Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
“We filmed ‘Ted’ on the Universal Studios lot in Los Angeles – about a stone’s throw away from my all-time favorite theme park ride, Jaws!,” said actress Alanna Ubach. “I kept pinching myself every time I’d hear screams and laughter coming from the trams.”
“When I was younger, touring sometimes resembled a party that you never had to clean up after,” Tom Heyman said from his San Francisco home. “The first time I went to Europe, we had a driver/road manager, and it was a revelation to be rolling down the road and drinking before and after the gig, not having to worry about who was sober enough to drive. When I got older and stopped drinking, touring became much more about trying to get enough sleep, eat right and to really try and connect with the audience in a meaningful way.”
“Food is such an insight into the local flavor, the local scene,” said 3 Pairs of Boots vocalist Laura Arias. “It gets one quickly into the vibe of a place.”
Former Girls’ Generation member Jessica Jung tackles the world of K-pop in her Young Adult novel, “Shine.” “I took a lot of inspiration from what it was like for me,” says Jung. “I wanted it to be entertaining and authentic at the same time, so there’s a balance of real details and escapist fictional elements.”
“When I was younger, I spent a month living in Belgrade, Serbia,” says “Shrill” actor Luka Jones. “But all I can recall from that time are some curse words!”
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.”
“I’ve been going to Lake Powell since I started to walk,” says “The Fosters” actress Meg DeLacy. “It was a very special place for me growing up and still is. For four or five days you are off the grid beach-camping, water skiing, taking your boat through the canyons of the lake and finding swimming holes and places to read a book and just be lazy. You wake up when the sun comes up and wind down when the sun goes down. It’s the best to just be on the lake and do nothing or do a whole bunch of things. There are a million stars to see every night.”
Traveling the world is an incredible experience, but San Francisco-based musician Frances England says that there’s also adventure to be found in your own backyard. On her latest CD “Explorer of the World,” the songwriter features songs that include snippets of sounds she recorded when she took walks around her local neighborhoods.
Best known for her roles on “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “What I Like About You,” Jennie Garth is showing fans another side of herself in “The Jennie Garth Project,” a new reality series in which the 42-year-old actress works with a contractor to remodel an outdated California house. Based out of Los Angeles, where she resides with her three children, Garth released her memoir, “Deep Thoughts from a Hollywood Blonde” earlier this year.
Tyler Florence is a chef, restaurateur and cookbook author, but he’s probably best known for his on-air work. The 42-year-old television personality is the host of the Food Network’s “The Great Food Truck Race,” which showcases teams of cooks traveling across the country, with the hopes of getting the opportunity to win their own food truck and a $50,000 cash prize. A father of three children, who range in age from 5 to 17, Florence says he and his wife love to travel. However, they take different types of trips these days to accommodate their youngest kids.
Born in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, to Chinese parents, Harry Shum Jr. was once best known for his dancing in films such as “You Got Served,” “Stomp the Yard” and the “Step Up” films. But, today, “gleeks” worldwide know him as dreamy high school student Mike Chang on Fox TV’s hit show “Glee.”
Best known for his role as coroner Dr. Albert Robbins on CBS’ “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” actor Robert David Hall is also a musician. Hall’s current CD, “Things They Don’t Teach You in School,” showcases his bluegrass and rockabilly sensibilities. Hall — who had to have both his legs amputated after a car accident — has a wicked sense of humor and delights in the fact that Dr. Robbins was designated as being one of the Top 5 Cool Nerds on television.
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.”
Singer, actress and former “American Idol” runner-up Katharine McPhee, 26, was born and raised in Los Angeles, where she currently resides. “I love traveling and am on the road all the time for work, but I don’t get to go on as many vacations as people would think,” she says. “But a lot of people can work on vacation or relax while they’re traveling for business. And that’s what I’ve started to do.” Her favorite vacation memory, actually, is of the days off she had during a business trip to Italy. McPhee’s latest CD is “Christmas is the Time …(To Say I Love You).”
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.
The Presidio is about two law enforcement officers who don’t get along but learn to respect each other as they solve a crime. Sound familiar? Lethal Weapon has made a franchise out of this hackneyed formula. But unless the chemistry between the two stars works, the viewer doesn’t care what happens to either of the characters.
You’d think Keith Johnson — who spent his early years traveling around Europe with his art dealer father — would want to spend all his free time exploring boutiques and museums. “No,” says the 53-year-old star of “Man Shops Globe.” “I surprisingly am not a big shopper or museumgoer. New York fills my need for constant visual stimulation. I love the variety of sights and sounds. It also reminds me how big the world is and how I need to get out and see it.”
HGTV designer Monica Pedersen can be seen regularly on programs such as “Bang for Your Buck,” where she shows homeowners how to maximize their living space and beautify their homes. A well-seasoned traveler, Pedersen — who resides in the Midwest — sees the potential in taking trips to Wisconsin, as well as heading overseas for a longer family vacation.
His high-pitched voice and shaggy bangs are as much his trademarks as his dry, sardonic wit. And Emo Philips, 53, a comedian for most of his adult life, can’t imagine doing anything else. “It’s just something that works for me,” says Philips, who resides in Los Angeles. “I get to travel and tell my stories on stage. It’s the ideal life for me.” Though he executive produced the original 1992 version of “Meet the Parents” (the film that didn’t star Robert DeNiro) and dipped his toes into film and television work, Philips isn’t looking to make a mark for himself as an actor.
“I’m a good stand-up comedian and can’t say the same about my acting abilities,” he says. Philips talks about his travels, including a trip to Nepal where he got to witness — among other things — a cremation ceremony.
“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.