Comedian, family took memorable vacations
Based out of Los Angeles and Brooklyn, N.Y., where he was born, comedian and actor Tony Rock says his favorite cities include Houston, Atlanta, Miami and Washington, D.C. But like his elder brother, Chris, he says nothing can replace New York City. “New York is home,” he says. “It’s so unique that there is no other place like it.” The host of TV One’s “The Game of Dating,” Rock’s previous work includes hosting Russell Simmons’ “All Def Comedy Live” and roles in “Everybody Hates Chris” and “The Redemption of a Dog.” An edited version of our conversation follows.
Q: What is your favorite vacation destination?
A: I went to a wedding in St. Maarten, and we took a boat ride over to Anguilla for a day. We went to a beach that had the whitest sand I had ever seen before in my life. I was in the water up to the middle of my chest and could still see my feet. It was the clearest water. It was very relaxing — beautiful weather, food was delicious, drinks were great — and I just said to myself, “This is probably one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen in my life and I’ve got to come back here.”
Q: What was the first trip you took as a child?
A: Driving with my family to South Carolina every summer from the time I was 5 to about 15. Once school let out every year, my siblings and I would get packed into a station wagon to drive to South Carolina to see my grandparents for summer vacation. If school let out on Friday, we were probably in the station wagon no later than Sunday morning, and we would make stops along the way.
Since we were city kids, my parents wanted us to see life outside of the ’hood, so we would stop in Amish country, take a tour and see how they lived, which was mind-blowing to a kid from the inner city. The first thing that blows your mind is that there is no electricity, and they live comfortably with no electricity, no cellphones, no TVs, no modern-day appliances. What was impressive about that is that when you live like that, it really puts an emphasis on your attachments to your family. You could see how close they are, because there is no alternative entertainment. You have to talk and interact with your family. Then we would go to Virginia, stop again and take in some of the area where they re-enact the Civil War. Then we would go from Virginia to South Carolina, stop on a farm and see how they processed tobacco and see cotton fields and take tours of plantations. And then we would finally end up in South Carolina and stay with my grandparents for the summer.