so beautiful. Continue reading: Cabo »
Orlando
February 14
My cameraman this time around is a very talented man named Alan Deutsch. Even though this is our first time working with one another, he is already following me with the camera as if we have been together for a long time. He already knows my sense of humor and when he should stay on me a little longer. When you\’re on-camera, there\’s always a dance you do with one another. When you are not in step with one another, it becomes awkward, and the camera feels like something foreign, but when you are in sync, it\’s like having a friend right by your side. With all the changes that have happened to the show, it\’s a relief that at least something feels right. Alan and Dave come by to share a cake that a woman admirer of Alan\’s sent to him. I have a nice bottle of wine and so we make plans to have dessert and conversation in my room. Continue reading: Orlando »
Myrtle Beach
Day 1
The whole crew is sharing a large house on a plantation, and we are all excited as we have a formal living room, as well as one very cool bar that is in its own room. It\’s very masculine with cork on the walls, leather couches and a full bar area with an ice machine. I think immediately to the fun cocktail hours we will have as a group decompressing with gin and tonics in hand after a hard day of work, the wonderful dinners we will fix as well as sharing breakfast on the lovely screened-in porch that is shaded by trees dripping in Spanish moss. But this is TV production, breakfast is scarfing down an egg sandwich in the car en route to the first location while you pray you don\’t drop anything on your on-camera wardrobe (my stylist, Christina, praying even more) and dinner is a Sonic Burger at 10 p.m., because it was the only restaurant open. They did look like great burgers, luckily I bought a can of soup, which I heated up and we all did spend a nice hour sitting in our formal living room while Alan, our camera man, played the grand piano. Continue reading: Myrtle Beach »
Myrtle Beach (crew)
Our trip to Myrtle Beach was a complete success, all thanks to a pig.
For some unfortunate reason, our hotel in Myrtle Beach is a solid 45-minute drive away from nearly everything on our schedule, in sleepy Pawleys Island, SC. On the upside, this means that painful 8 a.m. start times are tempered with a nice car nap. On the downside, when we wrap at 9:30 p.m. in Myrtle Beach, not only does it mean heading 45 minutes back the way we came, but even better, no dinner, since all the restaurants close up shop at 9:00 p.m. unless tater tots from Sonic are your thing (Who doesn\’t love tots?). Continue reading: Myrtle Beach (crew) »
Miami
Girls\’ Getaway
Travel Channel has told me they would like to do a girls\’ weekend getaway as one of our weekend trips. South Beach is looking like the perfect destination. I immediately fire off emails to Nancy and Liz, we\’ve been good friends since college but our friendship was locked in forever when all three of us moved into a one-bedroom apartment in Hell\’s Kitchen, NYC. I can\’t believe my luck when the both of them with their crazy schedules can make it down in February. Continue reading: Miami »
