Category: Travel

Go Away With … Pattie Boyd

Jae-Ha Kim

Pattie Boyd is one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most famous muses. Married first to George Harrison and later to his best friend Eric Clapton, Boyd was the inspiration for such songs as “Something,” “Layla” and “Wonderful Tonight.” In her New York Times bestselling memoir “Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me” (Three Rivers Press, $14.95) – just released in paperback – Boyd talks not only about her life with the musicians, but also her early love of travel and exploration. Based in her native Great Britain, the former model prefers being behind the camera these days. Though Boyd cites India, Africa and Thailand as a few of her favorite destinations, she says there’s nothing quite like Venezuela.

Go Away With … Simon Le Bon

Jae-Ha Kim

With their telegenic good looks and lush music videos, which were filmed in such exotic locations as Sri Lanka, Antigua and France, Duran Duran helped put MTV on the map in the ’80s. More than two decades after the success of “Hungry Like the Wolf,” the British quartet is back with its new album “Red Carpet Massacre.”

Go Away With … John Cho

Jae-Ha Kim

It has been a busy year for John Cho. He has been cast as Sulu in the upcoming “Star Trek” film to be released in 2009 and he reprised his role as the stoner Harold in “Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay” – the sequel to the 2004 hit comedy “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.” But the 35-year-old actor — who was born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in Los Angeles — is about to tackle his most important role: that of dad. Cho and his wife, actress Kerri Higuchi, are expecting their first child – a son – at the end of May. “I’m taking a maternity leave with my wife,” Cho says, laughing. “We’re really anxious to meet this baby. I can’t wait.”

Go Away With … Marilu Henner

Jae-Ha Kim

With several New York Times bestseller books already under her slim belt, actress Marilu Henner (“Taxi”) is excited about her latest self-help book: Wear Your Life Well: Use What You Have to Get What You Want (Collins, $24.95). Co-written with her brother Lorin Henner, the book is easy to read and full of tips that range from common sense (“mascara needs to be tossed out after three or four months”) to just a tad more esoteric (“fall in love with your stress or it will kill you”).

Go Away With…Phil Collen

Jae-Ha Kim

Phil Collen doesn’t need a chauffeur. After finishing an interview at a Los Angeles radio station, he jumps behind the wheel of his own car, gets directions and heads onto I-405. “I love living in California,” says the guitarist for the British band Def Leppard. “The weather is beautiful every single day. Sure the traffic can be spotty, but it’s a small price to pay for the lifestyle.”

Go Away With … Lenny Kravitz

Jae-Ha Kim

It’s all about love with Lenny Kravitz. He released his debut album “Let Love Rule” almost two decades ago. His latest CD is “It is Time for a Love Revolution.” “I believe in love and that is a theme I like to address in my songs,” the sexy rock star says. “But I never repeat a particular sound on my albums. People know it’s me by my voice and musical sensibilities, but hopefully what they’re hearing is unlike what they heard (on my last record).”

Get Fed: Honolulu’s Waialae Avenue

Jae-Ha Kim

RARELY does a month go by anymore without urgent news from Honolulu’s Waikiki Beach, now feverishly making itself over after decades of fading away. New shops! More malls! New hotels! More glitz, more glamour, better decor…oh, and don’t forget, higher prices too. Less than four miles away, another neighborhood is experiencing a resurgence of an entirely different sort. Along Waialae Avenue, there’s no fancy window dressing, but there is great food. Here, three great stops to make.

Weekend getaways

Jae-Ha Kim

To quote songwriter Frank Loesser, baby it’s cold outside. And nothing helps beat the winter doldrums than a weekend getaway to some place fabulous. We know what you’re thinking: There’s not enough time to plan a trip… It’ll be too expensive… It’s not really a romantic getaway if you have to plan all the details rather than your man. Don’t worry about that. We’ve got all that figured out. Read on.

Go Away With … Marlee Matlin

Jae-Ha Kim

After winning an Academy Award for her breakthrough performance in “Children of a Lesser God,” Marlee Matlin has proven herself to be a serious actress with a deft comedic touch. But Matlin, 42, is also an accomplished author of children’s books. Her latest, “Leading Ladies,” which features a spunky young heroine who Matlin says is a lot like she was as a child, picks up where her previous novels left off.

Go Away With … Taylor Hanson

Jae-Ha Kim

It has been a decade since Hanson burst onto the music charts with their ubiquitous hit single “MMMBop.” Today, the boys are all young men in their 20s with families of their own. The trio of brothers – lead guitarist Isaac, drummer Zac and keyboardist-vocalist Taylor – is still making beautiful music together and touring to promote their latest album “The Walk.” As it turns out, “The Walk” provided inspiration for the Oklahomans to return to South Africa (where they had recorded some of their album) over the Thanksgiving holiday to donate 50,000 pairs of shoes.

Go Away With … Joss Stone

Jae-Ha Kim

British singer-songwriter Joss Stone is just 20, but she has strong ideas about what she likes. And now that she’s got some power in the music business, she’s not shy about voicing her opinions. “I was only 16 when I made my first record so I wasn’t allowed to do what I wanted,” says the bluesy singer, whose latest CD is “Introducing Joss Stone.” “My first two albums were really a learning period for me, which was also a little irritating at times. But with this album, I took everything that I learned and went with it. It’s the first album I’ve made where I feel it’s really representative of who I am.”

Go Away With … Josh Duhamel

Jae-Ha Kim

“It was so much fun making [‘Transformers’],” says Duhamel, 34. “People ask if it was difficult to physically prepare for the role of a soldier, but it wasn’t really hard work to be honest. I was expecting an intense boot camp where they would kick (our butts) for three weeks. But it was kind of fun. It was more difficult getting all the terminology correct. I had a mouthful of words that I kept getting wrong – I think it took about 20 takes for me to finally get one scene correct.”

An easy getaway: Indulging in an all-inclusive resort on Caribbean island makes for an enjoyable vacation

Jae-Ha Kim

Jamaica. It’s where Stella got her groove back. It’s where Errol Flynn entertained guests during his heyday. And it’s where we went to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Technically we had been to Jamaica several times already, but it was only for layovers at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, before boarding on connecting flights to other Caribbean destinations such as St. Lucia, Grand Cayman and Bonaire.

Go Away With … Courtney Thorne-Smith

Jae-Ha Kim

Courtney Thorne-Smith made a name for herself as good girl Allison Parker on “Melrose Place” and later as attorney Georgia Thomas on “Ally McBeal.” But now the star of the ABC sitcom “According to Jim,” can add author to her resume. The first-time novelist has written Outside In (Broadway Books, $23.95), a wickedly funny book that skewers Hollywood’s fascination with underfed actresses and oversized egos. Thorne-Smith, who has written several articles for magazines, including Self, Allure and InStyle, spent more than a year writing her novel.

Eagle Ridge

Jae-Ha Kim

When you think of famous golfing destinations, California’s Pebble Beach and Scotland’s St. Andrews immediately spring to mind, thanks to years of televised tournaments. But over the past few years, Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa–located about 150 miles west of Chicago in the heart of historic Galena, Ill.–has been building quite the reputation as a must-play golf course.

Must love travel: When actress Jordana Spiro takes five, she heads for exotic destinations like Vietnam

Jae-Ha Kim

During her recent three-week trip to Vietnam, actress Jordana Spiro made do with just one backpack. “Really, there’s almost nothing you can’t buy there if you need it,” she says. “It’s a completely amazing place and I’d go back in a second.”

Go Away With … Jordana Spiro

Jae-Ha Kim

In “Must Love Dogs,” Jordana Spiro played a ditzy fashionista who loved luxury and liked John Cusack. In her TBS sitcom “My Boys,” the actress stars as a down-to-earth Chicago Sun-Times sports reporter covering the Cubs. But when she has a week or two off from work, Spiro relishes getting away from it all by traveling to exotic destinations. While others in her position might book themselves into five-star accommodations, she prefers to spend less on hotels and more on experiencing the country’s culture. During her recent three-week trip to Vietnam, she made do with just one backpack.

Tahiti

Jae-Ha Kim

It is with trepidation I walk back to my room after dinner. I am used to strolling back to hotels in foreign countries, but I am not accustomed to looking overboard into a pitch black ocean while doing so. But when you are on a cruise ship, that’s what you do. You lay in the sun. You eat plenty of food. You relax. And if you’re a land lover like me, you think about what it takes to keep a liner like the M/S Paul Gauguin afloat.