Go Away With ... Meg DeLacy

Actress Meg DeLacy is known for her work on “The Fosters” and “Chicago P.D.” She is also a singer, whose song “Trapeze” paid tribute to the on-screen relationship between her character, Grace, and Brandon (played by her real-life boyfriend, David Lambert). An avid traveler, DeLacy says Lake Powell, Arizona, is dear to her. “I’ve been going to Lake Powell since I started to walk,” she says. “It was a very special place for me growing up and still is. For four or five days you are off the grid beach-camping, water skiing, taking your boat through the canyons of the lake and finding swimming holes and places to read a book and just be lazy. You wake up when the sun comes up and wind down when the sun goes down. It’s the best to just be on the lake and do nothing or do a whole bunch of things. There are a million stars to see every night.” Fans may stay in touch with her on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/megdelacy) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/Megdelacy).

Q. What untapped destination should people know about?

A. OZ Farm in California, near Big Sur. It’s a sustainable farm with yurts and cabins in the middle of the redwoods. All the produce is grown on the farm -- five different types of apples. There is a river that flows right through the middle of the farm. Living off the land and the simplicity of it all is really a different kind of vacation experience.

Q. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from your travels?

A. In order to really appreciate traveling anywhere, you have to immerse yourself in an environment that could be so different from what you live every day. See the sites that make that place unique; eat the local cuisine, because it’ll truly be authentic there. And even if the place you’re visiting is not the most welcoming, bring out your welcoming self. You’re a visitor in someone’s home, so observe, appreciate and participate in the experience.

Q. Where are your favorite weekend getaways?

A. San Francisco. You can be a local as soon as you get to the city. Great walking, great cultural places like the Japanese Tea Garden, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Presidio and great food. Laguna Beach is a local favorite. You can find a secluded cove and spend a day at the beach and then walk into the quaint town for some great sushi or enjoy a cocktail.

Q. If you’ve ever gone away for the holidays, which was the best trip?

A. The closest I’ve been to that would be Chicago in mid-December. My first winter wonderland. It was snowing and I was walking the Chicago Riverwalk, then ducking into one of the bar lounges and getting a warm drink.

Q. What are your five favorite cities?

A. Portland. Everyone is so friendly and there are so many vintage finds. San Francisco. There’s so much to do for a small city. Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts. Laguna Beach. Los Angeles. There’s so much to discover in L.A., even if you’re a native Angeleno.

Q. Where have you traveled to that most reminded you of home?

A. Shelburne Falls. I was there for two weeks filming a movie. It’s a small town, but it had a really chill vibe. You could visit this cute cat named Boswell at his bookstore and walk the Bridge of Flowers. I was there during the fall, so the leaves were turning color. It just felt cozy, like home.

Q. Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?

A. Bali, to just relax.

Q. When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?

A. A disposable camera, so I can add to my wooden box of pictures. My headphones. It’s cool to associate a song with a place you’ve visited, like a soundtrack of my trip. Good moisturizer.

Q. What would be your dream trip?

A. I would love to spend time in Greece and stay in one of those whitewashed, blue-tiled roof, hillside villas. The food would be amazing, I’m sure.

Q. What is your guilty pleasure when you’re on the road?

A. McDonald’s hash browns. I recently went on a road trip with friends and those hash browns tasted the best in the three states we drove through.

Q. What kind of research do you do before you go away on a trip?

A. I like to research the best Thai restaurants, just in case I get a craving for Thai.

Q. What is your worst vacation memory?

A. Missing a connecting flight to Costa Rica by four minutes, which cost us a day of vacation since we had to stay overnight at an airport hotel. Four minutes! It was pretty frustrating.

(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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