Celebrity Travel: Go Away With Kari Byron
Best known for her work on "Mythbusters," "Positive Energy" and "White Rabbit Project," Kari Byron is also the author of "Crash Test Girl: An Unlikely Experiment in Using the Scientific Method to Answer Life's Toughest Questions" (HarperCollins). After moving to San Francisco for college, she never left. "My San Francisco love affair has lasted for more than two decades," says Byron, 43. "(I have) traveled the world, but I still can't see myself calling anywhere else home." Fans may stay in touch with Byron on Twitter (https://twitter.com/KariByron) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/therealkaribyron/), where she runs her own "social, hence the auto-correct errors and occasional bad grammar."
Q. What is your favorite vacation destination?
A. Somewhere I have never been. I am an adventurer at heart. I rarely go to the same place twice. That being said, I spent a couple weeks in Egypt sailing down the Nile in a felucca and couldn't help going back for more. All together I was there for almost a month. The travel was definitely challenging, but seeing the Valley of the Kings with my own eyes was worth it.
Q. To someone who was going there for the first time, what would you recommend that they do during their visit?
A. If you can handle it, go to the more popular sights during peak heat. There are far less tourists and you can feel like you have some places to yourself. Not sure if I should recommend this but a cheeky bribe to the right security guard can get you to places you aren't allowed to see. Also, every felucca captain is named "Captain Bob Marley," so make sure you have the right one. I think Egyptians know traveling Americans trust a man named Bob Marley. Finally, don't fall for the ever-popular line, "You dropped something," unless you are ready for a lengthy conversation or a flirty pickup line. You didn't drop anything.
Q. What untapped destination should people know about?
A. With the travel culture of the internet, I am not sure anywhere is truly untapped, but Turkey, is an incredibly diverse country that I think doesn't always get its due. You can hike ruins and caves in Goreme, find natural eternal flames burning from the rocks in Olympos, lounge on a beach or bathe in a waterfall in Butterfly Valley Fethiye and explore the famous Turkish Baths in Istanbul. While I was traveling there, I slept in treehouses, cave rooms and grand hotels. It was one of my favorite places on earth!
Q. What was the first trip you took as a child?
A. My first trip was to Disneyland. I was very little so my memories are vague. I look happy in the pictures so it must have been a success. My parents loved local adventures and since I grew up in California that meant camping in the redwoods and playing at beaches. You don't have to go far to find breathtaking flora and fauna in Northern California.
Q. What memories stand out from your work travels?
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