Samantha Brown Hits the Mother Road in New Season of 'Places to Love'

Season nine of "Samantha Brown's Places to Love" kicks off with the travel host wrapping up her tour of Route 66, the storied highway that once connected Chicago to Los Angeles.

Brown says the road wasn't originally on her must-see list, but the journey changed her mind. "It was something so poignant, and it really changed my life and my relationship with this country," she said. "There's so much to love about where we're from—that we do come from hard, difficult times, and persistent people."

Route 66 was officially decommissioned in 1985, and Brown recommends travelers bring paper maps. The original route has been fragmented over the decades, sometimes running alongside modern highways and other times cutting through rural backroads. "You're like, 'Where the heck am I?'" she said.

Still, the road remains a draw. A new generation of business owners, restaurateurs, and gas station operators are keeping the route alive, and Brown says it's only going to grow. The season premiere explores how Route 66 made its way into American literature and music, and the story of one man who fought to put it back on the map after it was decommissioned.