The Savvy Traveler :: Carolyn

[trip style = urban]

Carolyn's wayfaring gives frequent fliers a run for their mileage. As a high-flying small biz coach and wife of a pro tennis player, she travels for a trio of reasons: first, to hang with her husband as his 'doubles partner'; second, to see clients and facilitate retreats; and third, for the thrill. A lover of traveling like a local and spontaneous iPad-driven dance parties, I'm itching to officially introduce this month's Savvy Traveler!

1/ Pick your top trip style
[trip style = urban] Wandering in the shadows of skyscrapers is my travel norm because my husband and I are constantly working remotely from major urban centers dotting the world map.

2/ Favorite hotel{s}
For me, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts win a grand slam for luxe lodging around the world. The Four Seasons in Costa Rica's Papagayo Peninsula is my muse offering hiking, beach, whales, snorkeling {all in one day!}. On the opposite side of the court, to experience a place in its prime, I prefer staying in rental apartments so I can live like a local---shopping at markets, eating at the neighborhood bistros and savoring a new hood!

3/ I can't travel without...
- My husband, he's the SAVVIEST traveler I know and the go-to guy for other tennis professionals on the tours---he knows more than most travel agents.
- Unlocked cell phone, so I can swap local sim cards in and out depending on my coordinates du jour.
- iPad; I use it to catch up on the news at home, create photo albums of our trips, and access my music to create spontaneous dance parties wherever we go.
- Sunglasses, they create insta-shade, hide tired eyes and act as a virtual Do Not Disturb sign if I need to nod off inflight.
- A pashmina is a MUST. I use it as a blanket, pillow and head cover to block out the light when annoying people leave the blinds open on overnight flights!

4/ Carry-on or checked bag
Carry-on for my business travel and checked bag when roaming with my husband. I act as his gear “mule” and often bring an empty bag just to carry his extra stuff like clothes, shoes and racquets.

5/ Aisle or window
Aisle. Always. I need the freedom to get up and move around without asking permission.

6/ Favorite quote
“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” -Anatole France

More Savvy Travelers
Jesse, I'm With The Band
Jackie, Paris Is Always A Good Idea
Lori, A License To Move

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

[photo via Carolyn]

Enter to Win :: A West Coast Weekend Away

[trip style = spa + active & adventure + luxury + beach + weekend getaway]

{Editor's Note: Tourism Ucluelet recently contacted me with a trip that was too good not to share. In partnership with Trip Styler, they are offering a trip style = weekend getaway including a three-night stay, a spa gift certificate and surf lessons! See below for details.}

Update June 24, 2013, 6.35pm: Congrats Bridget Clifford. According to Random.org, you have been chosen to win this sand, surf and spa package in Uclelet, BC. You have been contacted via email and have two days to claim your prize.

One of my VERY accomplished travel writing friends recently told me Vancouver Island's west coast is his favorite place on earth. In the spirit of sharing my GORGEOUS backyard with you, I implore you to check out this sand, spa and surf giveaway to that very locale, Ucluelet.

The Goods {a $1000 value}

• Three-night stay at Black Rock Oceanfront Resort in a Studio Suite. Black Rock Resort is perched at the edge of the Pacific Ocean in a centuries-old rainforest. Suites offer a magical perspective of Vancouver Island’s wild west coast.
• $100 gift certificate to Nurture Day Spa, an Aveda Spa merging plant-based skin and body care products with the art of high-touch experience customized to your specific skin and body care needs.
• Surf lesson and complimentary rentals for two at Relic Surf Shop and School, offering a wilderness surfing experience in Pacific Rim National Park.

How to Enter Comment on this post and tell us your favorite way to spend a three-day weekend, via the "leave a comment" link below. *You MUST comment on this post for a chance to win. Along with the below bonus entries, you have up to three chances to win.

Bonus entry 1. Go to Trip Styler's Instagram, find this contest's post, and regram it per the instructions. Bonus entry 2. Tweet this: Enter to win a 3-day surf n spa weekend via @Travel_Ucluelet + @tripstyler -> Enter: http://tiny.cc/TSUcl #TSUcluelet #UclueletXCanada

Details Open to residents of Canada and the USA 21 years or older. Entries will be accepted June 10 - 24 {until 5pm}, 2013. Winner will be chosen via random.org and announced at the top of THIS POST on June 24, 2013. After prizing notification is sent via email, the winner has two days to make contact, or the prize will be given to another entrant.

PS - To get to Ucluelet, fly to the Tofino airport from Vancouver, or go by boat from the Horseshoe Bay BC Ferries terminal—a half hour outside of downtown Vancouver—and drive onto the 1.5-hour car ferry bound for Departure Bay, Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. Once in Nanaimo, follow the signs for Tofino/Ucluelet, a 2.5-hour drive away.

[photos by tourism ucluelet]

Healthy On The Road :: Cruise Control

[trip style = any]

When she’s not training clients or being trained by her dog Zuzu, Leah writes Healthy On The Road, published bi-monthly.

Last month, my traveling troupe hit the open road for a week-long road trip in our Volkswagen Westfalia. {Road tripping is easily one of my top three trip styles.} My husband and I have never really been lured by the golden arches, unfortunately our 4-year-old son can spot them from a mile away. My number one defense against fast food temptation while chillaxing enroute is having healthy snacks, lots of water and a few treats on me AT ALL TIMES. If I don't plan ahead for controlled cuisin'---get it?---then me, Wendy and Ronald become BFFs. To keep our bodies in fit form, EVEN on the open road, here are our must-have snacks for the highways and byways:

H2Eau Hydrated road trippers are happy road trippers. I s-w-e-a-r by this. Hot, cold, lukewarm; just drink it and drink lots of it, because we often mistake thirst for hunger. I always have a smaller water bottle on hand for each of us, and keep one or two bigger bottles filled for top-ups. On the topic of copious water consumption and stopping frequently for potty breaks, wouldn't you rather stay healthy, than be parched and famished atj every mile?

Herbal Tea I find drinking tea a really helpful way for me to ward off absent minded munchies. Before we set off, I make a big thermos of tea, or just hot water and lemon. It stays hot forever and I just sip away. Mint or ginger tea will even help with the occasional bouts of travel sickness I experience.

Savory Nibblies This trip we were really into snacking on baked lentil chips, low-salt tortilla chips, pretzels and Pirate's Booty {an all-natural, gluten-free snack with half the fat and fewer calories than the cheezies I typically obsess over while on the road}.

On-The-Go Meals Turkey pepperoni sticks, veggies {bags of snow peas or mini carrots}, cheese {Babybel---OBVIOUSLY} and crackers are my top trippin' foods. I'm also ga-ga over Ryvita crackers because you can easily top them with the above, and they are substantial enough to be called lunch or dinner.

Nuts Unsalted, protein-boosting cashews are where it's at. Pair them with an apple or a banana, and you're set!

Fruit Gummies and Jelly Beans Finally, a little cheating is ok once a day. To stop my fam from the temptation of gas station treats, I bring SMALL amounts of candy to satisfy our cruisin' cravings.

More Healthy On The Road Jari Love's Beach Body Tips Toned In Transit Every Day Is A New Day Eat In Technicolor The 15 Minute 54321 Workout {you can do anywhere!} Keeping Fit In Hotel Hallways The 20-min Exercise Itinerary Healthy DIY Plane Snacks Hotel Room Exercises {You can do in your underwear}

[Graphic assembled by @tripstyler with images sourced online. Am-ah!-zing camper van Copyright © Alexandre Verdier, 2006. Verdier.ca]

Roam+Board :: Hotel Havana

[trip style = urban + budget conscious]

What Scrolling through hotels in San Antonio, I knew Hotel Havana was THE trip styled choice for my stay. Once a hotel residence for a local grocer's buyers, Liz Lambert {one of the hotel industry's design darlings} purchased the 1914-built brick beauty and re-opened it in 2010 as a 27-room boutique hotel.

Here's the best part: she didn't strip it down its skivvies only to dress it up as an unrecognizable Hollywood celeb. Instead, the Austin-based hotelier kept identifying features like the Bastrop pine floors, only adding the bare minimum---think wrought iron beds, Turkish rugs, and 1950s-style pink and orange refrigerators---to the pre-latin, raw-elegant space.

Dwelling along the Alamo City's famed River Walk---a semi-tropical version of Venice---the hip hotel takes advantage of its location and cache in Ocho, the glass-encased restaurant perched above the waterway. Dining under a canopy of palms on royal-blue banquettes, I *could* have soaked up the space for hours, though more trip styled finds beckon beyond. Trip Styler approved!

Savour more of San Antonio's stylish scene in my post on the Expedia Viewfinder travel blog.

Where San Antonio, Texas, 12km from the airport.

When Saunter into San Antonio between November and April for cool temperatures {average 23C} and hotel rates. Summer heats up in every sense.

Who/Why You love a good makeover, but enhancements must be parlayed thoughtfully in all the right places.

Cost Rates start around $110 per night and include WiFi. Parking is $17 per night, but who needs a car when you've got the city's bike-share system parked right outside the hotel. Passes for a health club nearby are provided upon request  Bark, woof, Fido can live the River Walk lifestyle for $25 per stay.

Trip Styler Tip :: Try to book a room on the 4th floor. If not, bring ear plugs as floors creak due to the age of the building.

More Roam+Board 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 while staying as a guest of Hotel Havana]

Postcards from Toronto

[trip style = urban]

I'm currently in Toronto. Here are a few photos I've snapped of Canada's mega metropolis while tasting my way around town. More on Tdot coming soon!

Top photos {left to right}: Richmond Station restaurant, Toronto architecture beside TD Canada Trust tower, Hong Kong bevvie at Shangri-La, view of CN Tower

Botton photos {left to right}: Pear and arugula salad at Pizzeria Libretto, decor at Pizzeria Libretto, inside The Dakota Tavern, view of Toronto skyline from Centre Island

[photos by @tripstyler]