Dog Styler: Have Pup Will Travel

[trip style = glamping + luxe + urban + weekend getaway]

In my mini family of 2.5, the .5 is my furry wonderdog, Mr. Nacho King, whom Mr. Trip Styler and I adopted from a Washington State county animal shelter seven years ago. When I found him online I knew we had to be together. When I met him face-to-face it was kismet: I cried and he peed his fur-pants {pictured below}.

I don't talk about "Dog Styler" much on TS, yet he deserves more lip service—just don't get too close, his breath smells like the beach at low tide—as he's one of the most trip styled pups on the block. Case in point: he has more Instagram followers than I do! 

As an important member of the Trip Styler clan, Mr. Nacho King does not stay at home every time we escape the roost. Au contraire; he accompanies us on all local getaways, though he leaves the jumbo jet travel to his parents because he'd rather eat spinach drenched in lemon juice than fly. 

Like a true trip stylin' sidekick, Nacho lives the dream traveling once every two weeks. And while his human owners love a styled stay complete with a cushy bed and a panoramic vista, he prefers a cool bathroom floor to sleep on—Carrara marble, preferably—and hotel staff who dole out dog treats when he glances their way. Bonus points go to dog-friendly accommodations with a bacon or salmon scent wafting toward his nose.   

For some dog-sight into how we've fairly effortlessly incorporated Nacho into our nearby jaunts without sacrificing our regular repertoire of cool hotels, it restaurants and boutique shopping, check out the recent article I wrote in the Expedia Viewfinder chronicling some have-pup-will-travel tips, and our recent road trip to San Francisco.  

PS: Later this week Nacho's tagging along on a beach trek we're taking down the Oregon Coast. Follow along via Instagram: Trip Styler // Mr. Nacho King. 

Nacho's Five-Paw Review Hotels
{penned from his POV}

The Wickaninnish Inn {Tofino, BC}: Because I got my own welcome email, my own après-beach shower station and a resort amenity kit worth its weight in treats.

Four Seasons Resort Whistler: Because the staff—shout-out to my homeboy, Paul {pictured above}—gave me treats every time I walked in their direction.

Painted Boat Resort {Sunshine Coast, BC}: Because it smells like a cocktail of forest and sea, and they let me go stand-up paddleboarding with the humans.

The Alexis Hotel {Seattle, WA}: Because dogs are welcome at the nightly human wine hour, and my presence was announced on a welcome board in the lobby.

Rolling Huts {Mazama, WA}: Because dogs dig glamping. 

Ace Hotel Portland: Because I can eat kibble and sample my parents' Stumptown coffees {I like mochas} in the lobby. That, and my fur really pops against the industrial backdrop.

[photos by @tripstyler]

Flight UPgrades: A How-To Guide

[trip style = luxury on a budget]

---------------
Editor's Note: We're currently on a research trip which has us exploring Kuala Lumpur, Bali and Tokyo. With this, we'll be pausing in our in-flight schedule this Thursday and next week, returning May 8th with our regular Tuesday-Thursday Trip Stylin'. In the meantime, check out our posts on Instagram. 
---------------

Scoring a flight upgrade is akin to Willy Wonka's Golden Ticket—a sweet deal worth munching on a few regular chocolate bars to unwrap the golden one.

Going from economy to cushy class without status is a hard-to-achieve travel perk, but when it happens, it's like you've entered a candy land you never want to leave. Think: lie-flat seats that double as massage chairs {Emirates}, sommelier-selected wines {most major airlines}, and lounges with included manicures {Virgin Atlantic} or made-to-order noodles {Cathay Pacific}. 

Two weeks ago I wrote an article for the Expedia Viewfinder Travel Blog—to which I'm a regular contributor—about how to score a business class upgrade in the clouds. In it, I list six tips to get you one step closer to Champagne perks at 35,000ft based on how I've scored sudden upgrades. To give you a hint of what's in the article, here are the tips in their ultra-basic form. Find the FULL details, here. 

1/ Dress nicely. Need some inspiration? Follow our JetSet Style series.

2/ Fly airlines offering low-cost upgrades. No joke; if the stars align, you can upgrade for as low as $50.

3/ Focus on B routes at B times. Unless you have status, it's hard to get bumped to the front of the plane if you're flying major routes like Vancouver to Toronto, or Los Angeles to New York. 

4/ Be nice, and treat those around you like humans versus droids. The power of nice can have a huge impact on your seat selection. 

5/ Get serious about travel credit card spending and racking up miles with an airline alliance. 

6/ Ask. It can't hurt. 

[top photo by @tripstyler, bottom photo via Cathay Pacific]

Carry-on Creature Comforts

[trip style = any]

While flying the skies at 40,000 feet---from where I pen this---I'm reminded of a few simple things that can change your personal flight path from turbulent to terrific. I call these travel creature comforts, and I cart them whether I'm flying in econo or biz class. While lie-flat seats and first class pods do come with extra travel doodads like moisturizing eye masks {thanks JAL}, seats-slash-massage chairs {thanks Emirates} or down comforters {thanks Virgin Atlantic}, nothing can replace---not even a flute of Dom---the things you love and need. Here's what I swear by in the sky!

Trip Styler Tip :: Always keep a carry-on comfort kit packed so it's ready to go when you're frazzled with last-minute trip prep!

1/ Non-scented hand cream I coat my hands and arms pre- and mid-flight and dab a touch beside my eyes when my skin starts to feel crunchy and dry. Ultra-moisturizing, high-quality hand cream can mean the difference between sapped and supple inflight skin {read: plane soap and cabin air are uber-drying}. Trip Styler loves: Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Intensive Moisturizing Hand Treatment {$15}

2/ Earplugs or noise-cancelling earbuds For those times when you just want to doze off or drown out the noise around you... I can't tell you how often I slip in my earplugs or buds; they're often the make-or-break item between a peaceful and frenzied flight. Trip Styler loves: 3M Foam Earplugs {$1}

3/ Scarf or shawl Airplanes' heating and cooling systems often operate in extremes: frigid or hot. Personally, I get cold on every single flight---it's like the Arctic up there. Instead of schlepping a down parka on the plane, I bring one or two pashminas or shawls, which double as blankets, hats or neck warmers to keep my temperature regulated. Trip Styler loves: Nordstrom Cashmere-Blend Wrap {$80}. Note: I also suggest traveling with a cheaper wrap---one you can throw around and not fret if it gets snagged or dirty.

4/ Water bottle I was just on a four-hour flight and was offered a glass of water ONCE. Dearest airlines: we're people, not camels! To ensure I have enough H2O, I always bring a collapsible water bottle to rehydrate inflight. Once I drink it dry, it takes up zero space in my bag. Trip Styler loves: Vapur Travel Anti-Bottle {$10}

5/ Toothbrush Whether you have cat-tongue from not drinking or eating for a few hours, or just noshed a plate of mystery airplane food, brushing your teeth before landing is the 40,000-ft equivalent of a shower. Trip Styler loves: Colgate Wisp Mini-Brush with Freshening Bead {$5 for 16}

6/ Mints It helps to follow up the aforementioned toothbrush with a mint for long-lasting fresh breath. Trip Styler loves: Altoids Curiously Strong Mints, Cinnamon - Pack of 12 {$20}

7/ Sox 'n' slippers For any flight over four hours, I bring socks and washable slippers to keep my feet warm. Don't go to the lavatory barefoot or only wearing socks -- slippers or shoes are a must! Trip Styler loves: Hotel slippers---wash after use and air dry! {free}

8/ Eye drops To keep my peepers full of pep, I throw in eye drops at the flight's end to combat the dry and red-rimmed effects of flying. Trip Styler loves: Visine Maximum Redness Relief {$6.60}

9/ Eye brightener My makeup artist friend told me I had to get a MAC nude eye pencil to rim the inside of my eyes -- the waterline -- so I look human {vs alien} after a long flight or jet lag. Trip Styler loves: MAC Chromagraphic {Nude} Pencil in NW20 {$29}

Honorable Mentions Hand sanitizer, eye mask or sunglasses, dry shampoo

/\/\/\/\/\ What are your inflight musts? /\/\/\/\/\

[graphic by @tripstyler; photos sourced online]

Washing While You Wander

[trip style = any]

Ziploc bags have a ton of uses for travel, namely holding 3floz liquids in our carry-ons. But, there's one more use and it's going to blow your mind: the Ziploc as an on-the-go washing machine. Genius, right? Read on for the step-by-step video tutorial.

Whether you pack the entire kitchen sink, or as light as a feather, chances are that you'll have to do a smidgen of laundry while away. Some hotels even anticipate this, like the Ritz Carlton Kapalua. They include little packets of Woolite in each room for guests to do tiny batches of laundry during their stay.

Up until recently, I've been a faithful user of my bathroom sink to wash small garments during longer trips, or when I need to clean a spill. My tried-and-tested experience: the sink and my washing skills are only so effective {read: I'm not good at hand-washing}. Being the travel nerd that I am, I've devised a way to wash most of my clothes---jeans are another story---while satisfying my wanderlust. It involves a gallon-sized Ziploc freezer bag---the kind with a double-lock---water and detergent.

Trip Styler Tip: Bring individually-sized packets of detergent for DIY travel cleaning. If you forget to pop one into your bag, shower gel works in a pinch.

Here's a 15-second video of the whole thing and the not-so-dirty details: 1/ fill the freezer bag a quarter full of water & add a dash of detergent 2/ toss in your garment & lock the bag 3/ shake it like you mean it for 30 seconds 4/ rinse garment {& Ziploc} out 5/ hang garment to dry {& flip the Zip inside-out to dry for the next DIY wash} ---> Voila, clean clothes without prune hands!

Another Trip Styler Tip :: The trusty Ziploc does double-duty if you travel home with a wet bathing suit!

More Trip Styler Tips A Travel Sleep-Saver {The best travel investment you'll ever make} Travel Tech :: Selfies Made Simple Trip Styler Tutorial :: Jet Lag

[photo and video by @tripstyler]

Listen Up: A Travel Sleep-Saver

[trip style = any]

Newsflash: unless you're staying in a sound studio or a dungeon, no accommodation is 100% soundproof.

Maybe it's the street noise or the guy coughing in the room beside you, maybe it's the night-owl couple stumbling in at 3am or the service staff chatting in the hallways in at 7.30am. Whatever it is, when you're hanging at a hotel, noise happens, and there's nothing a Do Not Disturb sign can do about it.

Enter my cheapest and most comforting travel find: earplugs. It's amazing what a pebble-sized piece of foam can do. For me, it means both peace of mind, and the difference between a rude awakening and a good sleep.

Over the years I've used a gazillion forms of foam to stop sound. One set stands out as the MOST comfortable and foolproof. They cost less than a chocolate bar, and are made by 3M, the brainiacs behind the world's first foam earplugs.

Earplugs are far from sexy {to wear or discuss}, yet, the reason I'm singing their soundproof praises is on my recent trip to Miami, I was staying at an updo hotel, aka: a vintage property made over as au courant. With soundproofing, or lack thereof, stuck in the dark ages, noises traveled.  For example, when someone walked by my room talking at a regular decibel, I could hear the conversation like I was part of it {even though my door was closed and my window was shut}. Strangely, this didn't freak me out because I was armed with my earplugs, aka, the $1 insurance policy I take out on a good night's sleep.

Trip Styler Tip :: Stash earplugs in your carry-on to "keep your peace" at 35,000 feet.

Buy them in bulk online at 3M or on Amazon, or in one- or three-packs at your neighborhood drug store or Staples.

[graphic assembled by @tripstyler]