Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Tribune
June 18, 2021
“My wife and I have taken frequent road trips in order to ensure our sanity during this tumultuous time,” said actor Gregg Daniel (“True Blood,” “Insecure,” “For Life”). “In all our trips, we wore masks and maintained social distancing. There are several places heading due north we love visiting, especially the coastal communities – Ventura, Ojai, Summerland, Montecito and Santa Barbara. I find it remarkable that not more than 90 miles from Los Angeles (where we reside), you can find yourself in an entirely different atmosphere.” Daniel is one of the stars of “7th and Union,” the boxing film that recently premiered at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival. Fans may stay in touch with the actor on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Q: If you had travel plans for 2020 and this year and had to cancel, where were they to?
A: (We) were set to visit our daughter overseas in London in spring of 2020. She was spending a semester studying there. We were set to fly in from Los Angeles a few days before her 21st birthday, spend a week in London with a side trip to Paris and return home. Of course, that was right before the pandemic began in London and travel to the United States from Europe was banned. We were afraid if we completed the trip, we might not be able to return to the United States. It was a very hectic and frightening time. We later discovered that the ban didn’t extend to U.S. citizens, but at the time the information was not disseminated well. Instead, we rushed to get our daughter a flight out of England as flights were booking up fast. On March 15, 2020, we met her at Los Angeles International Airport and joyfully welcomed her back home.
Q: What is your favorite vacation destination?
A: One has to be Paris, particularly staying in the Latin Quarter on the Left Bank near the Sorbonne. There are so many shops, parks and restaurants to explore. I would recommend someone going to Paris for the first time to head to the Shakespeare and Company bookstore. The shop is legendary and has books in both French and English. I could spend the entire day there sorting through the books and imagining how many literary lions have patronized the very same store. The Musée Rodin is my favorite among all the museums in Paris. The sculpture garden is most impressive and many of Rodin’s finest works are there.
Q: Where is the most romantic destination?
A: I’d have to say San Francisco (and) specifically the town of Sausalito, which is right across from the Golden Gate Bridge. I asked my wife to marry me in a beautiful little hotel located on the main street of Sausalito 25 years ago.
Q: If you’ve ever gone away for the holidays, which was the best trip?
A: One of my best was visiting and staying with friends in London during Christmastime. It’s just a different tradition than in the U.S. In some ways, it was like a scene out of a Charles Dickens novel. We had a Christmas goose for dinner.
Q: What are your five favorite cities?
A: London, San Francisco, New York, Paris and Vancouver.
Q: Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?
A: I’ve only been to the Caribbean once when I was younger. My father was an immigrant from the island of Saint Vincent, which is approximately 100 miles from Barbados. I’ve heard so many stories growing up about his formative years on a Caribbean island. The entire side of my father’s family regaled me with the food, stories and culture from that side of the world. Regrettably, while I was growing up, I just wanted to be an American kid and not seem different, so I paid little attention to traveling to his island. Of course, now I would love to get to know all of the Caribbean islands where my Dad worked and grew (up).
Q: What would be your dream trip?
A: Probably spending a month or two with family and friends in the Italian countryside. Years ago, I spent a few weeks living in an old monastery outside of Spoleto, Italy. I was there to study directing for the stage at the International Symposium for Directors. The countryside was absolutely breathtaking. We visited many towns nearby, ate the local cuisine at large tables stationed outside and generally recharged our artistic selves.
Q: What is your worst vacation memory?
A: Being stuck in an airport in Chicago when I was trying to get back to New York City for a holiday. I was stranded all night with other passengers trying to make the best of it. It was cold, we slept on the hard floor and we had no idea when we would actually get a flight out. Mercifully, it was only for a night. However, I never want to go through it again.
© 2021 JAE-HA KIM
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