Driscoll also sang the praises of Mass MoCA and the FreshGrass music festival in North Adams, as well as the numerous state parks in Massachusetts. “We have the best parks in the country. I really feel that way. They have programming and they have everything from hiking to kayaking to beaches . . .” she said. “You can do all of that in a state-owned park and there’s a whole lot of them in the 413 that are pretty cool.” As former longtime mayor of Salem (2006-23), a popular tourist destination, Driscoll said she is “really excited” about the country’s 250th anniversary and the celebrations being planned in the Commonwealth. “We’re really leaning into [it] … 2026 will be a big year for the country as they celebrate – and certainly right here in Boston and across Massachusetts where so much of our history happened.” Driscoll, who lives in Salem, was born in Oahu, Hawaii, and lived there until she was 3 — after which she and her family moved to Newport, R.I., and moved frequently thereafter for her father’s military job. We caught up with Driscoll, who is married to her husband, Nick, a union bricklayer with whom she shares three adult children and a new Bernese Mountain Dog named Teasai, to talk about all things travel.
While Grenada is on her list of favorite vacation spots, there are destinations closer to home than the Caribbean that Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll said she enjoys visiting. “Eastern Mass. is missing out on the gift of Western Mass.,” said Driscoll, 58. “When you think about where you want to travel, where you want to ski, where you want to hike … go west.” Driscoll, who was elected to her current position alongside Governor Maura Healey in 2022 , said there’s just something about “the 413″ — referencing the area code — that is special. “You just automatically breathe the minute you get there. The air seems cleaner, the people seem nicer, and the geography is breathtaking,” Driscoll said, adding that, unfortunately, in the Berkshires, she sees “way more Yankees caps” than Red Sox caps. “We need more Red Sox caps,” she declared.
If you could travel anywhere right now, where would you go?
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Grenada. My mom is from there, and Boston just opened up direct flights, too. They have beautiful beaches, great people, sun, and Vitamin D — something we really miss this time of year.
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Do you prefer booking trips through a travel agent or on your own?
If I’m traveling to one place, I’ll plan it myself, but I do find that if I’m planning a multi-destination trip, a travel agent is helpful.
Thoughts on an “unplugged” vacation?
I like the idea of it, but it can be hard to do in this job. Even when I’m on vacation, I’m checking in with the team, but I do think that everyone deserves some downtime when they’re on vacation.
What has been your worst vacation experience?
The trip that felt like it never started. A few years ago, when my kids were in school, we planned a trip for February vacation to Florida. … But, because of bad weather here in Boston, we were stuck going back and forth between Logan and Salem for three days. We eventually got on a plane, but the snow really made it feel like we were never going to get there.
What is your favorite childhood travel memory?
Road trips with my parents as a kid. I’m a Navy brat, so we used to move around a lot and, as a result, we’d road trip a lot of places. We went to the Luray Caverns in Virginia, to Busch Gardens in Tampa, to the Smithsonian. … I have fond memories of those trips and there’s nothing like playing the license plate game on a long drive.
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Do you vacation to relax, to learn, or for the adventure of it all?
Relaxing for sure, but I do love learning. There’s more to experience when you’re a curious traveler.
What book do you plan on bringing with you to read on your next vacation?
I downloaded a lot of books over the holidays that I’ve been making my way through on Audible. I’m in the middle of “The Art of Raising a Puppy,” which has been very informative as my family just got a Bernese Mountain puppy.
If you could travel with one famous person/celebrity, who would it be?
If I could have, I would have loved to travel with Anthony Bourdain for food and adventure.
What is the best gift to give a traveler?
A good luggage scale. There’s nothing worse than having to dig through your bag at the last minute to take stuff out.
What is your go-to snack for a flight or a road trip?
I’m a salty snacks person, so chips or nuts. JetBlue used to have these blue potato chips that were awesome.
What is the coolest souvenir you’ve picked up on a vacation?
We usually pick up useful souvenirs that I get to use regularly that remind us of the places we’ve been to. Things like a cutting board or tableware — not the coolest, but definitely nice to use every day.
What is your favorite app/website for travel?
I use Kayak a lot.
What has travel taught you?
The world is small and intertwined. What happens here impacts there and what happens there impacts us.
What is your best travel tip?
Pack your patience or you won’t have a good trip.
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Juliet Pennington can be reached at writeonjuliet@comcast.net.
Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll talks travel, puppies, and chips
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