Upcoming TRAVEL CHANNEL Show Episodes in Late January

Below are some previews about a few favorite shows from The Travel Channel...  The Layover, Hotel Impossible, Edge of America, Baggage Battles, Street Eats, Mysteries at the Museum, Ghost Adventures, The Dead Files, Trip of a Lifetime...

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via press release

THE LAYOVER WITH ANTHONY BOURDAIN

NEW EPISODE:  Monday, January 21 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT

Anthony Bourdain explores one of Asia's most dynamic, hospitable, and safest of cities. Taipei's complicated colonial past has left behind an eclectic mix of cultures, and their respective cuisines have created a culinary paradise that Bourdain has been dreaming about since his last visit. Soon after landing, he immediately heads to one of the famed night markets that offer a dizzying array of mouthwatering options to choose from. He later sees the view from the second tallest building in the world, has dinner with locals in a bus, fishes for shrimp, finds the best dumplings on earth and finally discovers the pork of his dreams.

Series Synopsis: Anthony Bourdain is a seasoned traveler who's hit up all corners of the globe many times over. More often than not, while passing through, he has time to kill in some of the world's biggest hubs. So instead of sitting at the airport hotel, he sets out to explore each city in the short amount of time he has there. Season two of "The Layover with Anthony Bourdain" is a caffeinated, high-test, quick drill, "No Reservations." The visually arresting style conveys grit, energy and urgency. Constantly on the move, and only in town for a mere number of hours, Bourdain, and friends he connects with along the way, unleash an unpredictable story about a place, a people and their food.

HOTEL IMPOSSIBLE

NEW EPISODE:  Monday, January 21 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT

Mount Telemark in northwest Wisconsin, built by visionary Tony Wise, is sports mecca for alpine skiers. In 1972, Wise built a nearby grand lodge with 200 rooms, pools, a theater and ballrooms. When the American Birkbeiner (or Birkie) started in 1973, it became the best-known ski race in North America, drawing and elite athletes and recreational skiers from all over the world. In its heyday, celebrities frequented the resort, while a young Emeril Lagasse even worked in the kitchen.  But when business started to slow, Wise lost the resort to bankruptcy and subsequent owners created a negative reputation for the resort, running it into the ground.  In 2012, Robin Bucholz and Rick Carpenter purchased the property with goals of restoring the hotel to its original grandeur. Although Bucholz has managed area resorts for 30 years, Carpenter has no hotel experience. Without Anthony Melchiorri's help, it will only be a matter of time before they're forced to close the Telemark's doors.

Series Synopsis: Hotel "fixer," Anthony Melchiorri returns to turn struggling hotels into bustling tourist destinations. Each episode features a hotel either not living up to its potential, or on the verge of closing. Melchiorri assesses each property and identifies its biggest problems. He then meets with the staff, from front desk receptionists to housekeeping to the owners themselves, to determine the key operation issues. Joining Melchiorri on location are a variety of highly experienced designers including Blanche Garcia, Casey Noble and Alison Victoria, who will help transform key spaces in each hotel.  As in last season, Melchiorri has just days to convince the hotel staff and owners to let go of the reins, formulate a plan, revamp the hotel and re-motivate its staff.  For some hotel owners, this is their last hope.

EDGE OF AMERICA

SERIES PREMIERE:  Tuesday, January 22 at 9:00 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. ET/PT (Back-to-Back Premieres)

In the first half of the series premiere (airing at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT), Geoff Edgers tears his way through Oklahoma on a wild west cowboy adventure that includes castrating a calf, a bull-testicle eating competition, a rattlesnake roundup and ends with a bang at an old-fashioned black powder shoot out in 19^th century garb. Then, in the second all-new episode (airing at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT), Edgers blazes down the "Oregon Trail" on a rugged off-road adventure which includes racing an 80-year-old car on a dirt track while holding a live pig and street jousting from atop a custom built, super-sized bicycle. Edgers finishes the trip on a natural high as he speed climbs an 80-foot tree.

SNEAK-PEEK VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6VpQ5fQZTY&feature=youtu.be

Series Synopsis: Calf Testicle Festivals in Oklahoma… Lobster Boat Races in Maine… Tall Bike Jousting in Oregon… Americans will do just about anything to entertain themselves...and arts and entertainment reporter Geoff Edgers wants to know why we do the things we do in the name of fun. "Edge of America" is a thrilling, fast-paced show that follows Edgers, as he investigates his way across the country in search of all-American fun.  Journey with Edgers, as he immerses himself in American subcultures and dives head first into the unexpected and bizarre world of entertainment found on the "Edge of America."

BAGGAGE BATTLES

NEW EPISODE:  Wednesday, January 23 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT

A & A Auctions, a lost-property auction overlooking Monterey Bay, sells anything that's been unclaimed, seized or found in this coastal Northern California town. The 300+ items include a wealth of lost Americana, including antique toys, jewelry, and rare vintage signage. Billy Leroy, Mark Meyer and Laurence & Sally Martin battle over some of this costly Californian cargo. 

Series Synopsis:  "Baggage Battles" provides a glimpse into the very profitable business of bidding, buying and reselling unclaimed property by following three teams of auction experts who travel to some of the most important auctions, where their bids are based on sight-unseen instincts.  Season two of "Baggage Battles" brings back the savvy auction experts viewers met in the first season:  Laurence and Sally Martin, a married couple who co-own Studio Antiques in El Segundo, California; Mark Meyer, a young entrepreneur in the auctioning business from Long Island, New York; and New York City's Billy Leroy, owner of the iconic Billy's Antiques and Props, one of the last eclectic props and antique stores.  These shrewd experts trust their keen eye for detail to find hidden treasures at the top auctions around the world including airport auctions, unclaimed freight and shipping auctions, police and seizure auctions, vehicular auctions and estate auctions.

STREET EATS

SERIES PREMIERE: Wednesday, January 23 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT

Whether you're hungry for tacos in Mexico or ceviche in Peru, the street vendors of Latin America serve the tastiest local cuisine. From freshly caught fish to exotic Amazonian fruits and juicy beef, it's all on the streets.

Series Synopsis: Food – it's the number one reason people like to travel.  And the best place to find the most authentic local food scene is right on the streets! There is no better place to rub elbows with the locals and grab a bite that's fast, inexpensive and speaks to the culture. In some countries, street food represents a melting pot of traditions; in others, it hasn't changed in generations and harkens back to deep cultural roots. Enjoy cow tongue on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, stinky tofu in Taipei, water buffalo in New Delhi or the meat of turtles and armadillos in Columbia. It's always delicious and fascinating for visitors to learn so much about the people and their stories. "Street Eats" travels to Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe to bring this experience viewers, and takes a look at the curbside cuisine in our own backyard – in six different U.S. cities – to see the new face of street food at home.

MYSTERIES AT THE MUSEUM

NEW EPISODE:Thursday, January 24 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT

Don Wildman travels to the Anthracite Mining Museum in Elysburg, Pennsylvania to examine a makeshift parachute harness that played a life-saving role in a dangerous mine rescue.  He then heads to the California Surf Museum, which is home to a Styrofoam and fiberglass surfboard that bears evidence of a brutal oceanic predator attack.  And at the National Museum of Crime and Punishment in Washington, D.C., Wildman inspects a crude metal device at the center of a daring and explosive bank heist.

Series Synopsis:  "Mysteries at the Museum" spans the country, exploring local archives, storefront collections and the hallowed halls of stately institutions, to uncover the objects and artifacts that reveal the nation's hidden secrets.  Museum explorer and history enthusiast Don Wildman scours a range of museums in search of extraordinary relics at the heart of tales that shock and amaze.  From Springfield, Illinois' Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, where a rusted metal chisel was once wielded in a daring plot to steal the remains of the beloved 16^th President, to the Connecticut Air and Space Museum, where a replica of a primitive plane may rewrite the history of aviation, these are a few of the sites that celebrate our nation's distinguished past.  Through gripping interviews, rich archival footage and arresting reenactments, "Mysteries at the Museum" brings to life the amazing artifacts from the center of the nation's most notorious crimes and scandals, unexplained encounters, bizarre inventions, and the most enthralling events of all time.

GHOST ADVENTURES

SPECIAL EPISODE: Friday, January 25 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT

Zak Bagans, Nick Groff and Aaron Goodwin travel internationally to explore some of the world's most sinister haunts. From Jamaica to Italy, England to Canada, they've investigated the paranormal across the globe. Above ground, below, in forts and on islands, restless spirits greet them in the most terrifying ways. They visit a notorious Jamaican plantation, a haunted island that has been declared off-limits by the Italian government, and underground caves where an English secret society was rumored to participate in pagan worship and orgies. These unbelievable Ghost Adventures moments take place at the following haunted locations:  Edinburgh Vaults - Edinburgh, Scotland; Rose Hall - Montego Bay, Jamaica; Fort Horsted - Kent, England; Ancient Ram Inn - Gloucestershire, England; Poveglia Island - Poveglia, Italy; The Hellfire Caves - West Wycombe, England; and Fort Erie - Ontario, Canada.

Series Synopsis: The "Ghost Adventures" crew — Zak Bagans, Nick Groff and Aaron Goodwin — is back to investigate the scariest, most notorious, haunted places in the world. The trio interviews eyewitnesses and historians at each location, arming themselves with the stories of the ghosts they later confront during their dusk-to-dawn lockdowns. Then they review and analyze their findings with some of the most-respected experts and specialists in the paranormal field. New locations include the Point Sur Lighthouse in Point Sur, California; the Black Moon Manor in Greenfield, Indiana; the Palmer House Hotel in Sauk Centre, Minnesota; and the Sedamsville Rectory in Cincinnati, Ohio, among others.

  

THE DEAD FILES

NEW EPISODE: Friday, January 25 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT

Steve DiSchiavi and Amy Allan examine frightening paranormal activity at a family home in Westminster, Colorado. DiSchiavi uncovers evidence of a century-old murder mystery, while Allan encounters a deadly poltergeist that seeks to harm anyone in the house. Their client, Cara, is a single mother whose children live in fear of something unexplained. They've heard voices, seen things move and her son is too terrified to go anywhere alone in the home. In his factual investigation, DiSchiavi discovers details about a potential homicide, while Allan confronts the powerful poltergeist that she believes can do tremendous harm to the living.

Series Synopsis:They are a paranormal team like no other, combining their unique, eclectic and often-conflicting skills to solve unexplained paranormal phenomena in haunted locations across America. Our team approaches every case from their two specific areas of expertise: Steve DiSchiavi is a Homicide Detective and Amy Allan is a medium.  Each investigator's methods and findings remain hidden from the other team member to preserve the integrity of their findings, until DiSchiavi and Allan come together, with the homeowner, and all of the team's findings gel into one undeniable – and often terrifying – conclusion.

TRIP OF A LIFETIME

NEW ONE-HOUR SPECIAL: Sunday, January 27 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT

Hosted by travel expert Samantha Brown, "Trip of a Lifetime," features a core group of Travel Channel stars, including Bert Kreischer, Anthony Melchiorri and Adam Richman who will reveal the most incredible and undiscovered food, fun and hotels throughout this over-the-top vacation. The one-hour special will feature some of the most unexpected, exclusive and outside the guidebook experiences imaginable – all in one of the most beautiful and exciting places in the world. This dream trip will be based in a region that Travel Channel has deemed the most buzz-worthy, up-and-coming destination in the world today – the Adriatic Sea and the historic and stunning coasts of Italy and Croatia.