By Jae-Ha Kim
Tribune Content Agency
September 23, 2014
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Jennie Garth Project,” a new HGTV reality series in which the 42-year-old actress works with a contractor to remodel an outdated California house.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” (NAL Hardcover, $26.95), earlier this year.
Q. Do you prefer warm weather or cold weather destinations?
A. I’ll go anywhere! But my first choice would be tropical. I’m kind of past the age of skiing, because I’m too scared to do it now! I would rather lay on the beach and be served a cocktail while I read a book.
Q. When you travel, are you often recognized?
A. Sometimes, but I don’t attract attention like a lot of people do. Part of it is that I try to pick places where it’s not going to be an issue. I like to go to smaller places. Places without elevators. (Laughs) I’ve developed this ability to blend in. I know some celebrities want to be seen. I don’t. I’m kind of like everybody else.
Q. Where are your favorite weekend getaways?
A. I think Cabo is great, if you just go there and relax and stay out of the bars.
Q. What’s your favorite mode of transportation?
A. I like taking the train to places. I think it’s a good idea, because you can see everything from the ground and you get a better perspective of where you’re going. But my favorite thing is to boat into a place. We went by boat to the South of France. To see that view from the water was so different. It was really memorable.
Q. What is on your travel bucket list?
A. The big one is Bali. I really want to visit there. I’d also like to go to Tulum, Mexico.
Q. At what age did your children start traveling with you?
A. Since each of them was a little baby. I call them professional travelers! They are travelers and they’re good at it. Probably better than me!
Q. After all these years of jetting around the world, do you still get a thrill from getting on a plane?
A. I don’t like traveling for work and would rather stay home. But if it’s traveling for fun, I’m up for it. I love to explore new places and experience different cultures.
Q. Where could you move to that would feel like home?
A. Malibu. Aspen. I have to hold myself back and remind myself that I’m not made of money.
Q. What are some of your favorite cities?
A. Los Angeles, Austin, San Francisco, which is so beautiful. I’ve lived in Los Angeles for so long that I have a good appreciation for any metropolis.
Q. What would be your dream trip?
A. My girls and I just stayed at a castle in the countryside (in England). That was always a dream of mine. So I can check that off.
Q. Do you speak any foreign languages?
A. I’m adaptable with languages. I know enough Spanish to piece things together. There are a lot of similarities in Italian and French, so I can get by. But if I got to Germany, I’m lost. I have no idea that they’re saying.
Q. What is your guilty pleasure when you’re on the road?
A. I’m so self-controlled about what I eat when I’m in L.A. because I’m always on a strict diet. So when I travel, I like to indulge in food. In Paris, I’ll see the cheese and bread and macaroons and think, “Give it to me!”
Q. What kind of vacations did you take with your family when you were younger?
A. We didn’t have a lot of money, so we never flew anywhere. My dad had a camper on the back of his pickup truck. He would take us everywhere in that. These were the days before car seats and booster chairs. He built this sling bed in the cab of the truck between him and my mom, and I slept in that sling bed. We drove to places like Pikes Peak and all kinds of national parks.
Q. What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?
A. The best was when I turned 40 and the hotel we were in prepared a beautiful private dinner for us and had fireworks for my birthday. The worst was just recently. It’s actually one of the worst—I’ve had a few of them. But when that happens, you just have to roll with it. Our driver picked my daughters and me up from a train in Paris and dropped us at our hotel and left. The hotel couldn’t find our reservation and kept saying they weren’t expecting us. It was really uncomfortable. Turns out he had dropped us off at the wrong hotel. We had to hire another driver and load back up and get to the right hotel. Between us four girls, we had 11 suitcases to load back up!
© 2014 JAE-HA KIM
DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.
