By Jae-Ha Kim
Tribune Content Agency
March 6, 2018
Born and raised in California, Chandler Kinney resides in the Los Angeles area. Best known for her portrayal of Damon Wayans’ daughter, Riana Murtaugh, on the Fox series “Lethal Weapon,” the actress is active on social media, including Twitter and Instagram. Kinney, 17, says her idea of a perfect vacation day is being some place warm, where she can enjoy a meal close to the ocean.
Q. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from your travels?
A. I’ve been fortunate enough to become a moderately experienced traveler. I’d say the number one thing I’ve learned about traveling is to always be very respectful wherever you go. This sounds quite simple, yet it can sometimes be much easier than you think to slip up. Being conscious of volume, actions, gestures, words and space is crucial when traveling outside of the country. Respect the people and respect the culture.
Q. What is your favorite vacation destination?
A. Tokyo, Japan, is one of my favorite places. My mom, my two brothers and I were there for four days. Two of our days were spent at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. We took our last day to explore the surrounding districts and towns of Tokyo.
Q. To someone who was going to Tokyo for the first time, what would you recommend that they do during their visit?
A. Definitely check out the Disney parks! From food, to rides, to characters, they have an incredible amount of unique elements that make Tokyo distinctly different from any other park. Akihabara, appropriately nicknamed “Electric Town,” is a huge area filled with the biggest, brightest neon signs. It’s the best place to find a wide variety of electronics, video games, manga and anime. Harajuku is another amazing place to visit. It’s a super-cute shopping district and is perfect for fashion-lovers.
Q. Where are your favorite weekend getaways?
A. Catalina Island is a lovely weekend getaway. Coming from the L.A. area, the island is only about an hour car ride (or) boat ride away. When you arrive, its distinct and endearing charm makes you feel like you’ve traveled to a different country. It’s not only the perfect location for a relaxing day of sipping a smoothie on a quiet beach, but also for a fun-filled day of hiking, kayaking and zip-lining. It truly has something for everyone.
Q. What are your five favorite cities?
A. Los Angeles is where I live, work and play. It’s my home and it holds a special place in my heart. I love New York and its food and entertainment. It’s fun to experience such a fast-paced environment with so much to see and do. Paris is where I feel like I belong. The sights, the sounds, the people, the food, the music, the art — everything about Paris is absolutely magnificent. Venice, Italy, is at the top of my travel wish list! That city is literally a place straight out of a dream. Lastly, Tokyo is insane! It’s a true adventure navigating through it.
Q. Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?
A. I really would love to explore New Zealand. I think most people would agree that it’s one of the most beautiful, peaceful places on Earth. With its stunning landscapes and friendly people, it’s the ideal location to rest and rejuvenate.
Q. When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A. When traveling, I definitely need my phone, not necessarily for communication but for taking tons of pictures. I also must have ChapStick. Besides those two things, excluding obvious necessities of clothes and toiletries, I’m good to go! I love traveling light so I can bring back souvenirs.
Q. What would be your ideal trip?
A. My dream trip would start in Paris with my family and possibly a close friend. We would spend two full days in Paris Disneyland and then spend a couple days exploring the city. I would try hot chocolate, croissants and macaroons in as many cafes as I could. And we would have a picnic beneath the Eiffel Tower and tour museums. Then we’d spend a week in Venice and take as many gondola rides as we could.
Q. What is your guilty pleasure when you’re on the road?
A. I love reading teen romance novels when traveling. I honestly don’t know why, but I appreciate them more when I’m on a plane.
Q. What kind of research do you do before you go away on a trip?
A. I think the number one thing I research about the destination I’m about to travel to is the weather. I always want to be dressed appropriately so I’m not freezing or dying of heat.
Q. What is your best vacation memory?
A. One of my best vacation memories was going to Disney World and Universal Orlando with my mom. We had been wanting to go for about a decade and we finally just took a week out of our schedule to do it. It was honestly more than I could have ever imagined. It was an extremely intense trip, as we would go to sleep around midnight and get up six hours later. But we got everything we wanted to get done, plus so much more. We rode nearly every ride in all four Disney parks and the two Universal parks, in addition to eating at different fun restaurants for each meal of the day. I’d say we’re amusement park navigating experts by now. It was the absolute best mother-daughter trip ever.
Q. What are your favorite hotels?
A. I love the Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach Resort. It’s in a beautiful location right on the beach and is great for a relaxing getaway. The Crescent Hotel in Beverly Hills is a small, exclusive, swanky hotel and is perfectly located for shopping. The Tokyo Disneyland Hotel is incredible! They have special character rooms available that are so detailed and intricate. We stayed in the Tinker Bell room and it was adorable!
Q. What are your favorite restaurants?
A. Mendocino Farms serves delicious sandwiches and every location I’ve been to has super friendly staff members! I also love Paradise Cove in Malibu. I love eating so close to the ocean and their milkshakes are so good. Lastly, the Melting Pot is a favorite of mine because I’m a fondue addict. Melted cheese and melted chocolate are a dream come true!
© 2018 JAE-HA KIM
DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.
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