Jesse Tyler Ferguson is a household name, having played a leading role on Modern Family. He has also acted in various other movies and TV shows, and won a Tony award. Beyond his clear talent for acting, Jesse is passionate about food and travel. As Pride month hits the halfway mark and the summer travel season draws near, we chatted with the actor about his favorite LGBTQ-friendly travel destinations, what he always packs, and more.
Christine VanDoren: What are your five things that you never forget to pack for your travels?
Ferguson: I always travel with a hand steamer for my clothes. I hate ironing!
I love to have a good roller suitcase. I try and always carry on so I don’t have to worry about checking my bag and having it get lost.
Packing cubes are very important.
I have a really good Adopt kit with the essentials. I always have that packed and ready to go so I can easily toss it into my suitcase and not have to worry about emptying it out and putting the essentials back in.
Lastly, of course, a really great book!
VanDoren: What are some summer travel tips you would like to share?
Ferguson: Get a local perspective and experience the destination through food. I love to try new cuisines and take in the ambiance of the places that the locals recommend. You can also get a sense from the community as to where to go if you’re not sure where to start because that can be overwhelming.
I am working with Citi Travel with Booking.com, and they have hundreds of thousands of attractions that eligible Citi cardmembers can book through the mobile app or website for things like food tours, tastings, and cooking classes. That can be a really fun way to explore the city!
You also always want to have a list of places that you hope to go. I like to check off these places, and I have a wishlist of places as well. For example, Asia is a place that I’m desperate to go to! I don’t know if I’m going to make it there with my kids, but I certainly will with my husband.
I think it’s very good to be aspirational about travel and find places that you hope to travel to with your loved ones someday. You can sort of have a dream board since you obviously can’t do it all at once. It’s nice to have those places that are aspirational.
VanDoren: What would you say are your favorite LGBTQ-friendly travel spots for foodies?
Jesse Tyler Ferguson: I love Provincetown; they have incredible seafood there, and the lobster rolls are insane. It’s Nantucket; it’s the East Coast. It’s a great summer destination.
I also really love San Francisco, as it has a wonderful culinary scene. Los Angeles and New York are both great food towns as well, and they’re very fun to hang out [in] during Pride Month. They are very family-friendly as well, making them some of my top choices.
VanDoren: Are there any recipes in your cookbook that you recommend for making while traveling if you have access to a kitchen?
Ferguson: I rarely cook while traveling, but if I do, it would be breakfast and something easy! I’m not going to be traveling and making dinner for myself, typically because I’m going to go out and explore the cuisine of the city and try and get out of the house.
But if I am cooking, then breakfast, absolutely! If you find yourself not wanting to leave the apartment or Airbnb, there are great pancake recipes in my cookbook. They are made with ingredients that you can find in almost any city that you are in. There is also a quiche recipe that is always really great, since it stays good for a few days as well.
VanDoren: Where is great for a more relaxing vacation that is also LGBTQ-friendly?
Ferguson: Well, Provincetown does offer that, and there are a lot of options for both kids and adults. If you weren’t traveling with kids, then I would recommend Barcelona. It’s one of my favorite places to go. It’s a very vibrant scene for the LGBTQ community.
VanDoren: Are there any travel plans that you are excited about coming up in the future?
Ferguson: Well, I have an anniversary trip planned. My husband and I are celebrating our 10-year anniversary! We are going to New York for that and spending some time in the city we got married in.
I’m also really excited to travel with my kids and get the chance to see the world through their eyes. Also, what I love about Citi Travel is that when I am traveling, I am able to access their site for attractions and things to do with the kids, in addition to information about flights and hotels. When it comes to traveling with my kids, I have to fill their days, so that’s been really helpful to me.
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