Having traveled to more than 220 cities in 49 countries over the past 13 years, Samantha Brown has hosted TV shows like “Girl Meets Hawaii,” “Great Vacation Homes,” “Passport to Europe,” “Green Getaways,” and “Samantha Brown’s Asia,” among others. This travel guru and Brooklyn mom-of-two (2-year-old twins!) has even released her own luggage line for the Home Shopping Network, which is an extension of Brown herself, featuring bright vibrant colors and rich textures that travel well.
In her latest action-packed journey for the Travel Channel, “50/50,’ Brown, along with co-host Chris Grundy, ambushes random people on the street with a question: “Would you like a 50-hour getaway, worth $50,000? The catch is that they need to drop everything and leave immediately. We caught up with Brown to learn more about her new show (scroll all the way down for a video clip), raising twins in the city, and more!
Tell us about the meaning behind the show’s title “50/50”?
Well, it’s called “50/50” because the show is about a trip worth $50,000 in 50 hours. But participants also do have choices (place of stay, activities) so they can create their own journey within the 50 hours.
What other messages, besides embracing life’s spontaneity, do you want the viewers to take away from “50/50”?
The question my co-host always asks them is: “Who do you have to call right now to make this happen?” I think everyone should think who are the two people they would call that can them to do this incredible trip and start being really nice to those people now. So when the time comes for you to come with us you’re set. Send that person flowers, do really good with your boss now.
As a travel expert and a mom to 2-year-old twins, do you have any advice for the best vacation spots to travel to with kids?
I’m a big fan of the National Parks. I want to take my kids to all of them. I think they have such a wonderful sense of the country, the permanence of it; it’s who we are. Unlike other people, I also like cities because there are a lot of free things to do, such as fairs, festivals, farmer’s markets, concerts, children’s museum, and people watching. I love the idea of a city teaching the child that there are people from all over this world who come here. And it doesn’t have to be New York City’s Chinatown. St. Louis has a strong German village. I think the trend now for travel is parents really want to challenge their children when they vacation. These are very teachable, memory-building moments and they want to make them count. And I think that the city is the perfect place to stretch the boundaries of their children as well as their own.
How do you balance your job as the host of a travel show with your responsibilities as a mom?
I don’t! When we’re shooting the travel show I’m gone for, sometimes, 11 days at a time. Luckily, I have an amazing husband who is a great father. We rely very much on our own parents. We have an amazing nanny so I’m able to do what I do because of this incredible support system. And then when I’m home, I’m home. I read them children’s books about places that I’m going to. We talk about it and so they’re kind of excited about it: “Mommy is in the dessert,” or: “Mommy is in Australia.” I try to incorporate [my kids], let them know what I’m doing and where I’m going before the trips.
Did becoming a mom change your perspective on travel?
When I travel for work I am alone so I can get to the airport, I can sit on the 17 hour flight and not have to worry. Now that I am a mom, I have to plan things well in advance, try to gauge what could go wrong, and hopefully, if it does, I’m prepared for it.
Have you ever thought of working on a show about travel with children?
I think it would be a great idea and I think a lot of people would absolutely watch it because people travel with their children all the time. My kids go with me to work on a lot of things that I get to do. Whereas in my generation, I’m 45, I was 12 when I went on my first flight, and I didn’t go on my next flight until I was 20. Now children fly several times a year. I think it’s a good time to do a show about the nuts and bolts of it and how to make it easier.
Can you share one secret holiday travel tip with us?
So, you’ll be traveling with children and everyone stresses about the plane. I read this somewhere, it’s not my own tip, so I’m not going to take full credit, but it’s really worked and that is: When you pre-board [the plane], have one spouse go ahead with all the bags. And then have the children wait until the last zone is called. And then when you get on the plane everything is setup. If you have slightly older kids that are 7 or 8, this is perfect because they are antsy and you make them stand as long as you can and they’re not just sitting waiting.
Of all the places in the world, why did you choose Brooklyn to raise your kids?
Brooklyn is the best place in the world to raise kids; they are constantly surrounded by real life. There’s something very democratic about living in the city. And there so many opportunities for them: There are sing-alongs everywhere, you can go to the Brooklyn Museum of Art and take an art class for toddlers. You can go to the Brooklyn Conservatory and do a music class. These really established institutions all around Brooklyn reach out to younger children. We’ve got BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music). I see well-rounded kids, who understand diversity. They’re not sheltered. It’s a mish mash and I love it. And I’m not just saying Brooklyn, I’m sure that exists in Queens, and Staten Island, just wherever you are in this great city of ours, you have so much at your disposal.
To learn more about Samantha Brown and “50/50,” visit travelchannel.com/shows/5050!
