Calgary Stampede, Après Le Storm

[trip style = urban + weekend getaway]

Fourteen days before the start of "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth," Alberta flooded. Yet a tidal wave of water wasn't going to rock landlocked Calgary's virtual boat. Within a few days of the flood, the Calgary Stampede's Chairman proclaimed "come hell or high water, the show will go on." And it is, right now {July 5 - 14, 2013}.

I just spent last weekend at the 10-day show's get-go. To a non-local, you'd never know rain had ravaged the city only two weeks prior. Aside from the planned Saddledome concerts---Dixie Chicks, Kiss, Tim McGraw, Carly Rae Jepsen---which could not go on due to flooding cresting the 8th row, and the still-wet food court area in the basement of the Big Four venue, the grounds don't even look damp.

This is due to 24-hour crews of workers called upon from all over North America to repair and rebuild the rodeo without taking resources away from Calgary's clean-up effort. Over 220 dump trucks hauled away 88 million pounds of spoiled soil on the Stampede's just-finished infield and repaired it in a week---a job that took three weeks to complete in the Spring. A sea of water was sucked out of every space, and flash-dried with the gale force of a 1000+ industrial dryers.

2013 marked my first Stampede {as did a shooter of pickle juice, one of this year's fair foods!}. It will not be my last. Just call me a converted cowgirl. To put it lightly, I had a buckin' blast.

Photos To start off, here's a two-minute video the Stampede put together showing the park's near-miracle transformation over 14 days.

The rodeo's start.

Wrangler.

Bare bronc. (I was happy to learn both the athletes and the animals have free access to a full range of medical practitioners at this invite-only competition.)

Ladies barrel racing.

Behind the chutes.

Bull riding sequence.

In Canada we say yahoo, not yeehaw, apparently.

Start of the chuckwagon races.

Chuckwagon race to the finish.

Fair food, 101. line one: free roadside flapjack*, deep-fried bubble gum, deep-fried Pop-Tart line two: deep-fried Oreos, the center of deep-fried Oreos, pickle juice shooter line three: deep-fried butter, choco-dipped bacon-on-a-stick, deep-fried Doritos *over one million free pancakes are handed out all over the city during Stampede

[photos by @tripstyler, snapped while a guest of stampede]

Roam+Board :: Templar Hotel

[trip style = luxury + urban]

What The Templar cringes at the name hotel, kind of. Yes, you can book four walls with a locking door on a nightly basis, yet the 27-room marble and stone-built structure would rather be referred to as the urban villa it is.

Officially opened to the public in October 2012, it is miles in the making. The well-traveled owners brought their passion for travel and know-how for design into the project aiming to create a space that's more home-away-from-home (of the Dwell Magazine variety), than white-glove tower.

MORE PHOTOS BELOW.

Browsing Trip Styler-esque stays for my recent trip to Toronto, when I came upon the Templar, I stopped searching and booked it immediately. I'm glad I did. My neutral room---which may appear simple to the untrained eye---was complex like a piece of abstract art, different from every vantage point. Outfitted in Ipe flooring---a sustainable wood from Uraguay and the hardest in existence---penny tiles, floor-to-ceiling windows and a silk-filled duvet, these layers were lovely, but it was the Corian bathtub {bigger than a double bed} that had me at hello.

The downstairs lounge, surrounded in hand-combed Japanese ledge rock and softened in furs, is a place I longed to linger armed with a tumbler of Grey Goose on the rocks---no joke, I tried to extend my return-date. Trip Styler approved!

Where Downtown Toronto in the Fashion District.

When Toronto's hot in the summer and Canadian crisp---think icy and snow dusted---in the winter. Dress for sweating and shivering depending on the season. If you visit in the summer and T-dot's urban jungle gets too steamy, check out one of Toronto's urban beaches I wrote about in Expedia for the Expedia Viewfinder Blog.

Who/Why Generally, hotels aren't your bag unless they appear on the Contemporist. The word guest makes you cringe, and you'd prefer a conversation over a check-in.

Cost Rates start from the low 200s per night and include WiFi, a ton of cachet, and a chef who will prepare any meal your heart desires (within reason) at any hour.

Photos {The lobby}

{The design details}

{The lounge}

{The restau-kitchen}

More Roam+Board Encuentro Guadalupe – Mexico Hotel Havana – San Antonio The Amersand Hotel – London Mount Engadine Lodge – Canadian Rockies Lava Lava Beach Club – Hawaii Island Ace Hotel – Seattle The Wickaninnish Inn – Tofino The Burrard – Vancouver  Hotel de Glace – Quebec Alcazar Palm Springs – California Jumeirah Zabeel Saray – Dubai Makena Resort – Maui Find more R+B hotels featured here, plus our it list of worldwide hotel picks.

[photos taken by @tripstyler]

The Savvy Traveler :: Carolyn

[trip style = urban]

Carolyn's wayfaring gives frequent fliers a run for their mileage. As a high-flying small biz coach and wife of a pro tennis player, she travels for a trio of reasons: first, to hang with her husband as his 'doubles partner'; second, to see clients and facilitate retreats; and third, for the thrill. A lover of traveling like a local and spontaneous iPad-driven dance parties, I'm itching to officially introduce this month's Savvy Traveler!

1/ Pick your top trip style
[trip style = urban] Wandering in the shadows of skyscrapers is my travel norm because my husband and I are constantly working remotely from major urban centers dotting the world map.

2/ Favorite hotel{s}
For me, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts win a grand slam for luxe lodging around the world. The Four Seasons in Costa Rica's Papagayo Peninsula is my muse offering hiking, beach, whales, snorkeling {all in one day!}. On the opposite side of the court, to experience a place in its prime, I prefer staying in rental apartments so I can live like a local---shopping at markets, eating at the neighborhood bistros and savoring a new hood!

3/ I can't travel without...
- My husband, he's the SAVVIEST traveler I know and the go-to guy for other tennis professionals on the tours---he knows more than most travel agents.
- Unlocked cell phone, so I can swap local sim cards in and out depending on my coordinates du jour.
- iPad; I use it to catch up on the news at home, create photo albums of our trips, and access my music to create spontaneous dance parties wherever we go.
- Sunglasses, they create insta-shade, hide tired eyes and act as a virtual Do Not Disturb sign if I need to nod off inflight.
- A pashmina is a MUST. I use it as a blanket, pillow and head cover to block out the light when annoying people leave the blinds open on overnight flights!

4/ Carry-on or checked bag
Carry-on for my business travel and checked bag when roaming with my husband. I act as his gear “mule” and often bring an empty bag just to carry his extra stuff like clothes, shoes and racquets.

5/ Aisle or window
Aisle. Always. I need the freedom to get up and move around without asking permission.

6/ Favorite quote
“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” -Anatole France

More Savvy Travelers
Jesse, I'm With The Band
Jackie, Paris Is Always A Good Idea
Lori, A License To Move

{If you know anyone who should be featured in our once-monthly The Savvy Traveler series, drop us a line!}

[photo via Carolyn]

Roam+Board :: Hotel Havana

[trip style = urban + budget conscious]

What Scrolling through hotels in San Antonio, I knew Hotel Havana was THE trip styled choice for my stay. Once a hotel residence for a local grocer's buyers, Liz Lambert {one of the hotel industry's design darlings} purchased the 1914-built brick beauty and re-opened it in 2010 as a 27-room boutique hotel.

Here's the best part: she didn't strip it down its skivvies only to dress it up as an unrecognizable Hollywood celeb. Instead, the Austin-based hotelier kept identifying features like the Bastrop pine floors, only adding the bare minimum---think wrought iron beds, Turkish rugs, and 1950s-style pink and orange refrigerators---to the pre-latin, raw-elegant space.

Dwelling along the Alamo City's famed River Walk---a semi-tropical version of Venice---the hip hotel takes advantage of its location and cache in Ocho, the glass-encased restaurant perched above the waterway. Dining under a canopy of palms on royal-blue banquettes, I *could* have soaked up the space for hours, though more trip styled finds beckon beyond. Trip Styler approved!

Savour more of San Antonio's stylish scene in my post on the Expedia Viewfinder travel blog.

Where San Antonio, Texas, 12km from the airport.

When Saunter into San Antonio between November and April for cool temperatures {average 23C} and hotel rates. Summer heats up in every sense.

Who/Why You love a good makeover, but enhancements must be parlayed thoughtfully in all the right places.

Cost Rates start around $110 per night and include WiFi. Parking is $17 per night, but who needs a car when you've got the city's bike-share system parked right outside the hotel. Passes for a health club nearby are provided upon request  Bark, woof, Fido can live the River Walk lifestyle for $25 per stay.

Trip Styler Tip :: Try to book a room on the 4th floor. If not, bring ear plugs as floors creak due to the age of the building.

More Roam+Board The Amersand Hotel – London Mount Engadine Lodge – Canadian Rockies Lava Lava Beach Club – Hawaii Island Ace Hotel – Seattle The Wickaninnish Inn – Tofino The Burrard – Vancouver  Hotel de Glace – Quebec Alcazar Palm Springs – California Jumeirah Zabeel Saray – Dubai Makena Resort – Maui Find more R+B hotels featured here, plus our it list of worldwide hotel picks.

[photos taken by @tripstyler while staying as a guest of Hotel Havana]

Postcards from Toronto

[trip style = urban]

I'm currently in Toronto. Here are a few photos I've snapped of Canada's mega metropolis while tasting my way around town. More on Tdot coming soon!

Top photos {left to right}: Richmond Station restaurant, Toronto architecture beside TD Canada Trust tower, Hong Kong bevvie at Shangri-La, view of CN Tower

Botton photos {left to right}: Pear and arugula salad at Pizzeria Libretto, decor at Pizzeria Libretto, inside The Dakota Tavern, view of Toronto skyline from Centre Island

[photos by @tripstyler]