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Alexis Kelly’s been a Fodor’s Travel editor since 2006 traveling to exotic locales like Las Vegas, Tanzania, St. Lucia, and Lake Austin. As a mother of two, she now searches for the best places (and ways) to travel with her family.
Q&A
Why do you travel?
I love experiencing new places and cultures and seeing how others live and work. And, I love being able to expose my children to those very things. It makes them realize that there’s a much larger world out there.
What’s one thing you never travel without?
My phone. I know it's cliche but it’s now my camera, my address book, my map, my notebook, and my radio.
Train, plane, or ship?
Trains provide such a stress-free travel experience, but it also takes a long time and I can’t get from NYC to Europe by train. So planes it is.
Carry-on or checked?
If I have the opportunity to check a bag, I’m going to do it. The chance to have one less thing to worry about is gloriously freeing.
Where’s your favorite beach in the world?
I’m not a big beach person, but my kids love Mayflower Beach on Cape Cod. Seeing them happily running in and out of the surf and building sandcastles makes it my favorite.
What is your favorite time of year to travel?
I love to travel in the fall. It can be chilly, but traveling when I’m hot and sweating makes me cranky.
What will always earn a spot in your carry-on?
Combos and a good paperback.
If you had limitless funds, what would be your dream destination?
It would be a month-long safari that follows the Great Migration through Kenya and Tanzania and ends with a beach vacation in the Seychelles.
When were you first bitten by the travel bug?
When I was 13 my family spent the Christmas holidays with friends in London. I knew then that I wanted to travel where and when ever I could.
What items do you always try to bring back as souvenirs?
I like to bring back art work, or some handmade craft. I also love finding a unique Christmas ornament so I can reminisce about the adventure every year.