[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]