From the Archives :: Seeking Seattle in Spring

[trip style = weekend getaway + urban + sightseeing]

{For this month's installment of From the Archives, I've chosen a post about exploring the Emerald City in spring. With a focus on the weekending trip style, I highlight where to stay, where to stroll, plus some out of the way local faves for brunch, dinner and drinks. I hope it inspires! PS - if Seattle's weather looks good, it's always easy to get last-minute hotel reservations, so what are you waiting for?}

Good weather; check. Great hotel; check. Weekend with no plans; check.

Although I’ve been to Seattle many times, this time was different. This time I wanted to be a tourist, yet avoid tourist traps. So, I did my own kind of sightseeing. The kind that allows you to see a city for what it really is {with hands-on experiences}, and who it really is {sharing it with locals}.

Stay Stay at The Fairmont Olympic {see my detailed review here}, the Pacific Northwest’s only AAA, 5-Diamond Hotel. Although the Seattle area has other great hotels like the swanky W, the understated Ace, or the posh Four Seasons, staying at the Olympic immerses you in Seattle’s past. Open since 1924, this iconic hotel’s old-world charm is a stark contrast to the city’s west coast architecture and laid-back vibe. I love the hotel's complimentary drop-off and pick-up service to restaurants and attractions in the area, the Parisian take-away cafe and the milk and cookies given out when you bid adieu and pick up your keys from the valet.

Do/Eat Coffee/Neighborhood Walk/Breakfast Not sure if it was the coffee culture or the crisp, spring morning, but I was raring to go at 7am. Talk about making the most of the day. First up, driving 10-mins outside the city centre, I grabbed a coffee at Verite and walked around Madrona, an adorable, yet sophisticated neighborhood. The peace of the morning, the sunrise sparkling over the water, the scent of blooming flowers and the mix of modern and Tudor-style homes made my morning picture perfect {no joke---see pics below}. After a jolt of caffeinedecaf, I walked down the road from the coffee shop and put my name in at Hi-Spot Cafe, an always-busy brunch spot. *Make sure you order something that can be paired with their amazing raspberry jam. It’s so good that once I’d eaten my jam-smothered English muffin, I hid myself from other restaurant patrons and savored the rest of the jam with a spoon.

Pier/Pike Place/Starbucks We all know Seattle is the birthplace of Starbucks, the little coffee shop turned worldwide, caffeinated sensation. But, did you know that the first-ever Starbucks is located near Pike Place Market? But first, the pier. Walking along the pier is not only a quintessential Seattle experience, but in doing so, you’ll also pass shops, restaurants, the Seattle Aquarium and the SAM Olympic Statue Park. Once you’ve had your fill of wind-in-your-hair, ocean-front walking, head up the hill to Pike Place Market. The eclectic and thriving mix of vendors may wow you as much as the famed fish tossing. Once you’ve watched the fish throwers launch the local catch at each other like Seahawks quarterbacks, head to the original Starbucks [1912 Pike Pl, Seattle, WA 98101] to grab a java or drive 5 mins to the newest Starbucks concept for some wine & cheese.

Lunching and Shopping One great way to see the downtown core is to lunch 'n' shop. There are multiple restaurants in the shopping district, so stop into any of them to fuel-up with food so you can let-go with cash. To get your shopping fill, visit the flagship Nordstrom or gaze at the Chihuli [instigator of Pacific Northwest glass movement] installation in Barneys.

Evening Dinner and Drinks Don’t miss Black Bottle, a corner eatery and watering hole whose industrial design and downtown vibe makes the flatbread taste better than it already is. Cap off the evening with a bevvie at Zig Zag Cafe. When I told the Fairmont driver where I was going, he said “Zig Zag has the best bartender in the city.” Perfect! This out-of-the-way resto-lounge has grown by word of mouth and loyal clientele. At 8:30pm it’s dead, by 11pm it’s so busy I can’t hear myself speak. A special thanks goes out to my server for her drink suggestion. The French 76 is now in my cocktail hall of fame book—which I should really start.

Related Grande Beer with a Shot of Chardonnay YVR to SEA Must-Stops

Going Up Down Under

[trip style = luxe, beach, sun, urban, sightseeing, glamping, cruise]

Australia is... - a country I've never tasted or experienced - a place I'm going April 19 - a destination I know I'll love and am already conspiring to return - the trip I've been dying to take for years - #2 on my bucket list

As I prepare to fly 15.5 hours from Vancouver to the land of Oz, I've been a busy bee trip styling like a mad woman in preparation for my trip. The irony is, I'll be going up while Down Under---or making my way North in a land that sits down and under the equator.

Having put so much work into planning this trip, I wanted to share some tips and opportunities you may want to explore when you decide to throw a few shrimps on the barbie in Australia.

Getting There From Vancouver, Air Canada is the only airline to fly direct, with Air New Zealand code-sharing the same flight. One- or multi-segment flights, usually connecting through San Francisco or LA, cost about $300 less. I checked prices out of Seattle to see if there was a significant savings, but there wasn't, so YVR is your best bet. Flights from Vancouver to Sydney cost $700 - $2500, with a realistic range between $1000 - $1600.

Choosing What To Do When you only have a short time on the ground---in my case 2 weeks, which I think is pretty typical for a cross-ocean visitor---it's best to choose your trip style first, and where you want to go, second. Australia looks small on a map, but to put it in perspective, a flight from Sydney to Cairns is like flying from Vancouver to Regina, or Vancouver to San Diego. With this in mind, trying to do too much on the ground can feel un-vacation-like, so we've opted to immerse ourselves in part of the East Coast: Sydney - Whitsundays - Great Barrier Reef - Hamilton Island - Sydney. Though I feel like I'm not even scratching the surface, I look forward to returning many times over to do the rest of Oz.

My Itinerary {& Tips} We've decided to divide our trip into 3 major parts.

Sydney {trip style = urban + sightseeing + luxe} STAY We decided on the Sofitel Sydney but I would not recommend it based on my experience. Here are some other hotels for your consideration: - The Establishment {luxe boutique} - The Taj Blue Hotel {waterfront} - Shangri-la {harbour views + free wifi, I also stayed here, highly recommended} - Park Hyatt Sydney {undertaking biggest reno in its history, re-opening November 2011} - The Westin Sydney - The Blues Point Hotel {budget hotel option just outside the city, with a bar featured in design blogs serving $3 champaign on Friday nights} *Note that most upscale 4- and 5-stars in Sydney range from $175-500/night.

HOW TO BOOK The best resources we found for booking Sydney hotels are: - booking.com - lastminute.com.au - hotels direct

Island Time in the Great Barrier Reef {trip style = luxe + glamping} STAY We decided to stay at: - Heron Island {family-friendly, all-inclusive located on one of the world's best dive sites} - Wilson Island {close to Heron, a tiny "shipwrecked in style" island with only 6 tents} - qualia {ultra-luxe retreat on Hamilton island} Other luxe options: Lizard Island, Hayman Island*, Bedarra* & full list of GBR islands + prices ranges here... *Resorts re-opening in summer due to damange from cyclone yasi **Note, staying on islands in the Whitsundays or near the Great Barrier Reef can be expensive. Budget $150-$2000/night. For budget conscious options, companies like Virgin Blue offer great flight and stay packages near Airlie Beach from $600 for three nights.

HOW TO BOOK - Resorts direct

Cruising the Whitsundays [trip style = cruise] BOAT There are hundreds of ships sailing in the blue-sequened waters surrounding the Whitsunday Islands. Most leave from Airlie Beach and last 1- to 5-nights. Some boats are 30-person tall ships and others are small catamarans. We were looking for a boat catering to an active crowd, with a small number of guest rooms and a deck where we could relax. We found On Ice, a 46ft catamaran with room for 8 guests and 2 crew.

HOW TO BOOK Booking a Whitsunday cruise is really confusing, but here's a good place to start.

[photo by dbearth]

Travel Trends :: Get a Room

[trip style = urban + beach + sun]

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Unless you're booking the penthouse, you never know what type of hotel room you'll get until you check-in, go to your room and open the door. Until now. The newest evolution in our obsession with the fine-tuned details of travel is a website {so new, it's still in beta} that can suggest a hotel room based on your preferences and distinguish between the view of a concrete wall or a sunset-drenched cityscape.

The Seat Guru of Hotel Room Search A little while ago I wrote about Seat Guru in Go-To Travel Sites of 2010, indicating it was a fantastic resource to research the best seats on a plane---down to the most granular detail like if the tray table is in the armrest. Someone took a cue from the popularity of this site {owned by Trip Advisor} and decided to create a similar model for hotel rooms. Smart.

Not All Rooms Created Equal Room 77 is working on the premise that not all hotels rooms are created equally, and I'd agree having stayed in some ugly, mediocre and awe-inspiring rooms. Launching with 425,000 rooms in 16 major cities including London, Honolulu, Maui, Miami, Seattle, New York, Las Vegas and San Francisco, Room 77 is setting out to create the world's first database of hotel rooms. Who wants to pay the same price for a room beside the elevator versus a quiet, corner space at the end of the hall? Not me.

Testing 1-2-3 Once you choose your hotel and desired room category, you can search by parametres like floor height, view, proximity to the elevator and connecting rooms. Doing a search in Seattle at a hotel I've stayed at a few times {The Fairmont Olympic}, I'm pleasantly surprised by the level of detail the website renders: room recommendations tailored to my search criteria, a map of the hotel, a picture of the view I could get, and some general tips for room numbers that could offer partial ocean views. Done and done.

Athough still in its infancy, this is a site I'll be adding to my Trip Styling arsenal, because even in beta mode, it's already a stellar resource.

{Travel Trends are published three times a month on Thursdays. Find them all here.}

[photos by Room77]

Rainy Day Vacay Ideas

[trip style = sun + beach + urban]

You're playing with your kiddies by the pool in Kauai...and it rains. You're weekending in Cali...and it rains. You're sightseeing in Paris...and it rains.

What do you do when it rains for a day or the whole week while on vacation?

A few days of rain are manageable. A tropical vacation marred by daily torrential downpours is disappointing when you hoped for sun and sand. Six years ago my husband and I booked a last-minute, all-inclusive getaway in the Dominican Republic during hurricane season. We were worried about the forecasted tormentas {translation: fairly significant rain storm}, however, we knew this was a risk given the season. When we got there, the weather reports continued to talk tormentas, but in reality that week it meant: sun until 3pm, storm from 3-5pm, early evening sunsets and clear, balmy nights. Not too shabby. I wasn't so luck in Paris, it rained chats and chiens nearly the entire time---good excuse to go back?

Vacation Rainy Day Ideas As I write this list, I'm sitting in my casita looking out at the pooling rain on my balcony {pictured above} at the Fairmont Mayakoba {my review here} hoping the rain will stop. It got worse.

• Read a book
• Flip through your magazines
• Surf the web
• Catch up on emails
• Write your friends and family with a vacation update
• Embrace the rain and just go for it outside: in the pool, in the ocean {lightning and wind permitting} or pounding the pavement
• Go see a movie, watch TV, or view something on your laptop or tablet {Hulu.com is a lifesaver if you are in the US!}
• Go shopping
• Book an impromptu service at the spa
• When in doubt, eat
• If you're in a Vacation Rental with a kitchen, go out and get ingredients for a fabulous gourmet meal and then spend all day making it
• Play a game
• Go to the gym
• Take a nap
• Go wine tasting, or create your own wine tasting experience at a restaurant if you aren't near a wine region
• Take an opportunity to leave a comment card complimenting a staff member who has made your stay memorable
• Catch up on your Trip Styler reading {just had to sneak that in}
• Use Skype or Google Talk's 'call phone' to catch up with someone

How to Avoid Being Snaked by Rain

• Check the weather forecast before you go to mentally prepare yourself
• Create a list before you go of things you could do *if* it rains
• Book a last-min vacation so you can check the weather outlook before you leave
• Maintain a good attitude {I know, this one is cheesy, but turning a negative into a positive is good for the soul}

Related Content Just Go With It In Scottsdale

[Photo by @tripstyler, taken on a very rainy day at the Fairmont Mayakoba]

Spotlight :: Portland {part deux}

Portland has a way of making return visitors. The foodie town I visited only two months ago beckoned me back {by way of a duvet cover, but that's a whole other story} to sip more coffee, savour more food and save the tax on a few petite purchases.

Only 6 hours from Vancouver, BC, weekending in Portland is a treat. Some choose to get there by racing down road warrior-style ignoring any of nature's calls, whereas, I suggest making the journey down part of the trip by stopping along the way in Bellingham and Seattle to break up the drive.

Video

The above 21-second video is a combo of pictures from Portland part one and part deux. To slow down the speed, drag your curser over the status bar. Trouble viewing the video?

PDX Highlights {most pictured above}

• Breakfast at Mother's Bistro & Doug Fir{vintage-woodsy restaurant by day, serious music venue by night}
• Drinking coffee at Stumptown & Coava{try one of their amazing 3-minute slow-pour coffees from their specially developed kone coffee filters}
• Happy hour at Clyde Common{2 words: fried chickpeas}
• Dinner at Irving St Kitchen{don't miss their butterscotch pudding with caramel sauce and creme fraiche}
• Shopping at Anthroplogie, Canoe & West Elm

Needless to say, I'll hopefully return for round three sometime soon. Whether in spring, summer, winter or fall, don't miss Portland's unique neighborhoods, bike accessibility, charcuterie platters, bourbon-esque drinks or indie music scene.

Related
Spotlight Portland {part one}
Ace Portland
Vancouver to Seattle Must-Stops

[photos snapped by @tripstyler, @heatherlovesit & @nachoking]