Writer, filmmaker, and producer Sian Heder has won numerous awards, including a Peabody (with co-writers and collaborators) in 2013 for the Netflix series “Orange Is the New Black.’’ We caught up with the 38-year-old Cambridge native, who lives in Los Angeles with her husband, David Newsom, and their two young children, to talk about all things travel.

Favorite vacation spot? Ahhhh . . . vacation sounds amazing right now. I have a 2-year-old and a 3-month-old at home, so even an hour without a screaming little mammal on top of me sounds like a vacation. But when we do get away, my two favorite go-to spots are Great Spruce Head Island in Maine and Joshua Tree National Park [in California]. Great Spruce Head is a private island which has become a sort of artists’ colony. It’s secluded and magical. Joshua Tree feels a lot more attainable right now, since it’s only a three-hour drive from Los Angeles. We like to stay at 29 Palms Inn and drink margaritas by the pool when it’s hot, and then hike in the park when it cools off. The landscape is surreal —­ prehistoric Dr. Seuss.

Favorite food or drink while vacationing? As I just mentioned, I will always drink a margarita — even in the dead of winter.

Where would you like to travel to but haven’t? I want to see the whole world. I’ve been around India, which I loved, but would like to explore more of Asia. I also love Latin culture and would like to visit more of Central and South America. Traveling always sparks me creatively. Every time I get out of my comfort zone, I get ideas. It inspires me to write.

One item you can’t leave home without when traveling? Lately these small children. And a breast pump. And about a thousand items of baby gear. About to head out to Sundance for the festival and it’s a serious family affair. Nostalgic for a time when it was just me and my toothbrush.

Aisle or window? Used to be window, because it made me feel less claustrophobic on planes. But ever since I had babies, it’s aisle, so I don’t have to constantly be moving the people next to me to get up. Now I just smile apologetically to everyone as I roam up and down the aisles, bouncing.

Favorite childhood travel memory? When I was a kid, we would rent this old farmhouse in Addison, Maine. My memories from summers spent there are super vivid: sitting in the blue­berry fields chomping blueberries, collecting seaglass on the beach, roughhousing with my dad in the hay barn, collecting water from the well in buckets, [and] peeing outside.

Guilty pleasure when traveling? Turning off my phone and not answering e-mails.

Best travel tip? Befriend locals; it will lead to adventures. I remember when my husband and I were in Sayulita, Mexico, and made friends with the chef at the inn we were staying in. He invited us to his family’s place in the jungle. We spent two days cooking with them and hanging out. It was a very memorable experience [that] took us out of the normal tourist loop. We had so much fun we returned to Sayulita to get married — and dragged 80 of our closest friends with us.

JULIET PENNINGTON