ArcaMax

A. We head over to the Delaware, Maryland and Virginia beaches for our ocean fix and to Shenandoah for our mountain fix. It's nice to be in a place that's very different from what you're used to in order to "reboot" yourself. We (went) to Philadelphia for a city weekend to celebrate my wife's birthday in September.

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

A. Depends on what I'm looking for. Sometimes, I don't want to have any expectations and so I just go. Other times, I'll ask friends, family, colleagues for tips and ideas. As I mentioned earlier, calling or stopping by the visitor center at a park is always helpful, or if I know a National Park Service employee who works or has worked in a park, I'll ask them for tips. I went to Gettysburg a few years ago and was with the superintendent for a tour at 7 a.m. He took me through what happened at one of the key battles with the mist hanging over the fields, just as it had been the day of the battle. Very cool.

Q. What would be your dream trip?

A. To go to all four major tennis tournaments in a year -- Australia, French, Wimbledon and U.S. Open.

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

A. Driving on a rural road in Nicaragua and getting stuck in the middle of a river in an old school bus with my wife and children -- that's the worst. The best is being at the beach in Hawaii watching the sunset with my wife and kids.

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

A. IPA beer. I love trying out what is brewed locally.

========

(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.)

(c) 2015 DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.