Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
“My first trip was at six years old. We drove from Tucson to Columbus, in our cream-colored station wagon that we affectionately called Betsy,” says actress Alana De La Garza. “We drove through the night, with my brother, sister and I lying across the back seats. All I remember is my brother poking me, as I tried to fall asleep. I kept thinking, “I don’t like vacations. I’m not so sure what all the fuss is about.” I did love seeing my grandparents.”
There’s no specific quality that makes one destination more romantic than others. While some travelers want access to luxuries and fine dining, others search for a beautiful sunset in a rustic environment. The important thing is being with the right person. As Mark Twain said, “I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.”
Born in Los Angeles and raised in Toronto, Laurie Holden currently resides in Atlanta, where “The Walking Dead” is filmed. The actress plays Andrea on the popular series, which is AMC’s highest-rated show. An avid traveler, Holden encourages people to get out and explore the world, and help others in need. “I highly recommend joining a volunteer organization,” she says. “There’s no better experience than becoming part of the solution. I did this, myself. I worked in a daycare center for HIV orphans and it changed my life forever.”
As Ken Budd was turning 40, his father died of a heart attack. After the author heard from countless people about what an impact his father had made on their lives, he began to question his own purpose in the world. He began to do volunteer work and spent a couple weeks in New Orleans helping the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Then Budd began a six-country quest to find more meaning in his life and his travels led to a special needs school in the outskirts of China, a home for HIV-afflicted children in Kenya and an elementary school in Costa Rica.
“The Bachelor” host Chris Harrison says, “When I travel to any country, my goal is to really try to get lost in that city and hit the local haunts. I’m never a big fan of doing touristy stuff. Sometimes you have to do these things like in Rome seeing all the sights and historic places. But even there I like to get off the main streets and find little shops and cafes you wont find on most maps. I talk to locals everywhere. I go and ask for bars, restaurants, shops and activities.”
Born in Texas and raised in Florida, Candice Accola is best known for her portrayal of Caroline Forbes on the CW series “The Vampire Diaries.” An avid traveler who counts her passport as one of her prized possessions, the 25-year-old actress says, “I don’t think I could have a genuine relationship with someone who didn’t love to travel and appreciate new foods. Traveling is a big part of my life, and I want to share that with the people close to me.”
“I like to travel to places you’d expect a 10-year-old kid to like,” says author R.L. Stine. “I love big, crazy resort places like Disney World. This is so bad for my horror image, but I would like to live at Disney World! I love being with thousands of people walking around there. My other favorite place is the Atlantis (in the Bahamas). I try to go at least once a year. It’s so much fun and it’s crazy. Everything’s twice as big as it needs to be. There’s all these swimming pools and restaurants, with beaches everywhere, a huge aquarium, that enormous casino … it’s just amazing.”
Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Jonny Moseley first saw snow when his family moved to Northern California. The mogul skier would go on to compete at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, where he won the first American gold of the Games. Since then, he’s hosted shows for MTV, was named one of People magazine’s most eligible bachelors, graduated from the University of California at Berkeley, got married and became a father. He has also added the title of “guru” to his resume. Moseley is one of ZOZI.com’s celebrity guides, who lead everyday folks on adventures.
Best road trip ever for comic actor Seth Rogen? “When I was 16, my mom and I rented a car in Israel and drove around for a couple weeks. It was fun. I’m pretty easy maintenance, which is a good thing, since I have to travel so much for work.”
Naming her current CD “33 1/3” came easily for Shemekia Copeland. The title refers to her love of vinyl records, the number of revolutions an album makes per minute on a turntable and her age when the CD was released this past September. Having spent more than half her life in the music business, Copeland has performed with notable artists such as Buddy Guy, Mick Jagger and B.B. King, but says singing at the White House for President Obama and the first lady easily was one of her proudest moments.
One of Pat Benatar’s best-known songs is “Love is a Battlefield.” But for the four-time Grammy-winning singer and her long-time husband, guitarist Neil Giraldo, 57, love is hardly a struggle. The couple has collaborated for more than three decades, with Giraldo writing and arranging some of her biggest hits. Thanks to a prolific touring schedule, the twosome has been around the world and say they get along famously, whether on tour or on vacation. Benatar, 59, and Giraldo are so in tune with each other that they often speak as one, finishing each other’s sentences. For upcoming tour information, check out http://benatargiraldo.com.
Though she was born into rock royalty, Wendy Wilson says she never felt she deserved fame. That was reserved for her superstar father, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. But neither she nor her older sister, Carnie, could resist pursuing a career in music. As one third of the sing group Wilson Phillips, Wendy toured the world. The group’s latest effort is the DVD “Live From Infinity Hall,” which includes covers of such songs as “Monday Monday,” “California Dreamin’” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.” Wilson, 43, resides in California’s San Fernando Valley with her husband and four children.
Jai Rodriguez became a household name as the culture vulture on “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.” The 33-year-old entertainer, however, has gone back to his acting roots and is co-starring in the ABC sitcom “Malibu Country,” starring Reba McEntire. In the series, Rodriguez plays a record label employee who befriends McEntire’s character. Rodriguez is also the co-creator and co-executive producer of Logo’s reality series “Bad Sex,” which is currently in production for its second season.
Marti Frederiksen has written songs with an array of artists, including Carrie Underwood, Gavin Rossdale and Buckcherry. But it’s his long-time collaborations with Steven Tyler that stand out. On Aerosmith’s latest album, “Music From Another Dimension,” Frederiksen wrote “Can’t Stop Loving You” with Tyler, who sings duet on the song with Underwood. “It’s really amazing to think about some of these amazing artists I’ve worked with,” says Frederiksen, 50. “Each of them has such a distinct style and I got to be a part of that.”
Los Angeles-based actress Tracey Heggins knows how fortunate she is. Besides appearing in Common’s indie film “LUV,” the statuesque actress also plays Senna — one of the Amazonian vampires — in “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2.” “It was so much fun shooting ‘Twilight’ in Squamish (which is halfway between Whistler and Vancouver, B.C.),” says Heggins. “It was a really amazing experience. Then we shot in Baton Rouge going up to New Orleans. There’s no city like New Orleans. We went into all these little voodoo stores, which were interesting. I love the French Quarter. They did a great job of making the French Quarter look like France. I remember when I was in France; I kept thinking how much it reminded me of New Orleans!”
Famed Spago chef Wolfgang Puck is the latest judge on the “Top Chef: Seattle.” Puck says he’s excited to be a part of the 10th season of the Emmy and James Beard Award-winning series. “The show is a lot of fun for me and I enjoy watching what the chefs come up with each week,” says the 63-year-old author and TV personality. “When I was starting out, I knew I found cooking to be interesting. But I never imagined that people would enjoy watching chefs on television competing in the kitchen. It’s wonderful.”
Born in China, classical pianist Lang Lang splits his time between New York City and Beijing — when he’s not touring, that is. The 30-year-old musician travels about nine months each year for his concerts, his work with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and his International Education Foundation, which helps inspire kids through classical music. His latest CD, “The Chopin Album,” is now in stores.
“On our first trip to Guatemala, one of our [mission] members had a heart attack and passed away,” recalls actor Lucas Grabeel. “That was devastating. My parents were giving him CPR for an hour and a half while we waited for the ambulance to come. It was pretty traumatizing for a 12 year old. The next year, we brought a monument for him. I’m definitely going to go back and look for it and help people again. I’d also like time to explore the country as well. We did a little bit of that, but our job was to help people when we were there. Guatemala’s really a beautiful country.”
Opera star Placido Domingo, 71, was born in Spain. At the age of eight, he traveled to Mexico, where he studied piano and conducting at Mexico City’s Conservatory of Music. Since then, his repertoire includes more than 140 stage roles, 100 recordings and multiple television appearances. For his work, he has won an Emmy and 13 Grammys.
Melissa Francis has an unusual background for a news anchor. As a child, she was a regular on “Little House on the Prairie,” portraying Michael Landon’s adopted daughter. Later, as a student at Harvard University, she was captain of the university’s polo team. The host of the FOX Business Network’s “Money with Melissa Francis” has also written a soon-to-be-released memoir, “Diary of a Stage Mother’s Daughter” (Weinstein Books, $26).