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Five Miles Up: Rocker Brandon Boyd moonlights as flight attendant?

Brandon Boyd

What does Incubus’ frontman do when the rock group’s on hiatus? Relax is not the answer, at least for Brandon Boyd. Instead the artist, author, activist, environmentalist and surfer threw his creativity into several projects, including a solo album, “Sons of the Sea,” as well as a third art book, “So the Echo.” With the fall release of both, maybe now Boyd can kick back at a favorite destination? Get ready, Hoboken; he may be heading your way.

What’s something you never fail to pack in your suitcase?
I never leave without my sense of humor. Traveling requires a healthy dose of humility and lightheartedness, so being armed with a smile comes in handy.

Carry-on or check-in?
Always carry-on.

Window or aisle?
I like sitting in a window seat, but failing that, I like dressing up like a flight attendant and sitting in their backwards seats. It's funny, as well, to just randomly collect people's meals before they're finished.

What’s your idea of the perfect vacation?
There'd be good surf, bikes, real food, a hint of danger and double rainbows. If those elements are taken care of, it could be in Hoboken for all I care. That being said, I've been to Hoboken with none of those elements and had a really fun time. Let's just say my perfect vacation looks like a month in Patagonia with my girl.

Tell us about a vacation you’ve taken that’s come close thus far.
Still working on the perfect vacation.

What’s the worst annoyance you’ve experienced while traveling?
Too many to mention. That's sort of where the fun arrives though; in amongst the imperfections.

Where’s your favorite destination for performing?
It all depends on the day and circumstances involved.

What's the most unusual souvenir you’ve ever brought back from a trip?
I lugged a 45-pound, green quartz crystal back from Chile many years ago. It looks like something I would have stolen from Gandalf the Grey's nightstand.

Ever try a food you wished you hadn't?
Alligator in Louisiana once ... Once.

Favorite accommodations you’ve stayed in thus far?
In Northern California, I stayed in a treehouse. It was magical!

Favorite restaurant you’ve discovered while traveling.
Natty's Kitchen in Sayulita, Mexico.

Biggest regret you've ever had while on vacation.
I’m occasionally saddened by the fact that most of my travel experience has been in snippets. Being in a touring band brings you to almost every nook and crevice of the globe, but you see only snapshots and glimpses of these places. I've always wanted to spend time in my life traveling just to travel. Wander, roam and meander about. One day soon!

The one thing you're willing to splurge on when traveling above all else.
Food! Eat well and the rest comes easily.

Three artists on your travel playlist?
Big Black Delta, Dr. Dog and Field Music.

Which of your songs are best suited for travel playlists?
That’s a good question! One most likely to be accurately answered by "Not Me." But for the sake of immediacy, let's say my song from the new “Sons of the Sea” project, “Where All the Songs Come From.” It has a certain esoteric rambling that might suit someone wandering around this little planet with a pair of headphones on.

Where would you take someone visiting your hometown for the first time?
I'd show them my hometown on their fourth trip out. First trip, I'd take them to Big Sur and, if we got around to talking about it, I'd eventually tell them I was born in beautiful Van Nuys, Calif., then let them decide whether or not to visit that place.

You only get one more trip in your lifetime. Where will it be?
Holy amazing question, Batman! A difficult question, as well. I think I’d like to visit the house near Lake Geneva that Mary Shelley, Lord Byron and others gathered at during the weird summer of 1816 that birthed “Frankenstein,” “The Vampyre,” and other classics of the macabre! I'd invite a handful of my closest friends and we'd indulge a similar challenge as Lord Byron proposed (to write a scary story), but we'd modernize the quest a tad. Either that, or go up into the north to see the Aurora with my own eyes. Either way, it's going to be good times.