Montreal Travel Guide

This weekend Sam is leaving the States to savor the international city on our doorstep -- Montreal, Canada. Sam takes on the Canadian Oyster shucking champion, samples Quebecois-inspired poutine and plays cricket as part of her international experience.

Colorado Travel Guide

Sam lands in the heart of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, ready to turn into a snow bunny. She experiences a weekend of fire and ice as she skips between the Rocky mountain resorts of Breckenridge, Copper and Keystone.

Dallas Travel Guide

Samantha is known for traveling the globe, but few people know where her life journey began. Join Sam as she revisits the city where she was born, Dallas. Everything's bigger in Texas, and this weekend she's livin' large, from transforming into a Dallas debutante, to taming a 1 1/2-ton beast, to riding an 18-wheel big rig, to wielding a 12-gauge shotgun.

Hang onto your seats, it's non-stop, no-holds-barred adventure.

Santa Barbara Travel Guide

Sam's leaving her wine glass at home to explore the adventurous side of Santa Barbara. She conquers her fear of the ocean by trying the fastest-growing water sport on the planet, hunts for Oprah Winfrey at the exclusive San Ysidro Ranch and asks Oprah's personal chef, Pilar Sanchez, to become a short order cook for some very hungry gorillas at the local zoo.

Sundance Travel Guide

Sam turns film buff this weekend and heads to Sundance, the celebrated independent film festival. Sam is going to live and breathe the frenzy of the festival as she tries to bring some of the glitz and glamour of the big screen to the small screen.

This is an all-access party weekend that promises to be free-wheeling, hectic and utterly unpredictable. There will be celebrities, future Steven Spielbergs and as many freebies as Sam can get her hands on. Sam even takes some time to enjoy the natural beauty of Park City with former Olympian snowboarders and bobsled drivers.

Maui Travel Guide

Maui has fast become one of the centers of eco-tourism. This weekend, Sam faces an exciting challenge: she and the crew are going to be soaking up all the excitement of this vacation hot spot without leaving a carbon footprint in the process.

With her own personal Green Drill Ambassador keeping a watchful eye and an itinerary that is “off the grid,” can Sam have fun in the sun while still going green? Say goodbye to water bottles, and say hello to solar chargers: Sam Brown is about to go Sam Green.

Carnival Cruise Travel Guide

Sam's taking a cruise through the Caribbean -- and she's not alone. She's bringing her mom and four of her best friends aboard the Carnival Freedom for a fun-filled week at sea. Sam and her group make the most of their time together, with good times onboard and on the islands of St. Thomas, Antigua, Tortola, Virgin Gorda and the Bahamas.

Boston Travel Guide

Samantha's skipping the history lessons during her weekend in Boston. There's plenty of great food and drink on the agenda, from local seaside favorites to brand-new cocktails -- and even an eating competition! Sam stays active, too, with sailing, swing dancing, a Dragon Dance lesson and an afternoon at the races.

Chicago Travel Guide

Sam's exploring everything Chicago has to offer. From the delicious art of molecular gastronomy, to the improvisational comedy of Second City -- can the Windy City teach this die-hard New Yorker a thing or two about cool?

Hawaii Travel Guide

This weekend Sam's on the Big Island of Hawaii, exploring the cultural and spiritual pastimes of the real Hawaii. She explores rivers of molten lava, blesses a newly built outrigger canoe and feasts her senses at the only authentic luau on a black-sand beach. Sam is going Hawaiian in a way she never has before.

Atlanta Travel Guide

Atlanta is often called the "Manhattan of the New South." Whether it's strutting the catwalk during Atlanta's annual fashion week, putting local Iron Chef winner Kevin Rathburn to the test, or learning to throw a curve ball with the Braves star pitcher, there's no expense being spared as Sam Brown gets a true taste of how to do Atlanta V.I.P style.

Savannah and Charleston Travel Guide

This weekend Sam's getting scared to death down South in Charleston and Savannah, where haunted jails, swarms of bees and creepy cemeteries await. Sam has the perfect scare package in store and dares you to come along for the ride of your life.

Minnesota Travel Guide

Bye-bye 5-star hotels, celebrity chefs and spa treatments, because this weekend Sam's heading out of her comfort zone and into the great white North. With temperatures of minus 10 degrees in the frozen wilds of Minnesota, Sam will be pushed to her limit in an extreme weekend of dog sledding and out-of-this-world ice camping.

Sam will be traversing forests and frozen lakes in the beautiful Kawishiwi wilderness, learning to drive her own dog sled, setting up camp under the stars, plunging into icy water and falling asleep to the howls of huskies. There are no heated toilet seats or hot showers out here, just the great outdoors! After 48 hours who will be the victor, Sam or the wild?

Philadelphia Travel Guide

Whoever said that a wonderful weekend has to break the piggy bank? Sam’s heading to the City of Brotherly Love on a mission to keep costs down but the fun-factor high as ever. Whether it’s getting a heavyweight boxing lesson from a husband and wife team, taking a nocturnal tour of the world’s first penitentiary (hopefully sans the ghost of Al Capone) or smashing glass for a continuing arts project, Sam’s sparing no expense when it comes to pure enjoyment.

About the Show

Samantha's back with her definitive guide to the very best in weekend getaways. From Sundance to Montreal, or Philadelphia to Savannah, "Great Weekends" will have Sam traveling to destinations all across the U.S. and worldwide.

Samantha knows travel; she practically lives on the road. So in this series, she's taking you to all of her favorite places and her go-to hotels, restaurants and activities in each place. Plus, she'll take you to her secret, off-the-beaten-path discoveries, the places that she's found on her travels that she doesn't normally share. And, as usual, Sam will be meeting up with fantastic people that really make these places unique.

Think you need more than a weekend for a great escape? Think again.