¡Hola Barcelona!

[trip style = urban + beach & sun]

Mention Barcelona to Europeans and the response will be Ahh... Barcelona! I love Barcelona! The beach, the food, the city... Mention Barcelona to North Americans and the response will be Watch out for pickpockets! I traveled to the largest city on the Mediterranean Sea with high hopes and street smarts, ready to conquer the city on my own before meeting up with friends. Follow along for my Do / Eat / Stay recommendations.

DO // Walk along the waterfront and out to the beach in La Barceloneta.

DO // Neighborhoods so charming that I didn't mind getting lost in them: El Born, Barri Gòtic and El Raval. Explore the Ciutat Vella {old city} by foot and always remember to look up.

El Born

DO // Visit Gaudí's Park Güell to experience art nouveau architect Antoni Gaudí's curvy mosaic masterpiece/public park.

Casa Trias, Park Güell

DO // Don't miss the architectural centerpiece of the city, Gaudí's La Sagrada Familia, and if you plan on going inside, buy tickets ahead. The detail will blow your mind! No wonder it's still a work in progress.

Six-story human tower {castell}, Catalan festival

DO // All Gaudí all the time? Marvel at the mind of Spain's most famous architect inside Casa Batlló and Casa Milà.

DO // Trek up to the highest point in the city for incredible views and amusement park rides at Mount Tibidabo. Best reached by bus or metro and 1901-built funicular. Bonus points for re-enacting scenes from Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

Sagrat Cor church, Tibidabo

EAT // Bar Lobo is a fun indoor/outdoor restaurant with memorable fried eggplant and tuna tataki near the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art {MACBA} in El Raval.

EAT // "Come for one and stay till two" as the expression goes at one of the city's cheap, cheerful and tiny cava bars — El Xampanyet in El Born or Can Paixano {La Xampanyeria} in La Barceloneta.

EAT // Luzia is the perfect hideaway off Las Ramblas for delicious cava sangria and tomato salad.

EAT // Café Cometa is a colorful rest stop for a coffee or a juice in Sant Antoni.

STAY // I stayed at the budget-friendly and stylish Praktik Garden in the Eixample neighborhood. It's close to the metro, shopping street Passeig de Gracia and Gaudí's Casa Batlló and Casa Milà.

Things to know

• Many residents speak only Catalan and Spanish
• Aerobús is the easiest way to travel between the airport and the city centre
• The best times to visit are Spring and Fall
• The city is very walkable with a good transit system
• Be vigilant with your wallet/handbag in busy tourist areas
• Many shops are closed on Sundays
• Dinner is traditionally eaten after 9pm
• If you have time, leave the city limits to visit Monserrat or Sitges or Figueres and Cadaqués
   

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

Related
Hola España
Spotlight :: Amsterdam

[images by @heatherlovesit, 12hrs.net, airbnb.com, parcguell.cat, sagradafamilia.cat, lapedrera.com, anekdotique.com]

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.]

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?  

---

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}.

--- 

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.] 

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]