Roam+Board :: Wya Point Resort

[trip style =  beach + weekend getaway + glamping]

What
Sitting in a coastal rainforest bordering the Pacific Rim, Wya Point Resort rendezvous you with nature in a way very few stays can. And while the forest-meets-beachfront location is one of the eco-resort's crowning glories, its connection to Canada's wild goes beyond the area's physical features. To me, it has to do with the owners, the Ucluelet First Nation, who have a strong and longstanding reverence for nature, and understanding of the land.

Counting a flock of campsites, 15 yurts, nine lodges and a bevy of private beaches under its wing, the 600-acre Wya Point Resort is a haven; the kind of place where you write a novel, watch the waves, walk for hours or wear the same sweater four days in a row.  

When we arrived for our weekend stay at the end of January, the sun was starting to set, bathing the resort’s private beach in a rose, blue and golden light so complex it would be difficult for Pantone to capture the color in a chip. So taken by the light peeking through the old-growth trees towering over the Pacific Ocean, we ran to the resort’s sandy cove before even setting foot in our oceanfront lodge {see photo below}.

Inside each cottage, built to LEED Platinum standards, it feels like you're still communing with the outdoors. The post-and-beam timber-frame construction lends the look, feel and smell of the forest, while gallery windows facing the Pacific provide a wide-angle view of the waves. Because of the resort's proximity to the beach, the sound of the sea never escapes you; at night I fell asleep to the tide rolling and retreating up and down the beach.

In the quietness of this moment, I was struck by the privilege of weekending on the Pacific Rim. To quote a line songstress Sarah McLachlan mused when gushing about the region {where she has a vacation home}, "it doesn't get more West Coast than this." 

Trip Styler approved.

Where
Located in Ucluelet, British Columbia, five hours from Vancouver {YVR} by car and a trip aboard BC Ferries, connecting the mainland with Vancouver Island.    

When
All year. 

Trip Styler Tip: Don't discount winter, aka storm-watching season, as a 'cool' time to visit. Watching the waves and wind rock n' roll is the ultimate West Coast experience.  

Who/Why
Ancient trees ground you. The ocean lulls you. Wildlife invigorates you. The wild moves you.        

Cost
Rates start at $115 per night for the yurts, and $169 per night for the lodges, and include WiFi, free parking and a serenity-now sunset view. 

Photos

An arial glimpse of Wya Point Resort

Three of the nine one- and two-bedroom lodges

The view from my balcony over Ucluth Beach

The sun setting over the Pacific Ocean

Beach life

The light was so gorgeous, we had to snap a Trip Styler crew photo {PS - the resort is pet-friendly}

Sea life

Our one-bedroom lodge

Our bedroom, which overlooked the ocean through a giant gallery window

Our sitting area // Trip Styler Tip: Bring slippers to keep your feet toasty on the concrete and hardwood floors

Our kitchen {each lodge and yurt also comes with its own barbecue}

About to drink the local coffee provided for each lodge guest 

The yurts

Inside the yurts, which feature a summer kitchen, a wood-burning stove for year-round heat, a dome skylight, and windows oriented toward the ocean for optimal wave-watching and privacy

More Roam+Board
RIMBA Jimbaran Bali
Villa Samadhi - Kuala Lumpur
Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle
Four Seasons Chiang Mai
Four Seasons Hong Kong
Korakia Pensione - Palm Springs 
La Gazelle d'Or – Morocco
Mandarin Oriental – Las Vegas
Hotel Lone – Croatia

[photos by @tripstyler {except for first two and yurt photos}, taken while as a guest of the resort I've been longing to stay at since it opened.]

Stormwatching Ahoy

[trip style = adventure + weekend getaway]

It’s not my norm to hunt for the perfect storm—as a general rule, I prefer mai tais on the beach—but when the Vancouver meteorologists informed me the skies would turn from grey to ghastly, I bolted to the edge of Canada’s West Coast to behold the eye of the storm. 

Located five hours from Vancouver via car and a ride aboard BC Ferries, the side-by-side sea-sprayed towns of Ucluelet and Tofino are one of Canada's first points of contact with the Pacific Ocean. To put things in perspective, if you had a NASA-grade telescope, you might spot Japan 7,400 kilometres in the distance.

Standing beside a kaleidoscope of kelp and grasses washed ashore by the enraged waves, I panned my surroundings only to realize I was straddling the divide between land and sea.

A place where the flow of frothy waves never takes a break, the towns have become famous for their physical features: multimile beaches, a centuries-old coastal rainforest, and inclement weather. During the winter—a.k.a., storm-watching season—these elements perform in a show so spectacular {see my Instagram video}, it's priceless. For VIP access, all you have to do is show up.

Private beaches = VIP storm-watching at Wya Point Resort.  

Front Row Seats 
One of the best spots to savor winter storms in Ucluelet is at Wya Point Resort, a camping, glamping and lodge retreat perched over a series of private beaches. Here, walk a few steps to shore for a front row seat, or, watch the wind and waves waltz—make that rock n' roll—from your lodge's balcony.

On Thursday I'm going to go more in-depth about the First Nations-owned Wya Point Resort, but in the meantime, check out their winter Stormwatching Package for $389 including two nights in a {gorgeous} one-bedroom lodge, hot chocolate with marshmallows, and a pair of locally-made pottery mugs {BYO Baileys}. 

  [photos by @tripstyler]

Bali's X-Factor

[trip style = beach + sun]

Sultry sunsets. Steamy beaches. Scintillating views. Meet Bali, the sexiest stop—so far—on the TS flight map.

After a life-long obsession with the Indonesian island's photogenic seascapes and far-flung location, I finally satisfied my longing to visit Bali last year. 

With so much pent-up desire for the place, Mr. Trip Styler and I didn't stay at a reasonably priced pension just off the beach {of which there are many}. Since we traveled more than halfway across the globe to get there, we decided to turn up the heat and book three beachfront hotels—two of which had oceanfront infinity pools, and one of which had its own bath...on the view-for-miles balcony!

And don't even get me started on our moonlit dockside dining, or late-night tipple at Rock Bar, a low-lit lounge perched over the edge of the Indian Ocean {only reachable by open-air elevator}.

As a member of the crew piloting the Expedia Viewfinder Travel Blog, I was asked to write about the sexiest destination on my jet-set list. Bali won by a mile.

It turns out I'm not alone in my infatuation with sand and sea, based on the findings of the Expedia Heat Index, released just in time for Valentine's Day. Almost a third of Americans {29%} identified beach vacations as the most romantic trip style, and a whopping 64% chose "room with a view" as the most romantic hotel feature.

What trip style and hotel amenity is sexy to you? While I don't expect you to jump on a plane to your x-factor destination in time for February 14th, just thinking about it is enough to set the mood, mais oui?  

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Check Expedia's Instagram to see other spicy stops chosen by my fellow Expedia Viewfinders {and, if you're an American citizen, details about a LAN Airlines sweepstakes valued at $2,500}.

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Anantara Seminyak, one of my Bali beachfront stays. 

Just a "typical" restaurant along Seminyak Beach in Bali. 

Dockside dining in West Bali at The Menjangan {glamping!}.

Bali's famous cliffs and, nestled amongst them, the private beach for RIMBA and AYANA Resorts.

Sundara {see below for more information}.

Mr. Trip Styler swimming at Sundara beach club at the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran. Read about how to get into Sundara and other tips about Bali.

[Photos by @tripstyler. Post presented in partnership with Expedia.] 

Travel Beauty :: Concealer Map

[trip style = any]

When I fly I wear minimal make-up over maximum moisturizer because while I love to travel, I don't love the drying effects of recycled plane air on my skin. Before a flight, I slather heavy moisturizer on my face, followed by concealer, mascara, loose powder and lip balm. During the flight, I drink plenty of water, reapply lots of lip balm and mist my face throughout the journey. Before landing, I touch up my concealer so I can hit the ground running.

Thus, the topic of the day—what kind of concealer do we need and where should we apply it? Selection and application can be overwhelming, but we have a few tricks up our sleeves. We've even created a concealer map to help you put your best face forward.

Types of Concealer
Make-up artists suggest that women should own two basic types of concealer: a light-reflecting pen or fluid, and an opaque stick or cream. Believe it or not, they do different things; the former brightens while the latter covers.

Primarily meant for under-eye circles, pen or fluid concealers also work wonders around the nose, lips and shadowy areas of the face. They’re thinner than normal concealers and work well on dry or wrinkled skin because of their moisturizing and illuminating qualities. Meanwhile, opaque concealers are best for concealing blemishes, scars and redness. 

Where to Apply
There’s no magic formula for concealer application. We all have unique face shapes and concerns. Though, here are a few universal helpful tips for concealer application that we've tried and tested on the jetway {and we KNOW work well}.

• Lightly apply concealer to under-eye circles with a brush or your ring finger. Try two simple application methods:

1. Apply to dark circles only, from your inner eye to below the middle of your pupil. Avoid a large half-moon shape.
2. Draw an upside-down pyramid from your lower eyelid to your cheekbone.

• Use a light-reflecting concealer on your brow bones and on the inside corners of your eyes to appear more rested. 
• Give eyebrows extra definition by tracing them in concealer and then blending the lines with your finger. 
• Sharpen and correct a cat eye by swiping concealer above the flick of your liner.
• Save space in your travel make-up bag by using concealer as an eyeshadow primer. Apply with a brush to avoid depositing oils from your fingers to your eyelids, and set with loose powder.
• Create the illusion of plumper lips with a dab of concealer in the center of your lips.
• Apply concealer around your lips for a crisp edge that makes bright lipstick pop.
• Lighten the larger areas of your face by applying light-reflecting concealer to your cheeks and forehead, and then contour with bronzer or foundation slightly darker than your skin tone.

Application + Product Tips

• Remember that less is more. Don’t apply too much product to your brush; you can always build coverage.
• The secret to even application is blending. Use your fingers or a fluffy eyeshadow brush on larger areas of your face, and a small eyeliner brush on smaller spots like blemishes and scars.
• Start with primer and follow with foundation or tinted moisturizer before applying concealer. Finish with a light dusting of powder.
• We love YSL’s famous Touche Éclat pen, but this miracle worker is a highlighter, not a true concealer. Apply to the inner corners of your eyes, along your cheekbones and—if you don't have dark circles—under the eyes in place of concealer.
• For a list of products, check out make-up artist Lisa Eldridge's suggestions. She also provides a fantastic concealer tutorial.

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

[face map by @heatherlovesit, outline via google images]

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]