Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Former co-stars (“Charmed”) and real-life best friends, actresses Shannen Doherty and Holly Marie Combs star in the Great American Country reality series, “Off the Map with Shannen and Holly.” “Holly and I experienced so many memorable moments,” says Doherty, 43, who resides in Malibu. “We ziplined in Kentucky and handled an alligator in Georgia. But, most of all, the people we met were so special and I truly feel blessed to have had this experience.”
“I didn’t make it to Perth, but I went all over Australia,” says actress Carla Renata. “I was working over there long enough that I could take vacations. If I could figure out a way to make a living there, I would move there. The food is to die for. Everything is fresh and prepared spectacularly and the people are really loving and warm. The theater and arts scene is wonderful.”
Author Dianne Hales says, “If you were to offer me a ticket almost anywhere, but I had to leave in an hour, I wouldn’t hesitate. There’s nothing I need that can’t be bought somewhere.”
“I’ve been lucky enough to travel from a young age,” says actress and jewelry designer Katie Barberi. “I’ve grown up seeing so much diversity and beauty in different cultures. I draw inspiration from that all the time.”
“My favorite trip to Italy was my post-college backpacking trip and my best friend and I ended up in Cinque Terre,” says “Family Guy” actress Alex Borstein. “It’s a small stretch on the Italian coast that’s made up of five magical-looking villages.”
Idris Elba is famous for his acting. Nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his starring role in “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,” Elba is also known for playing Russell “Stringer” Bell on HBO’s “The Wire.” He’ll next be seen reprising his role of Heimdall in 2015’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” But it was his role playing Nelson Mandela that spurred him on to record “mi Mandela.”
Born in the Philippines and raised in Ohio, Reggie Lee currently splits his time between Los Angeles and Portland, where he has a co-starring role as Sgt. Wu on the NBC hit series “Grimm.” Lee’s film credits include “The Dark Knight Rises,” “The Fast and the Furious “ and “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.” Lee says he loves shooting on location in Oregon, but he’s looking forward to doing some traveling soon. “I generally like to stay home and be with family for the holidays. But, right after Christmas, I’m headed to London and then Paris for New Year’s.”
Scott Pelley is a correspondent for “60 Minutes,” as well as the anchor and managing editor of the “CBS Evening News.” The 57-year-old journalist travels constantly for his work and says he wouldn’t have it any other way. “Whenever I give commencement addresses at colleges, I tell young people to get a passport,” Pelley says. “There is no education on earth as good as the education you get from travel. I never tire of going to a place I’ve never been before. I’m still filled with excitement about getting on a plane, boat or train.”
WNBA center Sasha Goodlett currently plays for South Korea’s Woori Bank Hansae. “Adjusting to the culture and the language barrier was challenging,” says the 24-year-old basketball star. “It’s hard trying to understand someone when they don’t know English and you don’t know Korean. But, I am learning Korean! So, hopefully by the end of the year I will be relatively fluent in it.”
As a child, Sarah Piampiano dreamed of being an Olympian. But, as an adult, she figured her life as an investment banker would prevent her from becoming a full-time athlete. Five years ago, she made a lifestyle switch, quitting her job, moving to the West Coast and devoting all her time and energy into becoming a pro triathlete. Piampiano, 34, says that switching from finance to the world of elite athletes hasn’t been the easiest transition, but one for which she has a passion.
Best known for her roles on “JAG” and “Dirty Sexy Money,” Zoe McLellan stars as Meredith Brody in the hit CBS series “NCIS: New Orleans.” The actress, who was born in California and raised in Washington, is based out of Louisiana, where her series is filmed. “I currently reside in New Orleans and have never felt more at home anywhere in my life,” McLellan says. ‘It’s in my blood now.”
New York Times bestselling author Chelsea Cain’s latest thriller, “One Kick” (Simon and Schuster, $25.99), kicks off a new series of novels centered on a former abductee, who becomes immersed in a missing child case. Based out of Portland, Oregon, Cain says nothing completes a road trip like a gas station Payday bar. As for her dream trip? “Murder on the Orient Express!” says Cain, 42.
“It’s hard not to be changed by traveling to India,” says “Anger Management” actress Noureen DeWulf. “My trips there have really impacted me as a person. I have gratitude in very a deep way for my life and my career. When you see the kind of poverty that exists there, and people struggling on such a primal level, it stays with you forever.”
We know William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk on “Star Trek,” as Sgt. Hooker on “T.J. Hooker” and as Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting’s money-savvy dad on the Priceline commercials. He has also performed spoken word renditions of songs by Queen and the Kinks. Now, the 83-year-old actor is ready to show you how handy — or unhandy — he is at renovating his California home on the DIY Network’s latest reality series, “The Shatner Project.”
A former home economics teacher, Kanae Minato rocked Japan’s literary world with her 2008 debut novel, “Confessions.” A movie adaptation of the psychological thriller was selected as Japan’s entry for the best foreign language film at the 2010 Academy Awards. This past summer, the book was released in English.
Though Dan Lauria has traveled to numerous destinations, the actor said he has never taken a proper holiday. “I’ve never taken a vacation,” says Lauria, who is best known for playing Fred Savage’s father on “The Wonder Years.” “I’ve never been to Europe. Every time I planned to do something big, I got a job and I could never pass that up.”
Lara Spencer has a lot on her plate these days. A co-anchor for ABC’s “Good Morning America,” she’s also the host of “Flea Market Flip” on Great American Country. She also has a new book out, “Flea Market Fabulous: Designing Gorgeous Rooms with Vintage Treasures” (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, $25.95). A resident of Greenwich, Connecticut, Spencer says that even though she travels constantly for her work, if the opportunity arises, she will never pass up the opportunity to head out for a few days with her family.
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.
Actress Caitriona Balfe says she can relate to her time-traveling character, Claire Randall, in the Starz series “Outlander.” “I’ve lived in Los Angeles and New York for long periods of time,” she says. “And now I’m in Glasgow. It’s not like having different lives in each place, but each is unique. The country is a key character in the series. The Scottish Highlands are incredible. There seems to be magic and poetry everywhere.”
More famous than many of the celebrities with whom he is paired on “Dancing with the Stars,” professional dancer Derek Hough is a star in his own right. Hough, 29, has won an Emmy Award for his choreography on the series, as well as an unprecedented five Mirror Ball Trophies for his work on the show.