Celebrity Travel: Go Away With Steve Hely
An avid traveler who has written for television ("American Dad," "The Office," "30 Rock") and received an Emmy nomination ("Late Show with David Letterman"), Steve Hely also hosts the popular podcast, "The Great Debates." His latest project is "The Wonder Trail: True Stories from Los Angeles to the End of the World" (Dutton, $27), where he writes about his adventures traveling from his home in Los Angeles to Patagonia. "That was the best trip of my life," says Hely, 36. "One place that jumped out as a true wonderland was Peru." For more about Hely, follow him on Twitter (https://twitter.com/helytimes) or head to his website (stevehely.com).
Q. To someone who was going to Peru for the first time, what would you recommend that they do during their visit?
A. Eat! The food in Peru is such a wild mix of indigenous, European, Asian and every other kind of influence. Plus, there are fruits and vegetables you've never seen, let alone tried before. In the Andes, there is something like 4,000 varieties of potatoes. I say this as a picky and prickly eater. But, for a visitor, Peru is as close as you can come to checking out a buffet on a brand-new planet.
Q. What was the first trip you took as a child?
A. When I was seven, we drove to Cape Cod and stayed in a motel called The Sea Crest. That was the first time I'd slept anywhere that wasn't a relative's house. There was a Pac-Man machine in the rec room. In the restaurant they had ice cream. I was hooked! Ever since then, I have taken any chance I can to stay at hotels.
Q. Where are your favorite weekend getaways?
A. Joshua Tree National Park is just a perfect, otherworldly trip from Los Angeles. The next level of adventure up from that is Death Valley. I've also had some great weekends fly-fishing in the Eastern Sierras.
Q. What are your five favorite cities?
A. Boston, San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles are all fantastic. But how can you top Barcelona for its medieval alleys, warped modern architecture, the best in food and good times, endlessly interesting cultural weirdness and artistic mania? And on top of that, it's on the beach.
Q. Where have you traveled to that most reminded you of home?
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