¡Hola Barcelona!

[trip style = urban + beach & sun]

Mention Barcelona to Europeans and the response will be Ahh... Barcelona! I love Barcelona! The beach, the food, the city... Mention Barcelona to North Americans and the response will be Watch out for pickpockets! I traveled to the largest city on the Mediterranean Sea with high hopes and street smarts, ready to conquer the city on my own before meeting up with friends. Follow along for my Do / Eat / Stay recommendations.

DO // Walk along the waterfront and out to the beach in La Barceloneta.

DO // Neighborhoods so charming that I didn't mind getting lost in them: El Born, Barri Gòtic and El Raval. Explore the Ciutat Vella {old city} by foot and always remember to look up.

El Born

DO // Visit Gaudí's Park Güell to experience art nouveau architect Antoni Gaudí's curvy mosaic masterpiece/public park.

Casa Trias, Park Güell

DO // Don't miss the architectural centerpiece of the city, Gaudí's La Sagrada Familia, and if you plan on going inside, buy tickets ahead. The detail will blow your mind! No wonder it's still a work in progress.

Six-story human tower {castell}, Catalan festival

DO // All Gaudí all the time? Marvel at the mind of Spain's most famous architect inside Casa Batlló and Casa Milà.

DO // Trek up to the highest point in the city for incredible views and amusement park rides at Mount Tibidabo. Best reached by bus or metro and 1901-built funicular. Bonus points for re-enacting scenes from Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

Sagrat Cor church, Tibidabo

EAT // Bar Lobo is a fun indoor/outdoor restaurant with memorable fried eggplant and tuna tataki near the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art {MACBA} in El Raval.

EAT // "Come for one and stay till two" as the expression goes at one of the city's cheap, cheerful and tiny cava bars — El Xampanyet in El Born or Can Paixano {La Xampanyeria} in La Barceloneta.

EAT // Luzia is the perfect hideaway off Las Ramblas for delicious cava sangria and tomato salad.

EAT // Café Cometa is a colorful rest stop for a coffee or a juice in Sant Antoni.

STAY // I stayed at the budget-friendly and stylish Praktik Garden in the Eixample neighborhood. It's close to the metro, shopping street Passeig de Gracia and Gaudí's Casa Batlló and Casa Milà.

Things to know

• Many residents speak only Catalan and Spanish
• Aerobús is the easiest way to travel between the airport and the city centre
• The best times to visit are Spring and Fall
• The city is very walkable with a good transit system
• Be vigilant with your wallet/handbag in busy tourist areas
• Many shops are closed on Sundays
• Dinner is traditionally eaten after 9pm
• If you have time, leave the city limits to visit Monserrat or Sitges or Figueres and Cadaqués
   

This post is written by Trip Styler's Assistant Wayfarer/Editor Heather.

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[images by @heatherlovesit, 12hrs.net, airbnb.com, parcguell.cat, sagradafamilia.cat, lapedrera.com, anekdotique.com]

Baby Styler's First Trip

[trip style = urban + sun + food + wine]

Early in December 2014, once Baby Styler was 7 weeks old, he felt ready for a vacation. So did his parents. He pined for palm trees. So did his parents. He wanted to trade his sleeper for speedos. Well, you get the picture.

We chose a trip style = urban + sun trek to LA and Palm Springs as our first foray into traveling with a tyke, a} because it's in the same time zone as home, and b}, the flight is only two hours, so if things went South, we wouldn't be stuck in a capsule at 35,000ft for too long. 

All in all, our California-cation was a wild success involving pool time, dinners out, and rooftop lounges; that is, unless you count the time Baby Styler spat up all over my ladyparts {I was wearing light grey jeans} right before we stepped into one of our favorite restaurants. Because it looked like I'd peed myself, I got miffed in the moment {read: Felt sorry for myself and teared up a tad given the whole morning was a bit of a gong show}. But, in a fight or flight response, I pulled myself together AND my shirt over my jeans, and ducked into the bathroom to clean the whole thing up. Six minutes later I was sipping a coffee, sans tears, at my table.

An hour later, I sought retail therapy at the gorgeous Clare V. tote shop in Silver Lake {pictured in my recent LA, Seriously post}. Now every time I look at my newly purchased purse, I'm reminded to take everything in stride and make the best of every situation {no matter how embarrassing it might be}... When in doubt, buy a tote.

Read about the highs, lows and hilarity of new parents, aka: the Trip Styler crew, traveling with a tot, in my article for the Expedia Viewfinder Travel Blog. For more backstory, here are all the places we took Baby Styler in LA. And, since I'm obsessed with travel photos {and Baby Styler}, I give you:  

Waiting for the airport-bound train. We decided to bring carry-ons, which ended up being a GREAT decision. 

On the plane. Once we'd reached our cruising altitude and he hadn't made a peep, my stopped beating at the decibel of a pounding drum in a marching band. 

Walking to breakfast from our hotel in Downtown LA.

At Grand Central Market in Downtown LA. 

Lunching at Bottega Louis in Downtown LA.

Pit stop for a diaper change in a McDonald's parking lot enroute to Palm Springs from LA.

Sunglasses for the entire Trip Styler crew.

Sunglasses and diapers {all Baby Styler needed in Palm Desert}. 

Heading back to our hotel after a tipple at one of our all-time chart-topping stays, the Parker Palm Springs.

Crib life at the Ace Hotel & Swim Club in Palm Springs.

We booked a room with an attached, enclosed patio, which allowed us to sip bevvies by our outdoor fire once Baby Styler went to bed. 

Le Mr. and le Baby Styler.

We had to. The Aaron Delacruz-designed wall was too cool.

We color coordinated.

I think everyone who stays at the Ace takes some variation of this photo...

Trip-Styler-in-training.

Hot tubbing with le bébé in tow.

So, we went a little nuts with fam photos...

Bye bye Palm Springs. Until next time.

[photos by @tripstyler]

LA, Seriously

[trip style = urban + food+wine]

I take Los Angeles very seriously—possibly even more seriously than it takes itself.

When I descend upon the City of Angels, very little is left up to chance. While I'm all for discovery and strolling through a destination like a bon vivant unhindered by time or money, LA demands a plan. There's too much to see. Too much to do. Too much to take in. {Mostly because the sprawling city surrounded by hills, dusted in glitter and sprayed by the Pacific Ocean offers every trip style in one stay.} 

And so, instead of becoming overwhelmed by its never-ending neighborhoods and revolving door of what's new, I choose to embrace its spirit of re-invention, keeping a growing list on my iPhone of all the hotels, restaurants and shops I want to make part of my {ongoing} LA Story.

Because seriously, I don't want to leave a visit up to chance. Here are the standouts from my December 2014 LA-tinerary:

Eat

Superba Food + Bread: Because is there anything better than bread on a board {and a treat spread so tempting you have to order one of everything}?

LAMILL COFFEE: A reccurring stop on my long-time LA hit list. Think coffee so good you want to stick around for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The Hart and the Hunter: Simple, everyday food "updid" with a Southern twang. 

L.A. Chapter: A breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks brasserie bringing a dose of Brooklyn to the Ace Hotel Downtown LA. 

Moon Juice: With juice so good {for you}, you'll make Jim Carrey faces as you sip.

eggslut: Once a food truck {I visited three years ago}, it's now a brick and mortar serving breakfast-fabulous food all day long. Visit early or in off-hours to avoid the line.

Breakfast at eggslut

DTLA Cheese at Grand Central Market: A 1917-built ode to food in the heart of downtown LA featuring a smorgasbord of hip chow from eggslut to bakeries and taco shops to pizzerias.  

Bottega Louie: It's rare for me to visit LA without making a stop at Bottega because of their macarons, impeccable marble-clad environs and Italy-meets-West-Coast cuisine.

TERRONI Downtown LA: Born in Italy, based in Toronto and bre{a}d in LA. 

Commissary: Where a veggie garden had a baby with old-school comfort food at The Line Hotel.

A portion of my dinner at Commissary

*You may notice many of the restaurants above appear empty... That's because I went midweek during off-hours to avoid waiting because I was traveling with Baby Styler. 

Stay

Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles: My stay for part one of my LA-tinerary. With cool restaurants, a rooftop pool and bar, included WiFi and rooms with their own guitars, how could I refuse? 

Ace lobby

Ace room

Ace room

The Line Hotel: Koreatown's hippest hotel

The Line

The Line room

Shop

There is soooo much shopping I could have done in LA, but my time was tight so I focused on my first love: Purses from Clare V. I've worn one of her bags for the past five years and since it held its shape and looks near-new after a half-decade, I decided to add to my collection.   

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The Savvy Traveler :: Leighann

[photos by @tripstyler]

Slideshow :: Best of 2014

[trip style = all] 

I know, I know; today we *should* be focusing on post-travel detox juices or healthy getaways to jump-start TS 2015, but in the name of zigging where others zag, and *hopefully* inspiring your 2015 travel plans, we're taking a step back before we move ahead.

Reminiscing about 2014 over the Christmas holidays, I was struck by how I'm keen to re-visit a bevy of the hotels and destinations that colored my year-in-travel. Waking up in Mexico on January 1st, and clocking my last set of air miles when visiting California in early December, 2014 saw me take about 40 trips.

Some were big, some were weekenders. Some were luxe, some were rustic. Some were zen, some were busy {with the addition of Baby Styler to the TS crew}. True to the Trip Styler mission, we covered every category of trip styling: active+adventure, beach+sun, food+wine, weekender, glamping, urban, luxe, steals, spa. 

Here's the best of the best. Stay + play details in each photo. 

Mexico. First trip of 2014 to Huatulco. 

Huatulco.

Huatulco. See my story on the destination's best beaches.

Huatulco. Picking up textiles for the Trip Styler Store.

Huatulco. I swear, guac tastes so much better when consumed in Mexico while sitting at a poquito table on the sand. Location: MediterraneO.

Hulatulco. The coolest restaurant of all on Maguey beach. 

Huatulco. Sundowner drinks at Maguey beach. 

Lake Tahoe. Finding a snowy hiking trail off the side of a road---sans guidebook or insider tips---leading to the area's namesake lake. 

Lake Tahoe. One of my top trip style = steal stays of 2014: Basecamp Hotel in South Lake Tahoe. 

Vancouver. Playing tour guide in my own city, and sharing my top bites, bevs and boutiques in a video. 

Vancouver. Eating a fresh catch of sushi at the Fairmont Pacific Rim's RawBar. 

Vancouver. Filling my stomach with haute fare at La Pentola della Quercia for Dine-Out Vancouver, a once-yearly restaurant festival. Note: La Pentola's Dine-Out menu is one of my festival hot picks.

Palm Springs. Spending my birthday in one of my destination muses. Pictured here, the must-stay Korakia Pensione. 

Palm Springs. The outdoor movie theatre at Korakia Pensione showing yesteryear flicks nightly. 

Palm Springs. One of two pools at Korakia Pensione.

Palm Springs. Playing petanque with Mr. Trip Styler at Korakia Pensione. 

Flying aboard Cathay Pacific---without question, one of my top three airlines worldwide.

The made-to-order noodle bar at Cathay Pacific's flagship {and trip-styled-to-the-max} lounge: The Wing in Hong Kong International Airport.  

Hong Kong. Luxuriating at the Four Seasons Hong Kong.

Hong Kong. Hitting as many restaurants, food stalls and sights as I can see in 48 hours. 

Thailand. Learning the art of Thai hospitality and Northern Thai cooking at the Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai.

Thailand. One of the best desserts I've ever tasted: Sweet coconut soup with taro pearls at the Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai.  

Thailand. Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai. 

Thailand. Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai. The rice paddy parade, an end-of-day procession happening every night at 4.50pm to commemorate the end of the work day on the resort's working rice field. 
 

Thailand.  Breakfast in the Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai's {ritzy} rice barn.

Thailand. The Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai's main pool.

Thailand. Elephant-trekking and glamping where Thailand meets Laos and Myanmar at the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle. 

Thailand. Welcome beverages served in hard-carved cups at the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle.

Thailand. One of the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle's 15 luxury tents {this was my abode}.

Thailand. Trekking at the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle.

Thailand. Learning how to ride an elephant at the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle.

Thailand. My elephant and his mahout {elephant handler} at the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle.

Thailand. On my last night at the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle we lit lanterns and sent them into the sky. The perfect ending for a standout stay. 

Visiting Walt Disney World with my mom to eat my way around the world at Epcot. 

Walt Disney World. Where cream and crunch have a baby and birth this chocolate ice macaron. Find it in the France Pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase. 

Kuala Lumpur. Visiting Mlaysia's capital city and finding a gorgeous villa-hotel, Villa Samadhi, tucked into a treed district just outside the city.

Kuala Lumpur. Petronas Towers. Bonus points if you remember them featured in the movie Entrapment! 

Bali. Seminyak beach. 

Bali. Scoping out the best beach hotels in Bali. Pictured here, one of my beachside stays, the Anantara Hotel Seminyak. 

Bali. Seminyak beach.

Bali. Seminyak beach.

West Bali. 

West Bali. The Menjangan {read about it here}.

Bali. 

Bali. Near Jimbaran Bay. 

Bali. Sundara restaurant {and beach club} at the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay. 

Bali. The Michelin-level fare at Sundara in the Four Season Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay. 

Bali. Sundara.

Bali. RIMBA Jimbaran Bali hotel.

Bali. RIMBA.

Bali. RIMBA.

Bali. RIMBA.

Bali. Watching the sun set from the cliff-carved infinity pool at AYANA Resort. 

Tokyo.

Tokyo.

Tokyo. Maison Ladurée. 

Tokyo. Sitting at the eight-seat sushi bar manned by Chef Yasuda, one of the world's most famous sushi chefs.

Tokyo. Sushi Bar Yasuda. 

Tokyo. Where art and food fuse at Sushi Bar Yasuda.

Tokyo. 

Tokyo. Omotesando Koffee, found on a Tokyo coffee crawl.

Tokyo. The baked custard {my new go-to dessert} at Omotesando Koffee. 

Tokyo. The Trip Stylers joining in Japan's obsession with craft coffee.

Tokyo. So glad I was able snap this apropos scene. 

Canada's Sunshine Coast. Painted Boat Resort.

Canada's Sunshine Coast. The best breakfast baskets known to man at Painted Boat Resort. 

Canada's Sunshine Coast. Mushrooms, which I picked in the forest on a foraging mission with Chef Michael Riley from THE Restaurant at Painted Boat Resort. 

Canada's Sunshine Coast. Dog Styler at Painted Boat Resort.

Seattle. Road trip from Vancouver to San Francisco to finish getting footage for my Expedia video about what fuelled my wanderlust! 

San Francisco. Scoring a hard-to-get seat at State Bird Provisions. 

San Francisco. One of the most bold and beautiful coffee shops in town: Sightglass Coffee. 

Mexico: Investigating the luxe side of the Riviera Maya at the Banyan Tree Mayakoba.

Mexico. Bayan Tree Mayakoba. 

Mexico. Banyan Tree Mayakoba. 

Mexico. A spicy hot chocolate and stylish churro to start the day. Is there any other way? {Banyan Tree Mayakoba}

Mexico. Every suite comes with a personal plunge pool at the Banyan Tree Mayakoba.

Mexico. The I-could-live-here bathrooms at the all-villa Banyan Tree Mayakoba. 

Mexico. Tulum!

Mexico. Glamping at Papaya Playa Project in Tulum. 

Mexico. The simple and perfect bedspreads, designed by the hotel owner at Papaya Playa Project. 

Mexico. Walking to the beach at Papaya Playa Project. 

Mexico. Beach vibes at Papaya Playa Project. 

Mexico. Where I ate breakfast every morning at Papaya Playa Project {and yes, the meal did include papaya}.

Mexico. Beach club at Papaya Playa Project. 

Mexico. Picking my signature scent at Coqui-Coqui perfume house in Tulum. 

Mexico. Walking into Gitano, an open-air restaurant so eye-catching, I wish was my backyard. 

Oregon. Chasing the last bit of summer in Cannon Beach. 

Oregon. EVOO Cooking School. 

Oregon. Mr. Trip Styler and Dog Styler on Cannon Beach. 

Oregon. Attending the uber-informative and wildly fun cooking show at EVOO Cannon Beach Cooking School.

Oregon. Walking along the dunes at Pacific City beach.

Oregon. Dining in Portland {always a treat}. Pictured here: Maurice, one of the Top 10 New Restaurants in America {2014 edition} by Bon Appetit Magazine.

Whistler. Last trip before Baby Styler, aka "babymooning" at the Four Seasons Resort Whistler.

Whislter. Cornucopia. Whistler's {WAY fun} celebration of food + bev. 

Whistler. More Cornucopia festivities at Araxi Restaurant. 

Baby Styler arrives and seven weeks later we take our first big trip to California.

California. Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles, our base for LA exploring. 

California. This beaut:  SUPERBA restaurant in LA. 

California. Ace Hotel & Swim Club Palm Springs. 

California. Our desert digs: Ace Hotel & Swim Club Palm Springs. 

California. Baby Styler, stylin' in the sun. 

California. Ace Hotel & Swim Club Palm Springs. 

California. Ace Hotel & Swim Club Palm Springs. 

PS - I case you missed it, Trip Styler Sis went all Scandi on me, and wrote travel guides to Denmark, Finland and Sweden. 

[photos by @tripstyler]

10 Days > 2 Cities > 1 Carry-On

[trip style = urban + sun]

Last week I jetset to LA, Palm Desert and Palm Springs with Mr. and Baby Styler to escape the West Coast rain and give Baby Styler his first taste of travel {see sitting poolside in a mini speedo}! 

{It was Baby Styler's first flight! We purposely chose a short ride as his first flying experience so we could test his reaction to the skies. I was very nervous how he'd react to take-off and landing; thankfully he was a dreamy traveler.}

Not wanting to give up my obsession with traveling light now that there's there's a baby in tow, all three of us brought carry-ons for our 10-day, multi-city, multi-trip-style trip. While there we experienced every weather pattern {save for snow} from torrential downpours in LA to hot days in the desert to cold spells at night. My small-batch packing got me through all of it, and not once did I feel like I needed to run to the store to pick up something I'd missed.

One jacket, two scarves and a blazer kept me warm during cool Cali nights. I wore my warmer tops, jeans and booties in downtown LA. And in Palm Springs I packed jean cut-offs, tanks, flowy pants and pool cover-ups that double as tops. All in all, I felt I had almost too many options!

Moral of the story: Packing light is easily doable for 10 days, multiple climates and various trip styles. If you bring an edited wardrobe and wear the big stuff on the plane, you'll zip through the airport, unpack and pack up faster and spend less time figuring out what to wear. 

What I packed
- 1 jacket {wear on the plane}
- 1 kimono-blazer* 
- 1 long and lightweight kimono {wear with jeans, shorts and to the pool}
- 1 sweater {wear on the plane}
- 4 tank tops {1 cropped, 1 jersey, 2 fancy}
- 4 tops {2 flowy blouses, 1 chambray, 1 Tulum Embroidered Top*}
- 2 necklaces* 
- 2 scarves*
- 1 dress
- 3 pairs of pants {2 jeans, 1 flowy}
- 2 bathing suits
- 2 pairs of shoes {sandals, booties (+ one pair of washable slippers)}
- 1 purse
- 1 clutch
- 1 pool bag
*items that can be purchased in the Trip Styler Store. Reminder, 20% off everything thru December 24th, use Promo code: TSholiday2014. 

Trip Styler Packing Tips
- wear big stuff on the plane {I wore my jacket, scarf, sweater, chambray, jeans, booties} 
- bring clothes in a complimentary color palette that can be paired together
- big scarves are a great alternative to bulky sweaters 
- limit your shoes, and wear the biggest pair on the plane
- bring a fold-flat tote as a pool bag, or to stuff things into when you're moving hotels or need an extra bag 

{photos by @tripstyler}