Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
“Face the Nation” moderator and CBS News’ chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan has seen the world. She has reported stories from Havana, Kabul, Beijing, Tehran and throughout the United States. “A lot of the traveling that I have done is for work,” says Brennan. “I’ve been to spots in Afghanistan and Iraq that are lovely, too, but I wouldn’t put those on travel itineraries.”
Nearly 20 years after their last No. 1 album, the Backstreet Boys’ debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with their latest release, “DNA.” As the group prepares to kick off their North American tour, Howie D (born Howard Dorough) is also celebrating the July 12 release of his debut children’s album, “Which One Am I?”
Better known by his stage name of San Holo, Dutch DJ, guitarist and producer Sander van Dijck, 28, says that he often finds inspiration for his music in his travels. “Traveling has affected my music a lot,” he says. “Seeing new places and meeting new people — it always gives me fresh insights and new perspectives on life, which tend to have an effect subconsciously when I write music.”
Veteran actor Tim Lounibos (“Hawaii Five-0,” “Criminal Minds,” “NCIS”) is best known for his portrayal of Ed Sung on Amazon’s “Bosch.” Well-traveled and always ready to explore, the actor said he learned a valuable lesson from his treks around the world. “We all might look different and have differing perspectives, but we’re all essentially the same.”
Born in Canada, Avan Jogia came to the United States with a challenge. His parents gave him six months to get an acting job or return home and finish school. He has remained in Los Angeles ever since. Best known for his roles in Nickelodeon’s “Victorious” and STARZ’s “Now Apocalypse,” he can be seen in Samuel L. Jackson’s reboot of the feature film, “Shaft.”
“My first trip I took as a child was to New Orleans,” says “Five Points” actor Nathaniel Potvin. “When I was there, I hated it. As my mom describes it, I was sick with an ear infection. How could you not hate that? But I recently went back and loved it. It is truly an amazing town full of good food and the best jazz.”
“I really enjoy luxury train travel to eat good food, be in your own space and enjoy the scenery that you might not get to see otherwise,” says “The Chi” actress, Yolonda Ross. “My dream trip would be to travel with friends on a week-long luxury train trip like the Belmond or Orient Express.
Actress Maria Sten moved from Copenhagen to New York City when she was 18. Her latest role is as journalist Liz Tremayne in the new DC Universe series, “Swamp Thing.” “Liz is incredibly scrappy and she never backs down from a challenge,” says Sten, 29. “She’s also overly curious by nature and always wants to know everything that’s going on around her. You’d probably get no sleep at all (traveling with her), but you’d have a hell of an adventure.”
“I read lists and guides, I email friends with experience for suggestions and I’m all over TripAdvisor,” says Rati Gupta, who plays Anu, Raj’s love interest on “The Big Bang Theory.” “But it’s less to build a perfect set-in-stone itinerary and more to build a wealth of knowledge about the destination. Because life happens, nothing ever goes exactly as planned and it’s easier to bounce back in those moments if you know what your options are.”
Best known as Isabelle Lightwood in “Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments,” Mexican-Lebanese actress Emeraude Toubia says she thinks her television alter ego would have been a great travel companion. “She would be so fun,” says Toubia. “I am more of a stay at home and watch a movie kind of girl. But Isabelle would definitely drag me out of bed to explore and have a fun time.”