Actress Tia Mowry is like a bottle of fine wine, she keeps getting better with time. From her breakout role on Sister Sister to playing ‘Girl Melanie’ on The Game and more—the legendary twin star is now tapping into another realm by giving us the travel content we didn’t know we needed. As a wife and mother of two, Mowry is learning the importance of balancing her busy schedule with time to just kick back and relax— whether that means taking an extended luxury vacation in Europe or a quick staycation locally. For her, traveling just does something to the soul. And you can bet she always looks fly.

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Tia Mowry. Image: courtesy of subject.

“I love traveling and what it does for my soul,” Mowry told EBONY. “Not only does it allow me to create lifelong memories that I’ll have forever, but it honestly just makes me a more well-rounded person.”

She even points out that when it comes to choosing between material things or the experiences that travel provides, she’ll always choose travel.

“Life is short, and there is so much to explore while we are here. Traveling allows you to meet new people and learn so much. Material things get old over time. But experiences provide memories that you can hold on to forever. This is why I make travel a priority, because it really does make a positive impact on my life. It helps me to evolve, build my character, and just become a better person in general.”

Turning a Family Trip Into An Adventure

Recently, Mowry, husband Cory Hardrict and the rest of the family set out on a luxury vacation across Italy and France—a trip she says was everything and more. The crew kicked their adventure off with a stay in a luxury villa in the South of France before packing up a commuter van and taking a road trip to Italy.

“We literally had a large van. Well, technically two. We needed the second just for all of our luggage. We drove to Italy from France instead of flying so that we could take in the views.”

Mowry recalls getting emotional while on a stop at the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy. It was a full circle moment from her first time visiting as a college student to now being able to share the moment with her children. She admits, it even moved her to tears.

With her children having differences in age—Cree is 11 and Cairo is 4—we asked if she’d found any destinations that suited both their interests in one trip.

“Yes, surprisingly Florence, Italy. I was worried initially about what Cairo would eat. But both of my children love pizza and pasta, and that was the perfect place for both. We put Cairo in a wagon, and she just sat back and lived her best life the entire time. I was also able to go zip lining with Cree, and he had a ball.”

She shares that Maui, Hawaii, is another great family-friendly destination, too.

Keeping The Spark Alive

Family vacations are important for the actress, but getting away for some alone time with her husband is equally important. With both of them having busy schedules—Hardrict currently starring in Netflix’s All-American: Homecoming—the couple sometimes has to get creative with their baecation options.

“Honestly, we love taking staycations close to home. One of our favorite places is Santa Barbara, just a for a weekend. They have great resorts.”

But, when the couple can slip away for a little longer, Mowry says they typically head to an island in the Caribbean.

“It’s such a sexy vibe. The weather is perfect, then you have the white sand and turquoise waters. Not to mention fresh coconut-based drinks.”

Packing With Intention

Being the icon that she is, we had to know the things she never leaves home without when traveling. 

“First, I always have snacks in my bag. You just never know what will happen, especially on the plane. My favorite snacks to carry are turkey jerky and fruit. Next, is some type of immune support. Staying healthy while on-the-go is key. So for me, it’s vitamin C and a probiotic— because I never know how my stomach will react to new foods.”

Mowry rounded out her must-haves with her glasses, an iPad or tablet so that she can stay connected or check-in back home when needed, and finally a staple for most Black women— a pair of hoop earrings.

“It’s just something about hoops,” she said. “I don’t wear a ton of jewelry, but hoop earrings just always seem to bring things together.”