“We have crammed in as much adventure as possible since I retired,” says Hank Ezell, 72, of he and his wife, Reva, 79. Hank, a former financial editor at the Atlanta Journal- Constitution, and his wife, who was the director of radio at WABE, may have retired from their jobs (she 20 years ago, he 10 years ago), but they clearly haven’t retired from traveling. They’ve logged trips via boat, airplane, car and train to all seven continents. On their journeys, they’ve hiked to Machu Picchu, snorkeled in Tahiti and spied polar bears in the Arctic. And they routinely spend several weeks each year vacationing in Honduras. The Buckhead-based couple is particularly fond of cruising. “You pack once and unpack once, and they do all the work for you,” Hank says.
Describe the setting behind the best vacation photo you’ve ever taken.
Reva: Hundreds of thousands of Antarctic penguins. Unbelievable. Otherworldly.
What’s the most memorable souvenir you’ve ever brought home?
Reva: A wool cape from Scotland, bought in July when I thought I wouldn’t need a coat. That was 30 years ago, and I still have it.
What’s the weirdest or most exotic thing you’ve ever eaten while on the road?
Reva: Guinea pig in Peru. Delicious. Hank: Iguana, in Bonaire. (If you have a choice, ask for a leg quarter. The breast quarters are really bony.)
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being “I look like a serial killer,” how bad is your passport photo?
Reva: Believe it or not, it’s one of the best pictures I’ve ever had taken.
What is your best packing tip?
Reva: Bring all matchable colors— black, white, gray; red, white, blue. Make every outfit multipurpose. And then take out half of what you’ve packed and make do with less.
What’s one of the strangest or funniest things that’s ever happened to you when traveling?
Reva: It’s too long a story to relate here, but it involves my broken nose, a woman in an identical dive skin, and my husband yelling at her husband to “Unhand her!” You had to be there.
What’s your favorite travel-related movie or book?
Hank: March of the Penguins. Reva: A Rand McNally atlas.
If you won an all-expenses-paid trip to any destination you wanted, where would you go and why?
Hank: I’d return to the Galapagos Islands on a National Geographic cruise for the beauty of the place and the extraordinary critters.
When you’re back home, what’s a place that reminds you of one of your favorite destinations?
Reva: Holeman and Finch—small plates, European service, great bar.
How can you spot a travel rookie?
Reva: Too dressed up, too much luggage.
What’s the one thing you splurge on when it comes to travel?
Hank: Business class.
