Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
When John Grogan wrote Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog, he knew he had written a good book. But he didn’t realize he had written a book that would become a phenomenon. The tale of Grogan’s naughty, but lovable dog, not only has spawned a movie starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson, but also a series of children’s books starring the irrepressible Labrador Retriever.
Rock musician John Bell resides in the north Georgia mountains — equidistant from Athens and Atlanta. As the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for Widespread Panic, Bell spends much of his time on the road — the band is currently on tour to promote its 11th studio album “Dirty Side Down,” which will be in stores May 25. But he’s not complaining.
Rock legend Todd Rundgren has been performing for more than 40 years. Best known for hits such as “Hello It’s Me,” “I Saw the Light” and “Bang the Drum All Day,” Rundgren is currently on tour. The 61-year-old Pennsylvania-born musician now resides in Hawaii. “I used to live in Upstate New York where we got incredibly bitter cold for weeks on end,” Rundgren says. “And I remember the winters from growing up in Pennsylvania. I have no desire to relive them.”
Actor-comedian Larry Miller is well known for his appearances on “Seinfeld,” “Mad About You” and the feature film “10 Things I Hate About You.” He also co-stars in the ABC Family television series based on the movie, which begins its second season on Monday, March 29. Of his travel schedule, Miller, 53, says, “Once you get married and have kids, and the kids have teams that play on the weekends, and I do shows on the weekends. … If my wife and I get one lone Saturday night free? Believe me, a fire and a drink and holding hands downstairs for 10 minutes is the best getaway possible.” Still, he’d love to get away to Hawaii one day.
Jeff Housenbold uses Shutterfly to process all the pictures he takes on vacation. Of course, he gets a little break since he’s the president and CEO of the online photo company. A resident of Atherton, Calif., where he resides with his wife and three sons, Housenbold, 40, travels often for business and pleasure. While the warm islands of Hawaii are family favorites, the Housenbolds look forward to upcoming trips to Israel and Ireland.
Actress and bestselling author Marilu Henner is an avid traveler who isn’t afraid to go away alone, or with a plane full of relatives. These days, though, she enjoys taking road trips with her husband and two sons. “There’s something about being on the road — taking turns putting on different CDs — that really bonds a family together,” says Henner, 57. “You also get some of the best pictures from these types of vacations.”
Larenz Tate has been in Oscar-winning films and critically-acclaimed TV shows (“Ray,” “Crash,” “Rescue Me”), but to his young children, he’s just the “blueberry pancake guy.” “They have no idea what I do for a living,” says the 34-year-old actor, who resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two sons. “They just know that I make the best pancakes.” Tate loves to travel with his family and talks about a recent trip to paradise — the Dominican Republic.
Elliott Yamin says there’s something special about getting to stay home every now and again, especially since he has purchased a new house in Los Angeles. “I have a big, beautiful house that I never really get to see,” says the 30-year-old former “American Idol” contestant. “Sometimes it feels like I’m on vacation when I just get to sit on my sofa and hang out in front of my TV. But I will say that the thought of a really great, relaxing vacation can get me off my butt in no time because I really do love to travel. I love every part of it. Getting the chance to see the world is just an amazing perk of my job. It’s great.”
Kenny Loggins has had an impressive string of radio-friendly hits (“Footloose,” “Danger Zone,” “I’m Alright”) in his long career. With his latest album “All Join In” — in stores later this year — the veteran musician aims for a multi-generational audience that includes children. It’s only fitting, since the album includes collaborations with all five of his kids — ranging in age from 11 to 28 years old. “It was very fun to work with them,” says the 62-year-old singer-songwriter, who resides in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Often referred to as the shiest member of Destiny’s Child, Michelle Williams defied that description with her solo album “Unexpected.” The singer, who has a penchant for gospel tunes, had no problem belting out dance-friendly pop songs on the high-energy CD. “I had boxed myself in as a gospel singer and didn’t think anyone would be interested in hearing me sing a different way,” says Williams, 29. “It was either Destiny’s Child or gospel.”
Apolo Anton Ohno will be competing in his third Olympic Games this month. The short-track speed-skating champ already has five Olympic medals, two of them gold. Ohno also showed his dexterity on the dance floor by winning the mirror ball trophy on “Dancing with the Stars” three years ago. As for the sport that made him famous, Ohno, 27, says, “I’m just enjoying my sport and taking it day by day. Anything can happen in short track and I’m blessed that I still have the talent to skate competitively and the desire to want to represent my country.”
Julie Henderson loves the beach, whether she’s on vacation or shooting a layout for Sports Illustrated’s annual swimsuit issue. “I’m such a sunshine, beach and water type of girl,” says the 23-year-old model. She’s making her fourth appearance in the magazine this year. “I’ll always take a beach over somewhere else.”
Though Lucy Lawless is best known for playing the title character in “Xena: Warrior Princess,” she once made a living as the host of a travel show for Air New Zealand. The program was shown on the airline, as well as on television in Asia, Australia and her native New Zealand.
Andrew Friedman’s knowledge and love of food and sports comes through loud and clear in his latest book, Knives at Dawn: The American Quest for Culinary Glory at the Legendary Bocuse d’Or Competition (Free Press, $26). The 42-year-old author covers the rigorous international competition — which by comparison, makes “The Iron Chef” look like a kiddie cooking show — with gusto, flair and suspense.
Following her father’s footsteps into the boxing ring was a no brainer for Laila Ali. The second youngest of Muhammad Ali’s nine children — Laila was a knockout, in and out of the gym. While athletics always come easy for her, competing on “Dancing With the Stars” definitely took her out of her comfort zone. “That was so much fun, but also hard,” says Ali, 32. “I was in it to win it but Apolo (Anton Ohno) won. That’s OK. He’s cool.” Ali and her husband, former NFL wide receiver Curtis Conway, have a toddler son. Find out where they plan on taking their baby for his first big trip.
Ivanka Trump could’ve coasted on her good looks and her father’s money, but that’s not her style. Armed with a degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, Trump, 28, may be more low-key than her famous father, Donald, but she may be just as driven. Besides being a vice president at her family’s real estate company, Trump has authored the new book The Trump Card: Playing to Win in Work and Life (Touchstone, $24.99). She also has a line of fine jewelry featured in her Ivanka Trump Collection.
Born in West Germany on a U.S. military base, Rob Thomas was born to travel. The frontman for Matchbox Twenty, Thomas also collaborated with Carlos Santana (he was the voice of the hit single “Smooth”) and is currently finishing up a U.S. tour to promote his second solo album “Cradlesong.” After that he’ll head off to Australia in February to perform concerts there. “My first time out of the country was to Australia,” says Thomas, 37. “Every first trip is fun, but after you’ve visited a few times, you get the lay of the land down and find favorite spots. Each spot gets better every trip.”
Before Susan Boyle made a name for herself on “Britain’s Got Talent,” there was Paul Potts. The former cell phone salesman and amateur opera singer won the first season of the talent show in 2007 and sparked both interest and controversy. Some naysayers said he was a working musician and should’ve been disqualified from the competition. In truth, Potts did have stage experience, but he had never received payment for his work. In other words, he hadn’t relinquished his amateur status.
For a good chunk of the ’70s, disco was synonymous with Casablanca Records, thanks to its roster of artists such as Donna Summer and the Village People. Label co-founder Larry Harris, 62, writes about the wild and crazy times in his book And Party Every Day: The Inside Story of Casablanca Records (Backbeat, $24.99). Currently residing in Port Angeles, Wash., Harris talks about his love of New York and why he really wants to get to Italy.
“I got the travel bug early,” Justin Guarini says. “Some Americans don’t like going outside of the U.S. Although that’s not my choice, I can understand it to a certain point. But with what’s going on with the rest of the world’s views on America, I do think that it’s imperative that Americans travel and try to understand other cultures if they can. Besides, it’s so much fun to get a glimpse of other parts of the world.”