Travel Channel Hosts and Their Honeys

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, we wanted to know how our Travel Channel hosts met their sweethearts. Here's what they had to say.

"Rishia and I met 3 years before our first date. I was a visiting chef at a cooking school with a store on the first floor below it. Rishia was working in the store. I was the obnoxious chef, arrogant and demanding and she was an angel. Several years later, I bumped into her again and she consented to dating me. We went out on our first date, she asked me, “Tell me a little bit about yourself?” and 2 hours later I came up for air. She refused to go out with me again, I begged for a second date, and she relented. That was 13 years ago." - Andrew Zimmern

"We met…Jesus, 14 years ago, at Turner Broadcasting, where we both worked. I was training to be a 3D animator, and she was the new marketing assistant, 1 of about 4 women in a 300 person department. It was like a feeding frenzy; I didn’t even bother trying to talk to her for the first week. Then I made up an excuse to "fix" something on her computer. I don’t think she bought it, but we still ended up married, so I win." - Marcus Sakey

"Sandis and I fell in love during the course of the 2-week sand festival Fiesa in Pera Algarve, Portugal. In the evenings we would drink Port and party on the rooftops of our bungalows, and during our lunch time breaks we would sneak away to the ocean and walk the beaches. Over the last couple of years, we have managed to have what would normally be seen as an impossible relationship, made possible by our love for each other, sand and ice carving. I am totally blessed with my relationship and I couldn't ask for a better partner in the game of life." - Sue McGrew

"I fell in love with her at first sight at a bowling alley." - Bert Kreischer For the complete story, check out <a href="http://www.travelchannel.com/tv-shows/bert-the-conqueror/articles/conqueroring-the-conqueror">LeeAnn's version.</a>

"Shade and I met setting up for a big party for American Steel Art Studios in Oakland, CA. He was building a Bordello Theater Stage, and I was building a sand sculpture. We totally hit it off and before I knew it, I was crashing in his grungy electrical work van. We spent those couple of weeks together and then met up a month later at Burning Man. That was a year and a half ago. He is currently traveling with Sand Masters as our Set Builder/Production Assistant. He is also in the works of moving out to California and seeing if he can put up with me full time. :) Love him!" - Morgan Rudluff

"I was living on a magnificent beach in South Australia. I was on my back porch when the most gorgeous girl that I had ever laid eyes on passed right in front of my patio. She was laughing, chatting with a girlfriend. I headed to the beach. She was in the water searching for something. I helped her search, chatting with her the whole time. I made what I thought was a fatal mistake that day. I didn't get her phone number. What an idiot! But fate was not finished with us. The following week my angel came back. I asked her to join me for dinner. She said yes and that’s how I found my Valentine.” – Joe Bechtold

"Marianne is a Dutch carver who's been carving for 12 years all over Europe. We met at a master sand sculpting competition 10 years ago here in the States. Afterwards, we teamed up for the World Championships and have been together ever since." - Chris Guinto

"My wife Angela and I met as kids; we lived a couple of doors down from each other. We eventually started dating and have been together ever since." - Steve Di Schiavi

"Kate and I were set up by good friends of ours, my fraternity brother Shores and his girlfriend Lyndsey. We all met for drinks before a concert at the Blue Note. Great concert, wish I could say I remember the band’s name but I cannot tell a lie, no clue. Kate has a good memory and reminded me that it was the Cold War Kids. We all went out afterwards and since we could actually hear each other we got a chance to talk. We had a great time and made plans to go skydiving the next weekend. So we jumped out of a plane and here we are 11 months later. Makes sense right. Happy Valentines Day!" - Ben Muzzey

"Ed and I first met in 1983 I believe ... in Greeley, CO. We were both attending the same church. Ed had started Distortions in 1978 .... I was working on a Master’s in biology, getting my teaching certification, and working part time at Distortions at the same time. Even though I loved teaching, I decided to make monsters instead. : ) Ed and I spent many hours together painting masks, and have been making monsters together for almost 30 years ... Ouch! : )" - Marsha Edmunds

"I met Natalie in a bar. Today, any time I get to spend alone with her is great. We live in a dream date location -- Carmel, CA -- so any night we get to stroll downtown and have dinner or go to the galleries is cherished -- and far too rare!" - Rusty Croft

"I met my wife Nina, in elementary school. It was a small parochial school in Staten Island. There was a girl in my class that liked me, and Nina was part of a small group of girls dedicated, for the moment, to matchmaking. When Nina asked if I liked Georgiana, I said no. Then she asked, 'Well who do you like?' I answered, 'I like you!' It took some time, but by some stroke of fortune I won her over. Three daughters and 34 years later she still inspires me. In a song I wrote recently, the last line reads, 'I'm thinking if I had another chance/ I'd spend this life with you again.'" - Matt Long

"Matt and I met at a haunted night club in Arizona -- Hotel Congress. We dated for a year and then we got married at the hotel and have been together since: 11years." - Amy Allan