Event: Run + Rest

[trip style = active + luxury + urban]

{Editor's Note: Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in style with a Mexico find from the Trip Styler Store. %15 off all items today only. Enter promo code cincodemayo at checkout. Ole.}

A run and a rest; I need both in my life. So, I'm going to do them back-to-back in my home city with a stop at the spa, a sip of sparkling, and a bite of a sugar bun {Vancouver's version of malasadas}.

This weekend, the four Fairmont Hotels in the Vancouver area are holding the first-annual Fairmont Mother's Day Run & Walk, a 3K, 5K and 10K jaunt from Stanley Park to Jack Pool Plaza {where the 2010 Olympic Flame was lit} benefitting Make-A-Wish® BC & Yukon.

I've been running my whole life, but I took a break when I was pregnant with Baby Styler—opting for walking and swimming instead. While I was *hoping* to get back into the sport shortly after my wee wanderer was born, it took me longer than expected due to his turbulent arrival and an emergency surgery to ensure his safe landing. 

Now that he's almost 7-months-old and I have a few months of miles racked up on my shoes, I'm ready to race—ok, jog. 

Aerial view of the race course

In true Trip Styler style, I'm going to make a weekend of it and paint the town—and my nails—red in Willow Stream Spa at Fairmont Pacific Rim with Mom and Sis Styler. Following the spa, Mr. and Baby Styler will join me at the Fairmont Pacific Rim {a TS fave}, perched over Vancouver's waterfront and the race course. Here, we'll take in some pre-run clinics and carb-load at the Mamma Mia Pasta Dinner on Saturday, and then I'll escape to run the 10K on Sunday and meet the other Stylers for brunch on Sunday morning.

This is my first official Mother's Day, and I can't imagine a more FITting way to spend it; with the people I love, in the city I love, doing the things I love {escaping + exercising + eating}.   

PS - Join me this weekend. Find details and a Fairmont Mother's Day Run promo code below. 

Race Details
DAY: Sunday, May 10th
COST: From $59 for adults/$29 for kids [under 6 free]. Enter Promo Code TRIPSTYLER2015 at checkout to receive 10% off.
SWAG: All participants will receive a technical running shirt, limited-edition running gloves, and a gift bag filled with zero-calorie goodies such as Lindt Chocolate :). And when moms cross the finish line, they'll be handed a custom pashmina.
EAT: Pre-race, three-course Mamma Mia Pasta Dinner at ARC in the Fairmont Waterfront {$49} // Post-race nourishment at the Pacific Rim Mother's Day Brunch {$55}

Special Stay Rates
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver – starting from $279/night
Fairmont Waterfront – starting from $319/night
Fairmont Pacific Rim – starting from $369/night
Fairmont Vancouver Airport – starting from $299/night
Participants will receive special stay rates, here. Enter a check-in date of May 9th and a check-out date of May 10th.

Fairmont Pacific Rim

[photos via Fairmont and National Geographic for an event I will be doing in partnership with Fairmont Hotels]

Picture Maui

[trip style = luxury + active + beach + sun + food]

Maui: A place where sunsets stop traffic, coffee comes iced and swimsuits outnumber pants.

I've been to the Valley Isle more times than I can count for the aforementioned reasons, once for a three-day weekend when I needed a quick dose of sunshine. 

This time I'm here for most of April, checking out hotels, restaurants and the island's coolest landscapes. I'm meeting up with my fellow Expedia Viewfinders this week to share A LOT of aloha in pictures, on TS and on the Viewfinder. 

So far I've been living aloha all over the island, including a three-day trip to Lanai {a 45-min ferry ride from Maui} for a stay at the Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay, and now I'm at the Fairmont Kea Lani.

Check back here for best-of updates over the next few weeks and in the meantime follow the hashtag ‪#‎PictureMaui‬ on Instagram and Twitter for an all-Viewfinder virtual island tour. To find TS photos, search #TSaloha.

Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay

Fairmont Kea Lani

[photos by @tripstyler]

Roam+Board :: Pacific Sands Beach Resort

[trip style =  beach + weekend getaway]

What
Sprawled across the northern end of Cox Bay, Pacific Sands Resort is so close to the ocean that it's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. At high tide I could almost reach out and touch the water from my Beach House balcony, while at low tide the water retreats so far into the Pacific that it reveals a sand bar big enough for a jumbo jet to taxi for a mile. 

Located on the western rim of Canada's Pacific coast in Tofino, British Columbia, Pacific Sands is the only all-suite resort in the area. Couple this with its 2,500 feet of coastline and rooms built toward the beach, and it's no surprise why a view of the swell comes standard with every stay. 

Starting with a collection of cottages in the 1970s, the 41-acre property has grown into a well-groomed beach resort with 77 suites—all with kitchens—ranging from one-bedrooms to Beach Houses {sleep 6} perched a few feet from the sand.

The sand summoned me every second: In the morning for a sea-sprayed run or surf session, in the afternoon for beach-combing, in the evening for a bonfire {paired with a glass of BC wine}. This cushy, front-row seat to the sea is why my family has been frequenting the shore-side stay since I was a mere twinkle in my parent's eyes. In keeping with the tradition, now that the Trip Styler crew has expanded, it's one the first places we took Baby Styler.    

Trip Styler approved.

Where
Located in Canada's surf city, Tofino, BC, five hours from Vancouver by car, including a 90-minute sailing aboard BC Ferries. Tofino is a place where waves rush the shore and salt air gives your hair the perfect beachy texture. It's a place where dressed up means jeans and a toque and fish tacos are an acceptable—and delicious—everyday lunch.

When
Year-round. Tofino is cozy in fall and winter, sea breezy in spring and fresh in summer.

Who/Why
This is your motto: "Life's a beach."          

Cost
Rates start at $200/night for a Lighthouse Suite and $460/night for a Beach House. All room categories include a patio or balcony facing the beach, full kitchen, gas fireplace, Pacific Sands rain slickers, WiFi, parking and use of outdoor BBQ gazebos. Bark woof—pets are welcome for $40/stay.

Photos

Cox Bay

A sunset slice of the 41-acre property 

The Beach Houses {each with its own washer-dryer}

When I return, I'll plant myself here to watch the sunset

Coffees from the resort's Beans on the Beach Espresso Bar featuring Victoria-based Caffe Fantastico beans {voted one of Canada's best boutique roasters} 

View from my Beach House

Master bedroom in my Beach House

Each suite comes with a kitchen

The Pacific Sands' CAD $11 breakfast delivery program sources locally-made muffins, granola, etc.

The view, captured from my balcony

Dog Styler striking a pose on the beach

Year-round waves and a soft, sand-bottom shore make Cox Bay a top choice for wave-riding locals and guests 

Heated outdoor showers for Mr. Trip Styler's post-surf warm-up

Storm-watching on a blistery afternoon

Obligatory portrait with Mr., Baby and Dog Styler in tow

A typical Pacific Sands afternoon, best enjoyed with a bottle of BC wine

More Roam+Board
Wya Point Resort - Ucluelet, BC
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 three}, taken while as a guest of the resort]

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]