Photos :: Best of 2015

[trip style = all]

"Hah-llo from the other side" {2016 being other side} - Adele

Every new year I take an inventory of the prior year's travel triumphs. What inspired me. The places that gave me butterflies. Hotels I'd visit again {and again}.

Thinking back to 2015, I traveled a lot with the fam-jam—sans sacrificing style—visiting nearby locales and far-flung islands. Because I'm quite choosy with my travel, I'd do many of these trips again. Here are the best.     

January 2015 // Tofino + Ucluelet
When I made the 5-hour ferry + car trip from Vancouver to Tofino {a.k.a. Canada's wildest version of its West Coast}, I was reminded what a 24/7 immersion in nature does for the soul. Hint: It soothes it. Couple this with a year-round surf scene and some of the world's most consistent waves plus a sandy bottom, and Tofino is a town one must taste at least once in their lifetime {or more often}!

Hanging at Ucluth beach with the entire Trip Styler clan {including Dog Styler} in Ucluelet, BC. 

About to enjoy some locally roasted morning coffee in Ucluelet at Wya Point Resort.

Watching surfers about to brave the waves at Cox Bay in Tofino, BC. 

Learning to surf with Roxy-sponsored surfer Catherine Bruhwiler of Tofino Paddle Surf. Read more about it in my article, Surfing the Canadian Coast, in the Expedia Viewfinder.

Dog Styler, hanging with his surf buddies. 

The perfect perch to take in the sand and surf view: The master bedroom in a Beach House at Pacific Sands Beach Resort. 

March 2015 // Santa Barbara
I'm not sure how it took me so long to visit Santa Barbara, the coastal town 90 minutes from LA. Now, all I know is I'd like to winter there. 

Sunsets like this almost every night. Swoon.

The lobby of The Goodland, a So-Cal stay that channels the Pacific Coast's easy-breezy beach vibes in every space.  

Halibut with Israeli couscous at Outpost, a farm-to-table eatery in The Goodland.

Chilling with Baby Styler by the pool at The Goodland.

La familia in Santa Barbara. Read about Santa Barbara's new wave of trendsetters in my article, Santa Barbara Beyond the Break, in the Expedia Viewfinder.

April 2016 // Maui + Lanai
What started as a week-long work trip to Maui morphed into a three-week tour of the Valley Isle, plus a two-night jaunt over to Lanai. Because, the tropics.  

Maui: Introducing Baby Styler to the joys of the Pacific Isles. 

Maui: Enjoying the cabana life, included in your room rate, at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, where we stayed for five nights. Read about the joys of traveling with a baby at a hotel that specializes in {cool} family travel and has more baby gadgets than even Will + Kate would need! 

Maui: I never thought doing the Road to Hana was in my wheelhouse due to my very delicate motion sickness. However, I lived to tell the tale with Mr. Trip Styler's oh-so-careful caressing of the steering wheel and brakes. Here's how I conquered my car sickness on one of the most breathtaking journeys in the world. 

Maui: Run, don't walk to the Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui for the oishi sushi (a deep-fried spicy tuna roll) in Ko restaurant, and a space-age escape to Willow Stream Spa, where I highly recommend the K-Lift, a NASA-developed anti-aging treatment. 

Lanai: The beach at the Four Seasons Lanai, one of my favorite hotels on PLANET EARTH {which just went through an extensive top-to-bottom reno} and is one of the most picture-perfect properties I've ever visited {photo via resort}.

Lanai: If you think this pool at the Four Seasons Lanai is incredible, just imagine the new free-form version debuting Feb. 1st, 2016. 

Lanai: Sweetheart Rock. One of the most incredible places in the world to see the sunset.

Lanai: The sunset from Sweetheart Rock.

Lanai: Dining at NOBU Lanai, the only NOBU in the world to source greens from its own onsite garden.

Lanai: A glimpse of the new rooms at the Four Seasons Lanai {photo via resort}.

July 2016 // Italy
Discovering a land where the wine flows like water. Life is enchanting when you drink it in from a beach club carved into a cliff beside the Tyrrhenian Sea. 

Rome: But first, coffee. Learn how to make Italian espresso in this video.

Rome: Seeing the Colosseum, built from 72AD-80AD.

Rome: While this photo is not best-in-class, the experience is: A Walks of Italy pasta-making class in a chef's studio towering over the Eternal City. Bottomless Prosecco included! See the video here. 

Rome: The wonder of St. Peter's Basilica

Amalfi: Picturesque gelato...

Capri: and cappuccino...

Capri: and snacks, a.k.a. aperitivos...

and bars... 

Serving this...

Capri: and beach clubs...

Ischia: and beaches...

Ischia: and beach boys, aka Mr. and Baby Styler...

Ischia: and spring-fed pools {Terme Manzi}...

Amalfi: and my FAVE Trip Styler family pic complete with Baby Styler's tongue sticking out!

September 2016 // Sonora Resort
Only an hour by float plane from Vancouver, Sonora Resort is a Relais & Chateaux slice of Canadian paradise where wilderness commingles with award-winning cuisine and curated comforts {more on this coming soon}.

Canada: Where even the float planes are called beavers.

Spending some solo time in the spa's alfresco hydrotherapy circuit, included in every stay. 

Meet my new BFF {who I loved from afar}: A baby grizzly bear!

A coho salmon I caught {and got to bring home}!

Weighing my salmon on the scale in front of the resort. 

September 2016 // Disney Cruise
Think Disney, then think luxury edition. Of all my forays into Mickey-themed getaways, the voyage at sea is the most elegant. Think: A ton of fun activities for families plus a nursery for tots {or kids' clubs for 5-and-up} and adult-only areas {spa, bars, restaurants}.

Baby Styler having a blast in the bath-warm water at Castaway Cay, Disney's private island in the Bahamas.See the whole experience in video here. 

The adult-only spa. Parents: If you have tykes old enough to do the kids programs, get a spa pass for the whole cruise!

Drinks on Deck 13 while Baby Styler sleeps in the nursery.

October 2015 // Hawaii
On Hawaii Island, cascading waterfalls, rainbow-hued botanical gardens, roadside coconut stands and lava landscapes come standard with every stay. And you don’t need to travel far to find them—at any time, every one of these otherworldly sights is less than an hour away. Add in a fish- and farm-to-fork scene made possible by the sea-to-summit topography, and it’s plain to see why life in the Pacific is so palatable.

For the snorkeling in crystal clear water

For the pools {Fairmont Orchid}

For the nature encounters à la paddleboard

For the Baby Styler kisses

For the sunsets

For the beach-perfect selfies {find out how to take a great family selfie here}!

November 2015 // Mexico
We visited the Riviera Maya {I can reveal why soon} and fell in love with Grand Velas, our posh all-inclusive stay. From there, we crossed the country to the Pacific side to spend time with family in Punta Mita. 

The zen pool, aptly situated in the Mayan jungle, at Grand Velas Riviera Maya {read about Grand Velas here}.

The chic {and included} room service at Grand Velas Riviera Maya.

Walking on water...kinda...at Grand Velas.

Baby Styler learning how to walk and play soccer {at the same time} on the beach in Punta Mita.

Sunset in Punta Mita.

[All photos by @TripStyler unless otherwise specified]

Holiday Gift Guide 2015

[trip style = any]

Ever since Trip Styler debuted in 2009, we've assembled a holiday gift guide. 'Tis the season once again! In past years it skewed gadgety or aspirational, whereas this year it's international—how à propos—with Italian, Japanese and Mexican finds to bundle you up, cool you down and transport you afar. 

{Clockwise from top left}

1/ Expandable Beach Bag :: Sourced on the palm- and juice bar-studded shores of Tulum, Mexico, enter the ultimate beach bag for those who like to pack smart. Featured in the Trip Styler Store, our totes sport leather straps and woven mesh that packs flat and compact, and then expands as you add your beach or pool essentials. 
Find our boho totes in yellow, brown, white, blue and pink in the Trip Styler Store

2/ The Kinfolk of Travel Magazines :: Flipping through the pages of this bi-annual magazine about travel and style is a journey until itself. Everything about the magazine is chic from the thick white-matte pages to the whitewashed photos from afar. 
Find it in select boutiques and online

3/ Modern Kimono :: Half blazer, half kimono, we spotted this tailored hybrid while in Japan, brought a few home for the Trip Styler Store, and wear ours almost once a week. It's chic, it's worldly and it's pulled together.
Find our mod kimonos in black and subdued black prints in the Trip Styler Store

4/ DIY Aperol Spritz Kit :: This summer in Italy we jumped on the Aperol train, and we never got off. It's a trip in a tumbler. Every time we drink Italy's libation of choice, we're transported to a cobblestone street in Capri. Gifting it to a cocktail-obsessed loved one is smart because it's easy to put together—all you need is Aperol, prosecco and soda—and it will make it seem like you have your finger on the pulse of what people are sipping worldwide.
Find the recipe and ingredients in our That Travel Meal series

5/ Espresso Maker :: Another beverage {of the non-alcoholic variety} that became a regular for us in Italia was espresso, which we made in a Moka Express, an iconic, 1930s-developed espresso maker. So into the brewing technique and taste, we brought one home with us from Italy. Thanks to the wonders of the Internet, you don't have to go to the Boot to buy one.
Find it on Amazon {and watch this quick tutorial we put together} 

6/ Blanket Scarf :: Here at the TS HQ we've been wearing blanket scarves for ions because they keep us warm in cold climates and when the temperature dips at 35,000 ft.
Find them + a tutorial on how to wear these travel warm-ups in our latest Jetset Style dispatch

7/ Donation :: If you know the person who has everything or doesn't want things, consider making a donation in their name to an organization or cause they care about. {Not shown above}

Related
Holiday Gift Guide 2014
Holiday Gift Guide 2013

[graphic assembled by @tripstyler]

Jetset Style :: Blanket Scarves

Cozy has evolved from function to fashion. First came the Snuggie—a sleeved infomercial blanket—then the Poler Napsack—a personal #campvibes sleeping bag—and now the blanket scarf: the oversized scarf trend that, thankfully, won't die.

If you're in the dark about the blanket scarf, it's an oversized, square{ish}, thick, scarf that not only gives you permission to wear a throw blanket-sized accessory outside the house, but also doubles as an actual blanket whenever you need one. Picnic blanket? Check. Plane blanket? Check. On a recent fight from Amsterdam, I gave my airline blanket to my seat mate, who was travelling home from Africa. She was freezing after a month of heat, and I was toasty, covered by my Aritzia blanket scarf.

A few favorites

- Zara soft geometric scarf {$40 / 51 x 55" / 100% acrylic}
- Aritzia gloomy days blanket scarf {$85 / 51 x 63" / 100% wool}
- Oak & Fort blanket scarf {$48 / 62 x 62" / 100% acrylic}
- asos oversized square scarf {$40 / 59 x 59" / 100% acrylic}

A little outfit inspiration

A scarf-tying tutorial

Can't see the video? Click here.

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

Related
Crop it like it's Hot
Comfort Class
How to Dress like a Parisian

[collages by @heatherlovesit, outfit inspiration photos via #myaritzia, nymag and lovely-pepa.com]

Lights, Lights Baby: Christmas in Vancouver

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

This year, Baby Styler's obsession with all things bright has me "kid excited" for Christmas, harkening back to a time when I was so smitten with the season, I'd watch the clock, minute-by-minute, waiting for the 25th. 

Armed with a little more patience in my adulthood, I've realized Christmas isn't just one day, but rather ALL of advent from the parties that happen every year, to the family traditions I still hold dear, to the festive events all over the City of Glass. 

If you're in need an extra dose of Christmas cheer, cozy up to these heart-warming Vancouver holiday traditions.

Haute Christmas Vacation-Style Sipping
To me, the Four Seasons Vancouver is the ultimate Noël hotel. Hosting the 28th annual Festival of Trees benefitting the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, the lower and upper lobbies transform into a festive forest decorated in bobbles and garlands galore. Couple this with its perfect location in the center of holiday shopping-ville, as well as YEW Bar's merry band of sippers, including an organic nog and vanilla-, all spice-, and cinnamon-spiced bourbon bev that comes in a Christmas Vacation moose mug, and visiting the posh address is a holiday must.   

Bright Nights Christmas Train 
Before you could pre-buy your train tickets in ultra-efficient half-hour time slots, my family used to lineup every year bundled up in what seemed like 100 layers to ride the Stanley Park Christmas Train. At the time, it was one of the highlights of my holidays, second only to Christmas morning. Thirty some-odd years later the 50-year-old miniature train is still magical, still whimsical and still retro {I swear, I recognized some of the same decorations}! I just took Baby Styler, and based on his jolly reaction, I think he was hoping we'd take him every night. On until January 2nd, 2016. 

Walking in a Winter Wonderland
If you can't shake the song "Walking in a winter wonderland" head to the frosted Peak of Christmas at Grouse Mountain where you'll find a holiday scene akin to a just-shaken a snow globe. Blanketed in the white stuff, warmed by a crackling fire and adorned in trees lit up with holiday lights, Grouse is Vancouver's version of the North Pole complete with an Elf Headquarters, where kids can create their own Rudolf or write a letter to Santa; an 8,000-square-foot outdoor skating pond; and Light Walk, the mountain's newest addition with holiday light installations strung between the fir and spruce trees.

[photos, in order of appearance, via Seattle Mag, Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver, and Trip Styler]

That Travel Meal: Jugo Verde

[trip style = food + wine]

In many ways, I feel like this body-cleansing bev should the first thing we talk about in 2016. But, why wait? Between the copious amounts of cheese and Champagne the holiday season brings, this is the PERFECT time to whip up one of Mexico's most delicious and healthy elixirs: Jugo Verde {green juice}.

It's a mystery to me that I've been to Mexico mucho times and never sampled this heavenly juice-smoothie hybrid. Honestly, my body feels jipped. So, when I was in the Riviera Maya and Puerto Vallarta a few weeks ago, I made up for my nutritional loss by consuming four cups per day: two at breakfast, straight up, and two in the afternoon with vodka {my versions of a kinda-healthy happy hour drink}.

If you'd like to taste the wonders of Mexico's tropical tonic, do a daily detox between the rum balls and brie cheese, and get a head start on your 2016 resolutions, I implore you to imbibe Jugo Verde for now and evermore. Amen.  

Bonus, it's seasonally on-trend with its Christmassy hue.

Jugo Verde {makes 2 cups}
1 cup of water
2 oranges, squeezed {or 1/2 a cup of pure OJ}
10 one-inch cubes of pineapple
1.5 stalks of celery, chopped
1 heaping handful of spinach
1 small handful of parsley

Instructions
Blend and serve. To make it more hearty {read: smoothie-like} add less water, to make it more juice-like, add more water.

Related
That Travel Meal: T-H-E Italian Cocktail
That Travel Meal: Pok Pok Som Thai Basil Gin Rickey
That Travel Meal: Best-in-Show Burrata at Ava Gene's
That Travel Meal: Chevre-Prosciutto-Pear-Arugula Pizza