Samantha Brown's Great Weekends

Orlando

Sam Brown explores Orlando's neighborhoods, meeting locals and discovering things to do, including the great shopping district of Winter Park, the downtown art scene and a fantastic soul food eatery called Johnson's.

New Orleans

Sam Brown pays her first post-Katrina visit to New Orleans for a weekend of fun. She attends a live jazz concert, goes dancing at a bowling alley, gets up close and personal with a gator and helps out with a non-profit project.

Paris

Sam Brown spends a weekend in the most romantic city on Earth. She checks out a bookstore on the banks of the River Seine, revisits her favorite bistro and sightsees on a bicycle to prove that Paris can be romantic with or without a partner.

Tuscany

Sam's heading to Florence, her favorite Tuscan city. It's a place for great art, cappuccino and rooms with a view. In just 48 hours Sam checks out the dreaming spires of the city, masters a Vespa scooter and learns to cook some Tuscan cuisine.

London

A long weekend in one of the most expensive cities in the world? With the current exchange rate is it even possible? It can be - if you try and live like a Londoner. This weekend Samantha avoids the tourists traps and explores Locals' London: She visits a traditional west London pub, gets taken out for an Indian meal and even tracks down one of the last remaining Cabbie huts - tiny diners offering cheap take out. Plus, tips on how to get one of the best views in London for free and a visit to two of city's greatest markets - foodie hotspot Borough Market and youth culture central, Camden Market.

CARNIVAL

Miami

Sam Brown rounds up two friends for a girls' weekend in Miami, FL. She arranges for visits to the Delano Hotel, a trip to her favorite South Beach salon, dinner at Haitian restaurant Tap Tap and vintage fashion shopping at C Madeleine's.

Las Vegas

There is no place quite like the oasis in the desert to bring out Sam's naughty side. She's been to Las Vegas before, but on this weekend trip she's decided to throw caution to the wind. Sam unleashes her inner sexy with the Pussy Cat Dolls, gets a little raucous when she tends bar at the Double Down and lives life at 165 miles per hour in the Las Vegas fast lane. Look out Las Vegas.

Cabo

Los Cabos, Mexico conjures up images of hedonistic spring breakers and flowing tequila. But on Sam's first visit to Baja Sur, she chooses to spend a weekend off the beaten path of the crowded beaches, rowdy bars and luxury resorts. She's rented a villa just outside San Jose del Cabo, an artistic town packed with charm and personality. Her adventurous spirit leads her to discover the beauty of the land and the hospitality of the Mexican people.

New Hampshire

In this episode Sam heads back to the part of New England-the seacoast of New Hampshire-where she grew up. This trip will be a homecoming of sorts as she visits some of her favorite haunts and some of the places she dreamed of exploring but never had a chance to when she lived there. And there are some surprises in store for Sam as old friends and family members meet up with her.

Austin

Sam Brown's visited Austin, TX, before, but this time she's going on a musical vacation and is determined to get the song of the city under her skin. Along the way, she discovers the city truly dances to the beat of its own drum.

Washington, DC

Sam's got 48 hours in the nation's capital, Washington, DC - but this isn't your average field trip to DC. This weekend Samantha's not meeting her congressperson or visiting any monuments or galleries. She's exploring the colorful, fun side of this city - eating Ethiopian food, checking out a bohemian poetry event in U Street, shopping in Eastern Market and braving a drag queen brunch. Most people imagine DC to be a conservative and monochromatic place but Sam will be showing a vibrant and dynamic city that's anything but gray.

Dude Ranch

It's Westward Ho! for Samantha and this weekend she's spending time in Wyoming. Cody, the rodeo capital of the world and gateway to Yellowstone offers some of the most gorgeous scenery this country has to offer. Sam is staying at a nearby working dude ranch, getting immersed in all things cowboy. She'll take on the daily chores of the ranch like cattle wrangling and, hot shoeing the horses, and even fit in a night of two stepping. But when "city slicker" Sam gets a chance to participate in the nightly rodeo, will she prove that she can fit into the e lifestyle of the great American West?

Myrtle Beach

Samantha Brown heads to sunny Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. It's famous for golf, but Sam's not big on golfing -- so what else is there to do? She hits the beach, bike trails and amusement parks, and goes crabbing with the Crab Cake Lady.

Santa Fe

This weekend Sam's in Santa Fe to work out her body and her mind. She'll do some mountain biking and ballooning, and take a journey into the world of alternative therapies. But even though she's on a health kick, she'll sneak out for some drinks, too.

Brooklyn

This weekend Samantha's checking out New York's coolest borough - Brooklyn! Move over Manhattan, Sam will be taking a very different bite out of the Big Apple. From DUMBO's art scene, to Coney Island's sideshows, this is the weekend where Sam packs away her suitcase and shows us the place she calls home.

San Francisco

Samantha loves good food and wine. So this trip she's intent on a whole weekend of gastronomic indulgence, and San Francisco's the perfect place to do it. Sam will be re-visiting some of her favorite foodie haunts, going all out to experience brand new culinary pleasures and even making a pilgrimage to the place that makes her favorite California wine. Plus, she'll also be exploring some of the city's most exciting new foodie phenomena, such as interactive culinary tours, ultra-cool underground supper clubs and competitive cookery classes.

Los Angeles

What do a surfing Rabbi, fire dancers, a magical castle, a movie screening in a Hollywood cemetery have in common? Prepare yourself for the most unpredictable and exciting weekend as Sam experiences the wild and colorful side of Los Angeles and its residents!

Cape Cod

Pristine beaches, unlimited fresh seafood and whale expeditions are just part of the makeup of New England's most celebrated outdoor paradise, Cape Cod. Never mind that this is where the Pilgrims first landed and that it's home to the first transatlantic radio transmission in history. What's become really special about this 65 mile stretch of quaint towns is that its vacationers and locals all have their own special way of enjoying the Cape whether it's soaking up the outdoors, clam hunting or partying with Provincetown's gay community. Sam will be doing all this and more as she shows you her Cape Weekend favorites.