By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Tribune
January 29, 2019
Best known for his work with R5, drummer Ellington Ratliff says traveling for leisure is something he’d like to do more of in the future. “I honestly don’t vacation as much as I like, but while I’m on tour I get to see some sights in whichever city I’m in,” says Ratliff, 25. “Some of my favorite cities are Lake Como, Barcelona. I really liked Tel Aviv. Although, I’d have to say my favorite place to unwind is at my grandmother’s house in Wisconsin.” The musician resides in Southern California and stays in touch with fans on Twitter.
Q. What untapped destination should people know about?
A. I’m not sure if I would define this city as untapped, but Savannah, Georgia, is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to.
Q. What was the first trip you took as a child? And did you love it, or not so much?
A. When I was little, I went to Tokyo with my parents. It was pretty wild for me and a bit of a culture shock. I saw dried squid wrapped up at a general store. I also loved Pokemon and that was the main hub of everything Pokemon. So, yeah, I had a good time!
Q. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from your travels?
A. Our band manager once said that the key to traveling is patience and there is nothing more accurate than that, especially while going overseas where anything that could go wrong usually does about 50 percent of the time.
Q. Have you traveled to a place that stood out so much that you felt compelled to incorporate it into your work?
A. We’re always gathering up stories on the road, especially in the nightlife aspect, because that’s the main time when we get to hang out. So naturally we meet people, adventures ensue and songs are written.
Q. Where are your favorite weekend getaways?
A. We often go to Hermosa Beach. It’s a smaller town, so it’s even more relaxed than most beaches and it has amazing restaurants. Check out Barans 2239. It’s some of the best food I’ve ever had.
Q. Where is the most romantic destination?
A. I’ll have to say Lake Como in Italy. It’s insane how beautiful it is. Any picture you take there looks absolutely amazing. Also, if you travel there when it’s considered an off season, it’s even better. I hear it gets pretty busy and touristy.
Q. If you’ve ever gone away for the holidays, which was the best trip?
A. I always go to Colorado with my band and their family. It’s a good time, because we go to a cabin, play hockey. … We do it all.
Q. What are your favorite hotels?
A. There’s a hotel in San Diego called the Pendry. We stayed there during one of our video shoots. It was my birthday and they had the nicest hotel staff and helped us get last-minute reservations. The hotel rooms also are awesome.
Q. Where have you traveled to that most reminded you of home?
A. Honestly, Tel Aviv was very similar to Los Angeles. It had many hip cafes and restaurants. We were right on the beach and the weather was very much like Los Angeles.
Q. Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?
A. I would really love to go to South Asia. It’s the one region we haven’t really been to and it looks amazing, especially somewhere like Nepal or India.
Q. When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A. Pretty much an iPhone. We utilize so many apps while touring, from Uber, to social media apps. I even have my journal on my phone.
Q. What is your guilty pleasure when you’re on the road?
A. I love watching Netflix. That sounds awful given all of the exotic places we get to go, but nothing feels better after a week of nonstop traveling than to plop down in your hotel room and watch whatever show you’re on.
© 2019 JAE-HA KIM
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