Celebrity Travel: Go away with Dar Williams
A: I remember my parents brought us in to New York City and did their best to make it exciting for us, despite the schlepping. They kept a brisk pace through the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum, took us to a hibachi restaurant and told us to look for the Little Red Lighthouse on the way in and out on the Henry Hudson Parkway. These trips gave me a lifelong love of all cities, but I'm sure I managed to complain while we were there. Parents, don't give up!
Q: Do you speak any foreign languages?
A: I speak French and that's why I love going to Quebec. I finally started learning Spanish and I'm excited to see how it helps me rediscover the places I already love, like New York City, Los Angeles, and Albuquerque. I would say I'm more enthusiastic than gifted at learning new languages.
Q: Where have you traveled to that most reminded you of home?
A: When I lived in Berkeley for a summer, I felt at home in the eucalyptus groves, the original Peet's Coffee and in a lot of the neighborhoods – even the not-so-safe ones. There is a vision of what the world can be and Berkeley isn't giving up on that.
Q: When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A: I had a friend who called me Harriet the Spy in college, because I always had a little notebook and pen with me. I love every kind of notebook and this summer I ordered myself a used Montblanc silver pen. It was cheaper, because it was engraved. But, to me, that was a plus. I love looking at my silver H. Nakamura and wondering where we're going to go next.
Q: What would be your dream trip?
A: I would love to take a very slow boat trip from Homer, Alaska, through Ketchican and Sitka, then to the islands off of British Columbia, then to Vancouver – stopping at the Museum of Anthropology – going down to Bainbridge Island (in western Washington) and ending with a day at the Seattle Art Museum and dinner at Wild Ginger. Someday.
Q: What kind of research do you do before you go away on a trip?
A: If I weren't a traveling musician, I'd love to be a travel agent. I try to find hotels where I can park once and walk around for days. And it's also really fun to listen to audiobooks that take place in places where I'm traveling, like (books by) Edward Abbey in Utah, Tony Hillerman in New Mexico, and Zora Neale Hurston in Florida. I love adding the fourth dimension of time travel to any trip I take.
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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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