Shopping Vancouver's Main Drag

main st shopping map

[trip style = urban]

Every city seems to have a Main Street. Was it a secret pact amongst early city planners or just a lack of creativity? Maybe we'll never know, but the name embodies a place of community and commerce. And in Vancouver, BC, it's known as the city's coolest street, as voted by locals.

Main Street cuts through some of the city's hippest and most historic neighborhoods, like Chinatown, Strathcona, Mount Pleasant and Riley Park. Previously known for its antique shops and breweries---which still exist today---Main Street is now a destination for the city's best independent shops and restaurants.

Follow me on a shopping stroll along my favorite street in the city, away from the chaos and chain stores of the downtown core.

charlie and lee

1/ Visit Strathcona/Chinatown's Charlie & Lee for must-have items like sunglasses by Illesteva, Rachel Walker and Raen, luggage by Filson, lingerie by Only Hearts and my favorite selection of jewelry in the city. Gentlemen, head to the back of the shop for a great selection of Deux Ex Machina, The West is Dead and Wolverine 1000 Mile boots.

board of trade

2/ Just next door, don't miss The Board of Trade Co.'s original location, where you can score killer basics for men and women, along with Earth Tu Face skincare, Grey Ant sunglasses and my favorite doormats with messages like "The Neighbors Have Better Stuff" and "Holla". Plus it's impossible to leave without having a great conversation with friendly owners David and Eunice and maybe even an invitation to come back for whiskey at the end of the day.

much and little

3/ A little further south sits the adorable lifestyle and home goods shop Much & Little, which has everything you never knew you needed like cast iron bottle openers, Turkish towels, splurge-worthy vintage kilim rugs, pastel-colored cookware and clothing by Lauren Moffatt and James Perse.

hach and hart

4/ On the ground level of my favorite apartment building in the city, tucked behind a bike shop and a sushi hotspot, is hidden gem Hach + Hart. Filled with stationary from Korea and clothing designed in house by owner Meinrad Young, this shop is both accessibly priced and a pleasure to explore.

eugene choo

5/ Eugene Choo has been a Main Street destination for me since the early 2000s, long before I made the move to the neighborhood. The shop carries a thoughtful selection of clothing for men and women, including Steven Alan, Filippa K and A.P.C. Don't miss their amazing garage sale every September and their recently opened shoe and accessory boutique next door.

vincent park

6/ The southernmost stop on my Main Street stroll might also be my favorite. Run by the nicest sisters in town, Vincent Park carries clothing, shoes, accessories and lifestyle goods for men and women. Come here for cult favorites like Super sunglasses, Cheap Monday denim, Line sweaters and Jeffrey Campbell shoes. And try not to drool over the industrial space filled with gorgeous antiques and plenty of charm.

This post is written by Trip Styler fashion and lifestyle blogger Heather.

[map & collages by @heatherlovesit, photos via store websites]

Morocco :: Casablanca

[trip style = urban + sun]

Editor’s Note: Don’t forget to enter our contest for a one-night stay at the OPUS Hotel in Vancouver, it closes TODAY at noon PST.

In mid-December I found myself in the exotic embrace of Morocco's eye-catching escapes. My eight-day jaunt satisfied almost every trip style from spa to surf, starting in Casablanca and veering from the Western Sahara to the Atlas Mountains to the Atlantic shore. The journey was fortuitous given my obsession with North African design, and my September brush with the Morocco pavilion at Epcot, where I wished upon a star I'd get to visit soon. {Careful what you wish for!}

Spoiler alert: Aside from a few travel lifestyle bits, Morocco's going to take center stage on Trip Styler during February.

On December 9th, 2013 my flight landed in Casablanca---the country's hub for most international flights---just as the sun was peeking over the horizon. Given the rise-and-shine hour, I dove into the local time zone with abandon. No dither-dather; my meeting with Morocco's major metro was only a day.

When I stepped out of the airport, the air was crisp. The light chill---similar to a late-September a.m. on the West Coast---woke me up. Coming to, I spotted my name on a signboard in front of a Mercedes van. From this moment on, the trip was guided by in-the-know locals from Heritage Tours who schooled me in Morocco 101.

During the 30-minute commute into the city of five million, the landscape turned from rural to urban. Early on we shared the palm-lined highway with a boy guiding a horse-drawn carriage filled with farming supplies. This was my first clear picture of Morocco's culture: a country where cosmopolitan and classic meet in the middle.

Once inside the concrete-clad port city bordered by a sweeping beach, we hit Monday morning rush hour and inched into the inner plazas where modern Euro-style trains buzzed about, and the time-crunched workforce played human Frogger over eight-lane expanses. I wanted to bottle the enigmatic energy and take it home.

Trip Styler Tip: Casablanca hosts major hotel brands, as well as beautiful boutique properties like Le Doge, a 16-room Relais & Chateaux property, and the smallest hotel in Casablanca {every room is different---I love the Josephine Baker and Earnest Hemingway rooms}.

Casablanca Disembarking the plane at sunrise

Mosque Hassan II, the most important living and breathing monument in Morocco capable of holding 25,000 worshipers inside and another 80,000 outside. The French-design structure rides the wave of traditional and fantasmic topped by a retractable roof and lit by almost 60 Murano-made chandeliers. Cool-to-the-touch white Carrara marble serves as a foundation throughout, while humidity-absorbing pillars made with limestone, black soap and egg yolk form the interior structure.

Mosque Hassan II

Mosque Hassan II

Mosque Hassan II

Exploring Place Mohammed V

A Casablanca rooftop vista

Regal staircase at Le Doge

Josephine Baker room at Le Doge

[photos via @tripstyler---except hotel room via hotels.com---taken as a guest of Tourism Morocco]

Dine Out Vancouver + OPUS Hotel + Giveaway

[trip style = foodie + urban]

Vancouver's food scene sizzles in every season. Living on Canada's West Coast has made my flavor benchmark soar as high as the mountains towering over the city---a bar that has become abundantly clear as I trip style and taste my way around the globe. The local catch and crops, infused with flavors from the Pacific Rim, inspire a city of uber-foodies who have a mere 1/4 teaspoon of tolerance for bad bites.

Dine Out Vancouver Once a year for 17 days over January and February, Vancouver chefs slice and simmer up a storm for Canada's largest restaurant festival: Dine Out Vancouver. Now in its 12th year, the festival has grown from a handful of prix-fixe menus at the city's hottest eateries to a celebration of gastro-wow at hundreds of the city's top tables from L'Abattoir to La Pentola to Wildebeest to YEW to PiDGiN to Bella Gelateria {multicourse gelato tasting anyone?}.

Beyond the 263 participating restaurants offering tasting menus at $18, $28 or $38, the festival has grown to include 31 quintessentially Vancouver events, think: snowshoe-and-fondue evenings {see my photos of this event on Instagram}, food truck gatherings, brunch crawls and a 'palate promenade' through Granville Island---the city's undisputed source for fresh ingredients.

A Dine Out Night Out Since we're food- and hotel-obsessed here at Trip Styler, for us, the most appetizing Dine Out story is the 25 savor and stay pairings! Excited to show off two palate- AND palette-pleasing spaces under one roof, we hightailed it to the OPUS Hotel---one of Canada's top-rated boutique hotels---for a sweet staycation.

Our evening started with craft cocktails mixed by bartender Martin Corriveau in the velvet-imbued and Tulip table-topped OPUS lobby, continued into La Pentola della Quercia for the $38 four-course tasting menu, and concluded with a tech-savvy and trip-styled stay. Bonus, the stroll 'home' was 20 steps.

Trip Styler Tip: Keep reading for delicious details how you can enter a OPUS Hotel Vancouver GIVEAWAY!

Here's a Taste Chic check-in offering a water or sparkling French wine {tough choice!}.

A suite. At turndown, every room and suite receives retro candy like Popeye Cigarettes or Pop Rocks on the pillow.

La Pentola just before the pre-dinner rush.

The lobby---for cocktailing and chilling out.

La Pentola Northern Italy-inspired Dine Out menu with two choices for each course.

Dine Out antipasti: House-cured organic Coho salmon.

Dine Out primi: Parmesan souffle with a zucchini crudo {my fav course!}

Dine Out surprise dish: rabbit and artichoke ravioli in a brown butter sauce.

Dine Out main course: Mushroom risotto with a Qualicum Bay scallop.

Dine Out dessert: Chocolate mousse paired with beet ice cream and foam crumble, and poppy seed puree.

My deluxe king room at the OPUS. All rooms include ah-ha extras like iPads for stay use, heated bathrooms floors, WiFi, original art by local artists and a Jaguar XJ downtown car service. PS - Fido is welcome without charge!

Dine Out Details - It's on NOW, the 2014 dates are Jan 17 - Feb 2. - Some events, and restaurants---like La Pentola---still have availability. - Make a night of it, check out the hotel pairings---we dig the OPUS {from $138}. - Peruse restaurants, events, hotels and availability on the Dine Out Vancouver website.

OPUS Hotel Giveaway - One lucky reader will win one unforgettable night in a superior room at the OPUS Hotel Vancouver. - Hotel certificate expires December 30, 2014. - Enter by liking this post on Facebook---see like button below---AND by leaving a comment below notifying us of your entry. - Bonus entry: go to Instagram.com/tripstyler for details {must complete above step to confirm your entry}. - Contest closes Tuesday, February 4th, 2014 at noon PST. Winner will be selected via Random.org. Upon notification, winner has two days to claim prize. *Winner announced and contacted. Congrats Casey.

[photos by @tripstyler and OPUS Hotel, taken as a guest of Dine Out Vancouver]

It's a Wrap

[trip style = weekend getaway + urban]

Every Christmas season Seattle decks their halls with twinkly lights, iconic "red cup" bevvies and holiday cheer. Not so coincidentally, every year I take my sleigh down to the Emerald City to immerse myself in its red- and green-themed spirit, and play Santa during a hot chocolate-fueled shop-a-thon.

This year I was asked by the W Seattle's elves to experience their just-released It's a Wrap Holiday Package. On during weekends until January 12th, the package includes all the fixings for a festive getaway, including: - a Fabulous Corner King room - valet parking {$40 savings per night} - complimentary gift wrapping for three gifts {Saturdays} - a Saturday "Wrappy Hour" at TRACE Bar, seasoned with holiday treats like a snickerdoodle cocktail paired with gingerbread snowflake cookies, and the live sounds of a Grammy award-winning nouveau jazz artist - a $50 gift card from a major credit card company and a $50 gift certificate to University Village---think: Aritzia, Madewell, Mercer, Jonathan Adler, Anthropologie, J.Crew, etc. {per stay} - a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter shuttle to and from University Village {Saturdays} - WiFi <<<< Find FULL It's a Wrap Holiday Package details here >>>>

In my job, I'm lucky enough to spot a world of travel offers, and the reason I'm telling you about this one is because it's festive, fun and cha-ching it offers a good perks {plus the guestrooms have Bliss Spa products and the W's beds are uber-comfy}. As a HUGE fan of experience-based gifts, this is a getaway I'd want to receive under the tree this season.

Trip Styler Tip: At the time of writing, all weekends offered during this package are available. Rates start at $200/night and there's a two-night minimum.

Here's a short video of my Wrappy weekend.

{Can't view this video?}

[photos and video by trip styler taken while as a guest of starwood hotels; view my strict editorial parameters here]

Leaving Las Vegas {Healthier Than I Arrived}

healthy las vegas

[trip style = active + weekend getaway + urban + sun]

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to our friends down South! Here at the Vancouver, Canada-based TS headquarters, we toast your fine-feathered cocktail of turkey, beer and football. Enjoy!

When Lady Luck started shaking her sequins and stomping---in stilettos no less---down the Las Vegas Strip, she wasn't thinking about burning calories or reaching 10,000 steps a day. Ye-Old-Days Lady Luck was too busy sipping scotch on the rocks and sucking back cigarettes. Flash forward to today, and modern Lady Luck still chinwags with the same crowd, yet in her time-refined wisdom, she's picked up a healthy trick or two RUNning the Strip.

Like Lady Luck, I've learned a thing or two on the road, and am pretty protective about maintaining my wellness while I wander. With health on my mind, on my recent trip to Vegas, I was surprised to leave healthier than when I arrived. While most people don't travel to Sin City to sip smoothies, eat spinach salads and workout more than they go out, I made it my mission to test wellness on the Strip without sacrificing a smashing cocktail or Michelin-starred cuisine.

Here's how to stay well while under the LV spell:

run the LV strip

1/ Run the Strip Jogging the LV Strip is a thing. Rise and shine early enough in the AM---from 6am to 8am---and you'll see a ton of fit cats chasing last night's calories down LV Blvd. Bonus: most of the hotels blast music, so no is iPod required.

spa in las vegas + detox

2/ Detox at the Spa I've had TREATments at most of the major sp-ahs lining the Neon City's most glitzy stretch. Recently, I re-familiarized myself with these cocoons of calm and wrote about a private Turkish Hammam and other must-soothe experiences in Las Vegas Spa Hopping for the Expedia Viewfinder Travel Blog.

yoga among dophins las vegas

3/ Yoga among the Dolphins There's yoga, and then there's yoga practiced between a circular viewing area below Vegas' only dolphin habitat. The second you arrive nature's miracle mammals perk up and come to greet you like kids waiting for their parents at the airport. Dolphins dig yoga, so there's a parallel play synergy that takes place as I sink into warrior pose while the pod floats by. Classes are offered Fri - Sun mornings and cost $50 {which also includes a post-yoga smoothie and day access to the Mirage's spa pools and heat havens}.

las vegas MO hotel

4/ Hotel Most travelers I talk to aren't aware that Vegas has a few non-gaming hotels. Translation: no slots in sight! My favorite of the few is the Mandarin Oriental. See my review in Trip Styler's latest Roam+Board hotel feature.

bacchanal buffet caesars

5/ Eat well In the past five years, Vegas has turned into a foodie destination worthy of the 50+ world-renowned chefs whose restaurants season the Strip. Case in point, while I was there, I sipped cognac three feet away from Guy Savoy at his namesake restaurant. One of the newest eateries you "knead" to know about is Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace. Before you write us off for even mentioning a buffet, think of it like more like a collection of nine restaurants manned by chefs who've all worked in Michelin-starred restaurants. Yes there are stations, yes there are 600 seats, but it also boasts a hearty list of awards to back up its baking and made-to-order dishes.

Trip Styler Tip: While I'm not a huge Starbucks fan, if you want to eat a healthy snack on the go, Seattle's coffee institution can be found around every corner offering a bevy of fresh-prepared and reasonably priced snacks mingling fruit, veggies, cheese and nuts.

[photos by @tripstyler]