Blog — Trip Styler

Healthy on the Road :: Break Routine, Not Activity

healthy travellingKeeping active while travelling will bring you home feeling refreshed and ready to get back into your regular routine!

Don't Let Travel Sabotage your Exercise Efforts Whatever your reason for travel may be–-business or pleasure--it is safe to say that routine is tossed out the window, and more often than not, exercise goes with it. Whether you regularly exercise, or intend to start, travel can sabotage your efforts…but it doesn’t have to be that way! Unfortunately, when we toss exercise, we are also saying farewell to great energy, reduced stress level, clear thinking, good circulation, good mood, refreshing sleep…you catch my drift.

Inactivity Does Not Lead to Refreshment Routine is important and definitely has a place in our lives, but the reality is, we all get bored if we keep doing the same thing; however, inactivity does not lead to refreshment…in fact, if you don’t engage in some physical activity, you will likely return home tired and daunted by the idea of starting up your exercise routine again.

Transportable Exercise So …how about not stopping? How about embracing a style of exercise that is different, doable, fun, and transportable? How about having an array of options rather than a rigid routine that requires your regular gym, or trainer, or specific pieces of equipment? It doesn’t need to be a battle. It can be fun and invigorating. It could involve doing your regular, favourite activities in a different environment, or it could involve trying something completely new.

So, staying true to the importance of foresight (highlighted in last month’s post), here’s an idea for you: before setting off on your next trip, make a list of activities you could do at your destination, to engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity (get a mild sweat going) or 60 minutes of light activity (e.g. strolling), each day you are away. Here are some ideas to get you started:

  • Walk whenever you can. You will need more than flip flops…pack your sneakers.
  • Purchase a pedometer before you go and simply be conscious of gathering the recommended number of daily steps (10,000) over the course of your day (no need to do anything more).
  • Choose excursions which involve physical activity.
  • PLAY – tennis, body surf, volleyball, dance…have fun!
  • Swim…don’t forget to throw a cap, goggles and appropriate swimwear into your bag.

In the months to come, our Healthy on the Road series will take a closer look at some of these ideas. In the meantime, make that list, choose what appeals to you, or speak with a personal trainer about designing a program for you to take on the road.

[Stay tuned for more Healthy on the Road posts on the first Thursday of every month, written by our resident expert, Leah Munday, owner of OTfit.ca.]

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Obsession with Airline Seats

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airline seatsAirline seat assignments have always been something we get picky about. Why wouldn't we? When we're traveling like sardines, the little things start to count: aisle vs window or visa versa, near or far from a toilet, front of the plane vs the back, sitting in an exit row, etc...

Ever since booking travel became something everyone could do, seat assignments have become even more top of mind. Sometimes it seems like it's the only thing left that's customizable--yet some discount airlines now charge for assigned seats, while Continental has started a naughty trend of charging for exit row seats. Wow.

Either way, based on our obsession with choosing the right airline seat, sites like seatguru.com, seatexpert.com and airlinequality.com have sprung-up to help consumers pinpoint the best seats for their plane type. These sites are so granular that they'll even tell you about misaligned windows, exact leg-room measurements and seats that only partially recline.

Example Seat 25J on a Hawaiian Airlines 767-300 v2 Class: coach Seat Type: recliner & exit row Power: no Video: no Seat 25 J has a bit of extra legroom, but does not recline due to the exit behind. The tray table is in the armrest, making the armrest immovable and reducing the seat width. There is no floor storage during takeoff and landing. The close proximity of the lavatories can be bothersome.

Become an Airline Seat Expert Seat Guru I love the user-friendliness of this website. The example above is taken from this site--it's level of detail is astonishing.

SeatExpert Offering a similar service to Seat Guru, Seat Expert goes about providing seat information in a different, 3-step way. 1) enter airline, flight number and date of departure (don't worry if you forget all those details, the form even auto-completes). 2) multiple segments? no prob, you will be taken to a page where each leg is listed. Select the leg on which you are flying. 3) review the seat maps to see which are the best and worst seats on the plane. *If you know your flight number and departure date, this site is great for initial research, but make sure you also visit Seat Guru because in some cases, the information can be more detailed.

Airline Quality Like Trip Advisor, this website is completely user-generated with the world's largest selection of independent airline, airport, lounge and seat reviews for over 620 airlines and 645 airports.  Because the website is still growing some airline lounge reviews only consist of one or two contributions, but it's still helpful to browse.

Travel iPhone Apps :: Skype

I would be remiss if I did a travel iPhone app series and didn't mention skype, the ultimate way to connect with your contacts worldwide.  Skype is one of the most important apps I use during travel for a few reasons: 1) call your skype contacts for free 2) call or text your skype contacts and specify your caller ID 3) conduct business as usual (if you want), even on the road

Skype App Details

  • free
  • Free Skype-to-Skype calls from any WiFi zone.
  • Call and text (SMS) phones and mobiles at great Skype rates.
  • See who’s online and send and receive instant messages on the move.
  • Receive incoming calls if you are signed-in.
  • Works with the iPod touch if you are in a wi-fi zone and have a headset with speaker
  • Create voice mail

Other Travel iPhone Apps we've Reviewed

Lost Luggage and How to Protect Yours

lost luggageSome luggage  gets temporarily lost--like my husband's suitcase to AND from our honeymoon destination--and some gets lost for good.   How does it happen?  How can an airline lose MY bag?   Although the margin or error is reportedly low in the US, in January 2010 there were still approx 4.62 bags in 1000 that were 'mishandled.'

Into the Abyss According to the Air Transport Association, although 99.5% of bags get back to their owners within 5 days, there are the few that go into the baggage abyss. In the US, they end up at the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama, where they're sold to the public at bargain prices. In Canada, each airline is responsible for its own unclaimed luggage, hopefully resulting in greater accountability to get bags back to their rightful owners.

Protecting your Luggage

  1. Although easier said than done, avoid flight connections
  2. Travel with a carry-on
  3. Label your luggage with your contact details on the outside AND inside of your bag. If you bag gets lost, airlines will search the inner contents for contact details.
  4. Buy a Global Bag Tag, a heavy-duty metal tag whose serial number is entered into a database linking back to your name.  There is an initial fee for the tags, plus a yearly fee to keep your membership active.   Also consider the GPS bag tracker as well.
  5. If you notice your bag is missing at the airport, file a report right away.  Many airlines have restricted timeframes within which missing luggage can be reported.

Finding your Luggage

  • 24 hours - Most bags are returned within 24 hours
  • 5 days - amout of time unclaimed bags are left around the terminal
  • 6 - 60 days - bags sent to airline or central US warehouse and wait to be claimed
  • 60+ days - donate bags and/or contents to charity & sell to salvage
  • If there is no contact info on or in the bag, a description of the luggage and its contents are entered into World Tracer which acts as a lost and found system for 360+ airlines worldwide by matching bags with claims.  Word to the wise; this service only provides tracking for 100 days.

Other Hints

  • most airlines don't offer much as far as compensation for lost of delayed luggage
  • if your bag does get permanently misplaced, airlines won't cover contents like jewelry, lap tops, cameras or money (but really, who would travel with money in checked luggage?)
  • although not cheap, here's an alternative to checking your bags: VirtualBellhop.com provides 'door to destination' baggage services.  As an example, when you ship a 50lb bag + standard golf bag from Seattle to Miami, the cost is approx: $190usd.
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Spotlight :: LA Food & Fun

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la

[trip style = urban + sun ]

LA gets a bad rap. Sure, the traffic and pollution aren’t great, but the sunshine and beaches are pretty fantastic. Plus, LA is more than Hollywood; there are fabulous restaurants, rich culture and shopping galore. This week we’ll focus on food and fun. Next week, shop & stay.

Food

Coffee
Intelligentsia Silver Lake location: 3922 W Sunset Blvd,Los Angeles, CA 90029 Venice location: 1331 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291
*The best coffee in LA – and the best looking coffee shops (in both design and customers). Don’t be discouraged by the line!

Sushi
Sushi Katsu-ya Original location: 11680 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604 *Incredible sushi in a strip mall in Studio City? YES! Order off the specials board. You MUST order the crispy sesame tuna and spicy tuna on crispy rice. Worth. The. Wait.

Casual Chic
Gjelina Location: 1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291
*This might be my favourite street in all of LA, and this might be my favourite restaurant on that street. Great thin-crust pizza, people watching (sit at the communal table), brunch and bloody beer.

Frozen Yogurt
Pinkberry Various locations
*It’s an LA institution, only a few years in the making. I like the original flavour with fruit topping, but you can choose your own – that’s the beauty of it!

Café
Joan’s on Third Location: 8350 West Third Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048
*Eat in or take out, this adorable café has baked goods, deli items, sandwiches and specials, plus a gourmet market. Don’t miss out on the caramel-covered marshmallows – they’re to die for!

Bakery
Mani's Bakery 519 South Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036
*Healthy, chocolate-stuffed heart cookies. Enough said. The cafe only uses natural and alternative sweetners.

Cupcakes
Sprinkles Various locations
*Great selection with flavours like banana, red velvet (vegan or gltuten free options), peanut butter chocolate, chai latte or good ol’ vanilla. Check the cupcake calendar online to see if your favourite flavour’s in that day.

Indian
Bollywood Cafe Original location: 11101 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604 Second location: 737 Cahuenga Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604
*The vegetarian samosas, complimentary papadums and courteous service keep us coming back.

Italian
Il Pastaio Location: 400 N.Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
*Not only is the location fabulous, but so is the people watching. Start with the appetizer platter.

Fun

Griffith Park 2800 East Observatory Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90027
*Stunning city views. Stroll around the observatory and hike the trails. It will feel like you’ve left the city!

The Getty Center 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90049
*Another spot for city views, but this one comes with world-class art, architecture and a groovy tram. Admission is free, but parking is $15, except on Saturdays when it’s free. Beautiful way to spend a beautiful day.

Hollywood Bowl 2301 North Highland Avenue, Hollywood, CA 9006
*Home of the LA Philharmonic and seasonal concerts. Box seating down low and bleacher seating up high. Come early and bring a picnic – it’s BYOW(ine)! Oh and don’t park in the overpriced parking at the Bowl – it’s stacked and takes forever to get out.

Venice Canals Between Ocean Ave & Pacific Ave / S Venice Blvd & 28th Ave
*Stroll along the lemon tree-lined canals and peek into people’s modern homes or kitschy bungalows you just WISH were yours.

Scenic Drives
1/ Drive up the PCH to Malibu, take off your shoes and dig your toes in the sand.
2/ Drive along the Sunset Strip at night for a whole different kind of scenery.

Post by Heather, pop-culture-ista and writer of heatherlovesit.blogspot.com