Celebrity Travel: Go away with Ginny Luke

For musician Ginny Luke, her childhood trips instilled in her a love of travel, while reinforcing her interest in music. “I took a trip to New York with my brother, Wes, when I was 12,” said Luke, who is promoting her latest album “Devil at My Heels” (https://ginnyluke.lnk.to/devilatmyheels). “I had a day off from the classical music camp, Meadowmount, and we went to look at art and saw “42nd Street” on Broadway. I was also lucky as a child to go to Boston a few times, because my brother went to New England Conservatory there. Every time we went, I got to see the Egyptian exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts and hear symphony concerts there. Now when I’m in Boston, I try to go to the MFA and hit Wally’s Café Jazz Club. And yeah, I always loved those trips as a kid. Coming from Dubuque, Iowa, it was pretty cool to be in a big city.” The Los Angeles-based artist stays in touch with fans on Instagram (https://instagram.com/ginnyluke), X (https://x.com/ginnyluke) and Facebook (https://facebook.com/ginnylukemusic).

Q: Do you have any upcoming trips planned?

A: I [recently flew] back to L.A. from Minneapolis. In addition to [shows I did in] L.A., San Diego, Palm Desert and Newport Beach, I am also heading to Marseille, France, to record with guitarist-producer Hayden Maringer and Laetitia Sam at La Fabrique studios. It’s supposed to be epic. It’s a chateau with a recording studio, lodging, a pool and a chef. I’m so stoked. Laetitia Sam is a prominent artist in Switzerland and France, and we’re recording a duet we wrote about women’s empowerment called, “Queens Don’t Bow.” Hayden is producing.

Q: What is your favorite vacation destination?

A: Santorini, Greece. It was like another world. I got to think about music, art and human life in a different way.

Q: Have you visited places for work that were so nice that you traveled back there later for a personal trip?

A: I have! A few have been Athens and Santorini. Amsterdam and The Hague in Holland. Maui, Kauai, Cabo, Mexico City, Nashville. And closer to home, Lake Havasu City [Arizona], Big Bear, Santa Barbara, San Diego and Orange County. I guess what made them stand out is beauty and calmness.

Q: How do you separate work from vacation trips?

A: I try not to work while I’m on vacation, but I’ve only not worked or performed or recorded on two vacations [to] Greece and Hawaii. I’m sure I still answered emails and did record label Zooms. It’s hard as a musician and artist. It’s a never-ending task list of things to take care of. But I highly encourage anyone who can to chill on vacation.

Q: What untapped destination should people know about?

A: Honestly, I’d say Minneapolis! It is a really fantastic place to experience grounded culture. There’s an incredible high-level arts scene, cosmopolitan spots and great nature spots. If you want to be out of the city, you can easily rent a cabin an hour or two outside of Minneapolis.

Q: What's the most important thing you've learned from your travels?

A: How different and wonderful people from all walks of life are.

Q: If you could only pick one place to eat, would you prefer a food truck or fine dining?

A: Fine dining. [Laughs] I tend to be a fancier gal. I like the finer things and again, coming from Iowa, fine dining restaurants were always very special to me. It always feels ceremonious and celebratory.

Q: Where are your favorite weekend getaways?

A: Santa Barbara or San Diego. Santa Barbara is just about one of the most beautiful places in the U.S., I think.

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

A: My family used to celebrate the new year in Las Vegas watching my uncle Ed Sherry perform trumpet with big bands. One specific trip when I was 14, I got to watch my grandparents ballroom dance and flounce around the dance floor in our fanciest dress clothes, listening to jazz standards. We went to the art museum at the Bellagio, we did the gondolas at the Venetian, we did some shopping at the Fashion Show mall. That was a really special trip. Now as a professional singer and violinist, I get to visit Vegas when I work there, and I’ve gotten to see Lady Gaga, Journey, Cirque and other fantastic shows, as well as play with great musicians there.

Q: Do you speak any foreign languages?

A: I don’t, but I am trying to learn Portuguese.

Q: What are your five favorite cities?

A: Santorini, Amsterdam, Paris, Austin, Nashville.

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

A: Egypt!

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

A: AirPods, workout clothes, a good bluetooth speaker. Great stiletto boots [because] you’re always well-dressed if you have great boots. My black leather crossbody bag from Saks – perfect for flights.

Q: What is your guilty pleasure when you're on the road?

A: My guilty pleasure on the road is drinking wine and staying up too late.

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

A: I research all the live music venues, jazz clubs, art museums, vintage stores, hotels and bodies of water before booking trips.

Q: What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?

A: Best is watching the sunset in Santorini, glass of wine in hand, hopping on an ATV afterwards and getting dinner at the Cave of Nikolas. Worst is paying $800 to get my passport expedited four weeks before traveling and never receiving it. Those services don’t work. I learned everything about passports. Only the government website works! And you have to call 10 to 50 times a day to make any progress. I did eventually get mine expedited so it was a happy ending!

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(Jae-Ha Kim is a New York Times bestselling author and journalist. You can reach her at www.jaehakim.com, follow her on Instagram and X @goawaywithjae, or read more from her on Substack (jaehakim.substack.com).)