Celebrity Travel: Go Away With Salvador Paskowitz
A. After I left the camper -- the vehicle in which we used in our constant road travels -- I was a young man and eager to root somewhere. I actually wanted to not travel. But now, having kids of my own, I feel a call of the road again and a wanderlust to rediscover the America I saw with my own family. And I am!
Q. Have you traveled to a place that stood out so much that you felt compelled to incorporate it into your work?
A. Almost every script I write involves being around, near, or in, the Pacific Ocean. It's like the world's biggest, ever-changing yet-always-pristine prop. Writing the sea into your work tends to elevate it in a way. It's a powerful symbol, a backdrop and a character in itself, all at the same time.
Q. Where are your favorite weekend getaways?
A. Living in Southern California we are blessed to have such extremes in climate within close driving distance. Surfing and stand-up paddling in Malibu is absolutely soul cleansing! Point Dume is still a frontier, full of whale sightings, barking sea lions and kelp beds, and a quick jaunt to Laguna Beach, Orange County, is small-beach town feel with top quality restaurants and shops. Oh, and don't forget Ruby's on Pacific Coast Highway in Crystal Cove and sharing chocolate, peanut butter and date shakes.
Q. Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?
A. Alaska! Seriously! Not just because it's one of the only states I've never visited, but my wife grew up in Anchorage. The way she describes Glacier Bay, Earthquake Park, Kenai Peninsula, Cook Inlet and especially the broadly spaced, paper-like bark, of birch trees in deep snow. I just wanna go!
Q. When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A. My wife Kristin is all I need to have because she remembers everything! Laptop, plug-in, water, etc., but she also reminds me to put the writing aside for a while and just enjoy the place!
Q. What is your guilty pleasure when you're on the road?
A. McDonald's Big Breakfast. Hey, no time to cook! Also beef jerky and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. My father would not approve.
Q. What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?
A. Worst: Waiting overnight for a ferry out of Louisiana. Mosquitoes descended on us like a buzzing cloud. Ate us alive. All night. Best: This summer we're renting an Airstream trailer to travel to some of the best beach spots that I visited in my youth, all across America. I am 100 percent sure that the best vacation is yet to come!
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Jae-Ha Kim is a New York Times bestselling author and travel writer. You can respond to this column by visiting her website at www.jaehakim.com. You may also follow "Go Away With..." on Twitter at @GoAwayWithJae where Jae-Ha Kim welcomes your questions and comments.
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