Roam+Board :: Glen Oaks Big Sur

[trip style = active & adventure + weekend getaway]

{Editor's Note: Last week we introduced Trip Styler's new look and told you about a new feature we'd be starting this Friday called Roam+Board! R+B will publish almost every Friday, as Fashion Friday continues to hit the runway once a month. Showcasing hotels, resorts, vacations rentals and glamping in oft and less visited destinations, with cool features and a focus on design, R+B will cycle through a variety of trip styles from the approachable to the aspirational. Enjoy.}

What Picture Glen Oaks Big Sur as your woodsy weekend hideaway or road trip retreat. This series of forest cabins with green sensibilities and thoughtful design, warms guests with fireplaces, Pendleton Woolen Mills blankets and feather duvets.

Where 150 miles from San Francisco and 300 miles from LA off Hwy 1 {Note: no ocean views}.

When Because the outdoorsy cabins are set in a redwood forest, retreating to Glen Oaks any time of year is a cozy escape. Spring and summer will be warmer.

Who/Why For those who want to read a book by the fire, enjoy the quietness of the forest and do a little hiking on the side.

Cost The smallest cabins start around $200/night {Includes wifi, but no TV, so leave the remote control - and Fido - at home}.

[images via Glen Oaks Big Sur]

Weekending in Victoria

[trip style = urban + weekend getaway]

There's a certain je ne sais quoi in the air at the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Some might call it the chilled-out island lifestyle, others might call it romance or passion-filled living. This could be why Amazon.ca crowned Victoria as Canada's most romantic city, due to the copious amounts of romance novels, sex and relationship books, romantic-comedy DVDs and Michael Bublé CDs purchased by residents on a per capita basis. All I know is the moment I got off the hour-and-a-half ferry ride from Vancouver, my mind, body and soul had somehow decided to take it down a notch and relax. Weekending at its best!

British Columbia's capital reminds me of a polished and highly educated business woman by week and cabin gal by weekend, who appreciates a good romcom in her free time. The city centre is manicured, historic, easily walkable and hip, whereas the outlying areas are beachy, casual and beg to be biked, ran and kiteboarded. People don't race, ride and board Victoria's seaside and country roads because they have to; it's because they want to. This passion-filled living is evidenced by the most Canadian national athletes per capita of any city in Canada. Even the Harbour Ferries take an activity-oriented break from their usual commute to perform a weekend water ballet {more on this below}.

As much as Victoria is fit, it's also chilled-out. Whether re-caffeinating at a coffee shop or refueling at a pub, there's always a hint of patchouli in the air. This scent, usually found in the presence of hippies, serves as a fragrant reminder of the slower-paced island lifestyle that balances the task-oriented, government-filled buildings throughout the capital region.

Victoria's je ne sais quoi can also be attributed to its location. This relatively small, walkable city is surrounded by ocean, farms and wineries, and locals have come to know today's catch, artisan cheeses and fresh produce as the rule, not the exception. I've never had just-caught halibut, just-made Havarti or just-picked haricot beans I didn't like in Victoria. The bar is high, making this weekend destination the perfect escape for romantics, exercise fanatics, foodies and everyone in between.

Trip Styler Tip: Take advantage of spring's blossoms and fall's colors and visit in early May or late September. Fewer crowds, warm weather and lower rates await visitors just outside the summer peak season.

Do

• Watch - Harbour Ferry Ballet - Intended to show the agility of the little pickle-shaped ferries, captains convene and dance in perfect formation. This unconventional ballet is in its 20th year! Every Sunday at 10:45am from May to September.
• Sip - Afternoon Tea - Taking tea and crumpets to a whole new level, The Fairmont Empress' Afternoon Tea is a celebrated tradition that started when the hotel first welcomed guests in 1908. The refined ritual offers seatings from 12 - 4:45pm daily.
• Walk - Beacon Hill Park - Stroll Beacon Hill Park's gently rolling hills and bridged streams. Don't miss a morning or evening walk along Victoria's multi-kilometre waterfront.
• Browse - Chinatown - Covering only two city blocks, Victoria's Chinatown--the second oldest in North America--is packed with tradition, art, live-work spaces and alleyways, the most famous of which is Fan Tan Alley, the narrowest street in Canada.
• Shop - Still Life - With a ladies boutique on one side of Johnson Street and a men's boutique on the other, try on the curated and casual clothes in a teepee dressing room. Sorry men, you'll have to settle for a traditional changing room.
• Pick up - Rogers' Chocolates - You can't visit Victoria without being lured into Rogers' Chocolates for at least one coveted treat. It's no wonder the chocolate is so good - they've been working at it since 1885.

Eat

• Coffee - Habit Coffee and Culture - The coffee is smooth, the decor minimalist and the staff cool.
• Baking - Willie's Bakery & Cafe - Founded in 1887, this historic eatery offers generously portioned baking and hearty take-away and eat-in plates with a casual inside and secluded sunny patio.
• Breakfast & Brunch - Lady Marmalade - With foods like aged white cheddar and spinach waffles churning out of the kitchen, one meal at this moderately-priced, central and funky bistro will make you want to come back for more.
• Lunch - Red Fish Blue Fish - Set in a converted storage container, there's something to the Ocean Wise fish and chips served on the boardwalk hugging Victoria's waterfront. With line-ups often 50+ people long, it's become both an institution and a spectacle, featured on the Food Network's Eat Street.
• Dinner - Brasserie L’Ecole - With a new menu daily focusing on wholesome food with French flare, this restaurant welcomes guests in an old Chinatown schoolhouse.
• Drinks - Bengal Lounge - Drink cocktails and eat curry on tufted leather chairs under the glare of a Indian tiger, cooled by the breeze of vintage brass and tasseled fans, while listening to the sounds of a jazz trio.

Stay

Downtown Victoria has an abundance of hotels to choose from, but the city's ivy-covered landmark property is The Fairmont Empress. Staying at the Empress makes you feel like you're participating in Victoria's bustling past and present all at the same time.

Related
30 Hours in Victoria

New Uses For Common Travel Items

[trip style = any]

Any time a typically packed item can double in the program while traveling, it's a win. Fewer packed essentials means a lighter bag and less fussing at the destination. And let's be honest, who wants to root through an overpacked bag in their room while a destination is waiting to be explored!

Here are a few new uses for common travel items. Let us know if you have any to add!

Baking Soda Make a paste with water and use as a facial exfoliator or as an extra whitener and gritty helper for teeth cleaning.

Vaseline If you scuff your leather shoes while traveling, dab a little vaseline on the area and smooth. Watch the scuff or nick disappear. See more uses for Vaseline here.

A Shoe Use to open a bottle of wine when you're sans corkscrew. Here's how {note, video is in French, but actions speak louder than words}.

Baby Powder Sprinkle in flats or loafers before and after use to freshen shoes and deodorize feet. If you're travelling with a lot of whites, baby power can be used as a stain guard in conjunction with your hotel room's iron. Add a dash of baby powder to the garment's underarm area and iron over it to create a protective barrier against staining. See more uses for baby powder here.

Film Canister I know 99% of us are digital now, but if you can get your hands on a film canister, use it as a mini nail polish remover kit by cutting up a sponge, soaking it in polish remover and placing in the canister. When you want to remove polish, just rub nails with the sponge and close back up for reuse.

Socks Wrap around shoes, especially those with heels to protect both shoes and clothes from being stabbed or pulled.

Shower Cap Use as a shoe bag so your garments don't come in contact with the dirt, germs and sand your soles pick up.

Zip Lock Bags Gets your liquids through security as well as protects your phone or camera pool or beachside.

Bubble Wrap This one is a little far fetched, but I thought it was an excellent compact packing idea when I read about it in Real Simple. Take a piece of bubble wrap the length and width of the unstructured necklaces and bracelets you're traveling with and lay the jewelry on top. Roll it tight to create a padded, on-the-go jewelry organizer. When you open it up, nothing will be tangled. If you don't have bubble wrap, use a sturdy scarf for the same effect. Bonus, place it in a Zip Lock bag for extra protection.

Oven Mitt If you're a last-minute gal who does your hair at the 55th moment, bring an oven mitt to place your still-warm straightener or curling iron into before packing up. Singed clothing crisis averted.

Related Content Double Duty Travel Beauty  Don't Travel Without Using Hotel Room Amenities like MacGyver Going Away? Packing and To Do List

[Images sourced from web]

The Savvy Traveler :: Tiffany

Tiffany's lifestyle and work are the true definition of trip style = luxury. This Southern California-raised blond-haired, brown-eyed jetsetter is on a mission to inspect and perfect stylish hotels throughout North America and the Caribbean for the international luxury hotel guide Condé Nast Johansens. Sometimes her business attire involves donning a favorite Melissa Odabash swimsuit, other times a Thakoon or Mike&Ton dress---it depends whether she's working beachside in St. Barths or around town in Boston, Miami or Vancouver.

She's also connected. Really connected; with 10,000+ Twitter followers {@LuxeTiffany}, as well as a founding member of Luxury Travel Twitter Chat {@luxchat} drawing thousands of luxury travel enthusiasts each month. For all these reasons and more, I thought Tiffany would be the perfect high-end travel ambassador for this month's The Savvy Traveler. If you don't spot her on the beach in The Turks and Caicos adorned with the season's hottest beach cover-up and 'it' nail polish color, you’ll find her in Boston where she’s involved with many animal rescue organizations and the stylish Boston social scene.

1/ What are your top 3 trip styles and why? 
[trip style = luxury + Beach + Spa] I grew up in Palos Verdes Estates, CA and was always a beach kid and a Junior Lifeguard in the summers. I have been scuba certified since 12 years old, and every summer we went diving as a family in the Cayman Islands. I love any vacation that includes relaxing on a white sand beach, snorkeling and diving, an innovative spa treatment and great local cuisine---whether it be at a beach bar or gourmet restaurant. Parrot Cay in the Turks and Caicos was the ultimate honeymoon.

2/ What items are always on your packing list? 

• Tumi Voyageur Quintessential Tote
• Dianora Salviati cashmere scarf {stylish and warm when on chilly planes!}
• Visine rewetting eye drops to combat airplane dry air
• Clarins sunscreen SPF 30
• Granola bars
• Extra zip lock bags
• Bug spray

PS - I’m not into fancy passport covers. The more worn looking, the better.

3/ Essential travel gadget or app? 
My Tumi Electric Adaptor that works in 150 countries. I travel with an iPhone, Blackberry, laptop and/or iPad and something always needs to be charged. I love staying connected with my Twitter travel friends while traveling abroad.

4/ Hotel or destination that's on your radar and why?
Mustique is one of the best kept secrets around and incredibly private (why it’s so popular with the Royal Family). It’s an island located in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and is surprisingly easy to get to with daily flights from St. Lucia and Barbados. There are some of the most breathtaking villas available to rent, each more beautiful than the next and one hotel called Cotton House. I’m going back next year for the annual Basil’s Blues Fest. I also just returned from Jade Mountain, in St. Lucia, one of the most romantic hotels in the Caribbean. Rooms are called “Sanctuaries” with private infinity pools overlooking the breathtaking Pitons. It has total “Wow Factor.”

5/ Tell us about a cool travel experience.
I was a “Potcake” courier in the Turks and Caicos. 'Potcake' is the name given to dogs in the Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos because locals fed them the caked remains at the bottom of the cooking pot. Potcake Place is a wonderful animal rescue organization that helps rescue, foster and find homes for the Islands' dogs. I couriered a puppy from Providenciales to Boston to its new owners who lived on Cape Cod. What an incredibly rewarding experience, and anyone can volunteer to do this! When I visit a Caribbean island, I always try to make a donation to the local animal rescue organization such as AARF in Anguilla. Every little bit counts.

6/ Best ways to take advantage of luxury travel without spending $1000+/night? 
Travel during the off-season. You’ll find the best rates and deals available in the Caribbean during the summer and no peak season crowds. Also, try using a luxury travel professional. They can sometimes get you perks such as resort credits and spa treatments that you wouldn’t have received if you booked directly. Happy “luxe” traveling!

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

More Savvy Travelers
Lora, The BC & OR Family Travel Expert
Bryce, The Pilot

[photo via tiffany]

A Nouveau Trip Styler!

Earlier this summer we announced a few changes at Trip Styler, some of which we introduced in June, some of which were coming. That time has come and our back-to-school shopping included a new website!

At some point this week, you may have noticed Trip Styler looked a little different. Though we're still deeply in love with our old design {to the point of wanting to frame it for sentimental purposes}, we wanted to create something that enhanced your user experience, communicated our growth and provided more space to share important news at the top of the site! In addition to the nouveau aesthetics, we've also added new features.

New Features

• TS Recommends - Behind every trip style is a travel tip and resource. Trip Styler Recommends was created to connect aspiring jetsetters with the best online tools, so trips can be booked quickly and efficiently. TS Recommends houses our fave resources organized by trip style and budget. Check back in a few weeks to see the list of recommendations grow even more. And while we're on the topic, we wanted to make sure you knew about the 50+ hotels we've reviewed here.
• Press - Profiling our guest editor spread in NET-A-PORTER's mag and interview with Toursim Vancouver, check our all Trip Styler's press in one spot.
• Pinterest - Have you heard of Pinterest? If not, it's an online pin board where you can create virtual photo boards of images you source from the web, other pin boards or snap with your smartphone/camera. We're a little obsessed, so check out our boards in progress and follow us. We pin everything from trip styles to cabin decor, so it's a mixed bag of goodies.
• Trip Styles - We've distilled our 16 different Trip Styles by category for awhile, but we wanted to make sure you knew! Have an upcoming trip? Search by trip style or destination via our main navigation bar.

Coming Up

• Fridays are back! - This summer we held back from publishing any content on Fridays since we knew you didn't want to read about travel, but actually take off early from work to travel! Starting next week Fridays are back and trip styled with an updo. The last Friday of every month will still be the ever-popular Fashion Friday, while every other Friday we'll feature a Trip Styler-worthy accommodations {hotels, resorts, camp/glamp sites or vacation rentals} so you can learn about all the fabulous places we read and write about every day! We're going to call it Roam+Board, get it?

Not Stopping Here We're always thinking of new ways to enhance Trip Styler, so expect more goodies over the next few months. Also, let us know if there's any other travel lifestyle topics you'd like us to cover and we'll do our best to incorporate them.

Finally, nothing can happen without a great team, so I'd like to thank Kate for designing the new site and Ben for programming it! I'd also be remiss not to mention Alvin, who has also done a huge amount of coding work for Trip Styler over the past year and a half!

Safe + happy travels this long weekend, Trish