Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Troy Polamalu will be easy to spot when the Pittsburgh Steelers play the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 6. The Steelers’ 29-year-old strong safety will be the one with the long mane of thick, wavy black hair cascading out of his helmet. He’s the only player in NFL history to have his hair insured by Lloyd’s of London (Head & Shoulders shampoo took out a $1 million policy for their spokesman).
Marissa Jaret Winokur won a Tony Award for her role in the Broadway musical “Hairspray,” competed on “Dancing with the Stars” and currently is a co-host on the CBS day-time chat show “The Talk.” “Life is good,” says the 36-year-old actress who beat cervical cancer a few years ago. “I am so busy working and being a mom that it’s all I can do to get a shower in every now and again. But I’ll take it. The good, bad — everything.”
Linebacker Scott Fujita is a team captain for the Cleveland Browns and has played football for the New Orleans Saints, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Dallas Cowboys. But his home base is in Carmel Valley, Calif. “Basically, we chose a vacation destination as our permanent residence,” he says. Fujita, who cites National Geographic Traveler as one of his favorite magazines, loves exploring and shares some of his favorite spots.
Actor Jon Seda is a Jersey boy at heart, though he currently lives on the West Coast with his wife and children. “For most of my career I’ve been on the East Coast, but for about the past four or five years I’ve been based out of California,” says Seda, who was born in New York. “I’ve just recently celebrated my 40th birthday. Oh yeah, it’s all up hill from here!” Seda, who’s best known for his roles in the films “Gladiator” and “Selena,” earned rave reviews for his portrayal of World War II hero John Basilone in the HBO miniseries “The Pacific,” which has just been released on DVD.
Guitar legend Joe Satriani and his wife, Rubina, are big fans of traveling, whether it’s a quick flight to Vancouver or an exotic vacation on Tioman Island. Though he enjoys the peace and tranquility of villas that offer little distraction by way of phones and televisions, he also admits he’s partial to having access to the Internet, especially when he’s on tour.
Though Jordin Spark’s tours have taken her to many destinations, the young singer has a long list of places she’d still like to visit. And she plans on taking her dog with her, if at all possible.
Music legend Neil Sedaka is back on the road performing concerts to promote his latest album, “Music of My Life.” Based out of New York and Los Angeles, the 71-year-old singer-songwriter loves to travel, whether it’s a family vacation to Hawaii or a staycation in his beloved Big Apple. Next on his list of places he’d like to visit? “It seems I’ve been everywhere, but I’ve never been to Eastern Europe,” Sedaka says. “(I’d like to travel to) Poland, the Czech Republic and Romania one day.”
Aaron Zigman’s music isn’t as flashy as the designer wardrobe that Sarah Jessica Parker wears in “Sex and the City 2” — opening in theaters on May 27. But his score does set the tone for the film, whether Carrie and her girls are in New York City or gallivanting around the world. Based out of Los Angeles, the 47-year-old composer (whose previous work includes “The Notebook” and “The Proposal”) talks about his own love of traveling, whether it’s to Paris or Charleston, S.C.
Rock legend Todd Rundgren has been performing for more than 40 years. Best known for hits such as “Hello It’s Me,” “I Saw the Light” and “Bang the Drum All Day,” Rundgren is currently on tour. The 61-year-old Pennsylvania-born musician now resides in Hawaii. “I used to live in Upstate New York where we got incredibly bitter cold for weeks on end,” Rundgren says. “And I remember the winters from growing up in Pennsylvania. I have no desire to relive them.”
Actor-comedian Larry Miller is well known for his appearances on “Seinfeld,” “Mad About You” and the feature film “10 Things I Hate About You.” He also co-stars in the ABC Family television series based on the movie, which begins its second season on Monday, March 29. Of his travel schedule, Miller, 53, says, “Once you get married and have kids, and the kids have teams that play on the weekends, and I do shows on the weekends. … If my wife and I get one lone Saturday night free? Believe me, a fire and a drink and holding hands downstairs for 10 minutes is the best getaway possible.” Still, he’d love to get away to Hawaii one day.
Jeff Housenbold uses Shutterfly to process all the pictures he takes on vacation. Of course, he gets a little break since he’s the president and CEO of the online photo company. A resident of Atherton, Calif., where he resides with his wife and three sons, Housenbold, 40, travels often for business and pleasure. While the warm islands of Hawaii are family favorites, the Housenbolds look forward to upcoming trips to Israel and Ireland.
Elliott Yamin says there’s something special about getting to stay home every now and again, especially since he has purchased a new house in Los Angeles. “I have a big, beautiful house that I never really get to see,” says the 30-year-old former “American Idol” contestant. “Sometimes it feels like I’m on vacation when I just get to sit on my sofa and hang out in front of my TV. But I will say that the thought of a really great, relaxing vacation can get me off my butt in no time because I really do love to travel. I love every part of it. Getting the chance to see the world is just an amazing perk of my job. It’s great.”
Kenny Loggins has had an impressive string of radio-friendly hits (“Footloose,” “Danger Zone,” “I’m Alright”) in his long career. With his latest album “All Join In” — in stores later this year — the veteran musician aims for a multi-generational audience that includes children. It’s only fitting, since the album includes collaborations with all five of his kids — ranging in age from 11 to 28 years old. “It was very fun to work with them,” says the 62-year-old singer-songwriter, who resides in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Ivanka Trump could’ve coasted on her good looks and her father’s money, but that’s not her style. Armed with a degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, Trump, 28, may be more low-key than her famous father, Donald, but she may be just as driven. Besides being a vice president at her family’s real estate company, Trump has authored the new book The Trump Card: Playing to Win in Work and Life (Touchstone, $24.99). She also has a line of fine jewelry featured in her Ivanka Trump Collection.
Born in West Germany on a U.S. military base, Rob Thomas was born to travel. The frontman for Matchbox Twenty, Thomas also collaborated with Carlos Santana (he was the voice of the hit single “Smooth”) and is currently finishing up a U.S. tour to promote his second solo album “Cradlesong.” After that he’ll head off to Australia in February to perform concerts there. “My first time out of the country was to Australia,” says Thomas, 37. “Every first trip is fun, but after you’ve visited a few times, you get the lay of the land down and find favorite spots. Each spot gets better every trip.”
“Traveling is a wonderful perk of my job,” says singer Al Jarreau. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” A recent tour took him to Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Manila, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Jakarta, but not Tokyo — one of his all-time favorite cities. The seven-time Grammy Award winner in jazz, pop and R&B is best known for his smooth hit singles “Never Givin’ Up,” “Moonlighting” and “After All” and his greatest hits album “Al Jarreau — The Very Best Of: An Excellent Adventure” will be in stores on Sept. 29.
I like to think of myself as an adventurous traveler. I’ve hiked glaciers in New Zealand, eaten sheep entrails in the Orkney Islands and jet skied my way around Bora Bora. But when my mother suggested that we take a family trip to Hawaii last February, the little kid in me emerged and I wanted to do nothing more than just be a tourist. And for that, the best place to go was the island of Oahu.
RARELY does a month go by anymore without urgent news from Honolulu’s Waikiki Beach, now feverishly making itself over after decades of fading away. New shops! More malls! New hotels! More glitz, more glamour, better decor…oh, and don’t forget, higher prices too. Less than four miles away, another neighborhood is experiencing a resurgence of an entirely different sort. Along Waialae Avenue, there’s no fancy window dressing, but there is great food. Here, three great stops to make.
After winning an Academy Award for her breakthrough performance in “Children of a Lesser God,” Marlee Matlin has proven herself to be a serious actress with a deft comedic touch. But Matlin, 42, is also an accomplished author of children’s books. Her latest, “Leading Ladies,” which features a spunky young heroine who Matlin says is a lot like she was as a child, picks up where her previous novels left off.