Decades before Gayle King traveled to space, the longtime journalist spent her childhood traveling abroad and expanding her worldview.
A veteran host of CBS Mornings, the 71-year-old mother of two lives a vibrant life that regularly includes travel for work or leisure. But as King has shared on several occasions, jet-setting has pretty much always been part of her life. The journalist lived in Ankara, Türkiye, from first grade through sixth grade with her family while her father was an electrical engineer for the government. She emphasized in a 2023 Your Mama’s Kitchen podcast interview that her family “did a lot of traveling” when she was a kid, including vacationing in Paris and Athens.
King has mentioned in interviews that as a child, she didn’t grasp how special those early travels were. However, now as an adult, the global experiences she had are something she appreciates.
“When you’re a little kid, you just go wherever your parents are,” she told Travel + Leisure in a February 2026 interview. “I didn’t think of my lifestyle or what an experience I’m having. So, I went from Turkey to California to Connecticut to New York. I’ve sort of had a very eclectic childhood and eclectic life.”
“I think travel and exposure is really good,” she noted. “Most people in this country [America], as shocking as it is, don’t even have a passport. And so, I think that if you can expose people to travel, that’s a good thing.”
What Else Has Gayle King Shared About Travels And Favorite Experiences?
The T+L interview also revealed that King prefers the window seat, and her favorite work-related travel destination has been Australia. Her favorite hotel chains are Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Aman, and Rosewood, all of which she says, “You can’t go wrong.”
Regarding where to next, the Emmy winner said Singapore (for the first time) and the legendary Giraffe Manor in Nairobi, Kenya, are on her travel bucket list.
In a recent Delish interview, Oprah’s bestie shared that her dream breakfast is a room service occasion at a nice hotel. King explained that the ritual is special since breakfast is her favorite meal of the day, but she rarely gets to enjoy it because of her hectic schedule.
“I love lying in bed, watching something good on television, and just really soaking it up. That’s one of my favorite things to do,” the morning show host explained. “This is my order: Scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese, bacon extra crispy, hash brown potatoes, pancakes — light and fluffy, please — and just for grins, an English muffin, and [a] hot chocolate.” Recalling a time when she ordered her classic feast, she added that orange juice was also on the list.
