A Tale of Two Tea Houses

[trip style = active + adventure]

{Editor's Note :: I just got home from Alberta where I hiked high into the Canadian Rockies, and then descended into the Province's flatlands for the Greatest Show on Earth, the Calgary Stampede. Drop by Trip Styler on Thursday for FULL ON Stampede coverage---including bull riding and deep-fried butter! I'm also going to be chatting with Jill Krop about "Stampede after the storm" on this Thursday's edition of AM/BC between 9-10 am on Shaw-subscriber channel 21 (216 for HD)}.

I can't walk, bike or drive into Banff National Park without tearing up. Nature; it's everywhere in high def, except the 'reel'---ok, real---version is accompanied by gusts of glacial air, mist from mountain streams, and marmot whistles as you walk into their territory.

Last week's trip took me into Lake Louise {above}, Canada's most photographed body of water. Sporting a shade of aqua-blue---bluer than the Caribbean Sea---Lake Louise is wilderness perfection, reflecting Victoria Glacier in a glamorous mirror-effect.

As gorgeous as Lake Louise is, she's only the beginning of Banff National Park's beauty. If you go---and I implore you to do so---carve out some time for a wallop of Canadian wow-factor on a trip style = luxury hiking adventure. Starting at the base of Lake Louise, venture sky-high for a spot of tea to one or both of Banff's alpine tea houses: vintage, wooden cabins serving tea and biscuits---sans electricity!---to hungry hikers during summer.

Here are the details: The hiking path to the Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House. A 5.5 km climb that took us about an hour from the base of Lake Louise.

Views hiking to the Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House.

The Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House, built in 1927 by two Swiss guides for the Canadian Pacific Railway. There is no electricity or running water. Food is made daily on propane stoves. Supplies are brought up once a season by helicopter, and replenished regularly on horseback, or by staff who walk up with loads on foot. Cash only. Open during summer.

About to have a spot of HIGH---2100 meters high---tea.

Suggested: vanilla rooibos Tea.

Tibetan prayer flags strung from the second floor balcony.

Oh, "high."

Strolling toward tea No. 2 at Lake Agnes Tea House, a 5 km hike from the Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House.

Lake Agnes Tea House. A wide, well-trodden trail gradually climbs 3.5 kms from Lake Louise to Lake Agnes. You can also reach it via the Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House, and vice versa. Open 9:00 am - 6:00 pm June -September/9:30 am - 5:30 pm September-early October. Cash only. At the top, try the gooey-good mountain bar, a mix of chocolate, coconut, seeds, marshmallow and craisins atop a graham cracker crust.

View from the Lake Agnes Tea House.

[photos by Trip Styler, taken as a guest of Tourism Alberta. AS ALWAYS, I only write about stuff that sends me head over heals.]

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]

Travel Beauty :: Flying The Test Of Time

[trip style = any]

Want more travel beauty? Lauren, our travel beauty expert, is already whipping up her next concoction post!

Nowadays with my busy mom/work/travel schedule, I’m drawn to anything that does double duty or works in a flash. Bonus points if it makes me look like I’ve had more than four hours of sleep. Below I've chosen a few of my favorite {read: cult status!} timeless beauty products for TS, which have flown the test of time for me and many other industry insiders. Don’t forget to pack them!

1/ Smith’s Rosebud Salve This multitasking balm---held in the cutest vintage-looking tin---smells like fresh rose petals. In addition to healing and softening dry, chapped lips {as well as cuticles, elbows and rough patches}, it creates the prettiest sheen. Gorgeous worn alone for a natural look or applied on top of a lip color to add shine.

2/ Nars Blush in Orgasm There's a reason almost e-v-e-r-y makeup artist carries this blush in their kit and e-v-e-r-y beauty editor swears by it: it has a shimmery, peachy-pink perfection that suits all skin tones {and brightens the face after a multi-hour flight}.

3/ Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream A tube of this potion is sold every 30 seconds! It has over 10 different uses, like smoothing brows, calming sunburns, and soothing skin post-wax to name a few. However, my favorite way is to use it is apply a tiny dab pre-flight to keep my skin hydrated, allowing me to deplane glowing.

4/ Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey A classic since its debut in 1971, Black Honey is a natural-looking, sheer berry tint that is not quite lipstick and not quite gloss. It was all the rage in the '90s and is still a top seller today. Beautiful worn alone or layered over lip color.

****What timeless travel beauty products do you tote traveling?****

More Travel Beauty Virgin Diaries :: Sky-High Skincare LA's Must-Stop Organic Pharmacy Splurge VS Steal {Part 2} Splurge VS Steal {Part 1} Gorgeous Hair In 5 Minutes A Sky-Vival Kit

[collage by @tripstyler, photos via product websites]