The ABCs :: Aruba {Spotlight}

[trip style = sun + beach]

{Editor’s Note: After a short and sweet introduction a few weeks ago, this is the second post in a four-part series about the ABC islands. Today we’ll explore the Aruba’s curvy beaches and towering resorts, next week Bonaire’s sporty and petite demure and the following week, Curacao’s lush countryside and historic city centre.}

“Aruba, Jamaica, oooo I wanna take yah” - The Beach Boys

Even since Kokomo raced up the charts in 1988, I knew I had to visit Aruba. The Beach Boys said it was the epitome of tropical, right?

Aruba is a good intro to the tropics. White sand beaches, check; water sports, check; sand-in-your-toes dining, check; over-water bars; check. Checklist aside, it’s safe, you can drink the water and USD are accepted everywhere. Easy-breezy.

Think of it as a larger-scale and more commercialized Ka’anapali beckoning boat loads of cruise ship passengers and a heaping sand-full of Eastern Americans and Venezuelans resortists.

It’s not an odd occurrence to spot locals breaking out into song and dance for no apparent reason, or quoting the island’s tag line “One Happy Island” at every opportunity. It really is a happy place filled with 100,000+ residents who maintain the island's mojo with their spirit and heart. You can’t help but smile in response.

Stay First decide if you want high-rise or low-rise, high energy or anonymity. Palm Beach hosts multiplex resorts, US chain restaurants, hip beach bars and pier-side dining. Eagle Beach is less crowded with fewer mainland outposts. I stayed at two hotels on the bookends of Palm Beach, the multi-wing Marriott and the 70's-contemporary-casual Westin {see my review here}.

Eat

• On a Pier: The Pelican Nest's service and cuisine are approchable with vintage scuba helmets and fishing nets hanging from the rafters above. Drink at Bugaloe Pier where surprisingly stiff mojitos are served at happy hour from 5-6pm.
• On the Beach: Moomba Beach Bar & Restaurant is one of the best beach bars in the world according to CNN, or try Flying Fishbone just outside of town.
• With Locals: The Aruban Chef serves up island fare like calco stoba {conch stew} and fresh fish!
• Behind Palm Beach: The Italian-owned Amore Mio {no website} kneads, spins and bakes melt-in-your-mouth, thin-crust pizzas in a modern, lively setting.

Do Walk along the non-resort stretch of Palm Beach beside fishing huts, surfers and a shipwreck, learn to kiteboard at the Aruba Kitesurfing School or take in a game of beach tennis---one of the country’s most popular sports---behind Moomba bar!

Getting There Direct service from Toronto, Miami, NY and Boston will whisk you away. From Vancouver, get yourself to one of these depature points to start humming Kokomo.

Related Roam+Board :: Sorobon Beach Resort {Bonaire} Roam+Board :: Kura Hulanda {Curacao} ABCs {An Intro} Jetset Jingles :: The Caribbean

[photos by @tripstyler, taken in Aruba last week!]

TS's Experience Whistler :: Ziptrek

[trip style = active & adventure]

{Editor's Note: This week we're starting a three-part series---that we'll likely add to in the future---focusing on extraordinary experiences in one of our favourite trip style = weekending destinations: Whistler, Canada. This week we take flight on Ziptrek, next week we brush up on our Nordic bathing skills at Scandinave {outdoor} Spa, and the following week we'll venture into cellars and frosty rooms to experience Whistler's food and beverage marvels. PS. Stay tuned over the coming week for a not-to-be-missed Whistler giveaway---our biggest yet!}

This past weekend I got a taste of an Ewok village and Cirque du Soleil-esque aerobatics. This unique combination, coupled with an almost anyone-can-do adventure, has made this sky-high, over-water flight path one of Trip Styler's must-do Whistler activities.

With a six-point harness intimately close to your nether-regions---the parts you want protected while flying down a steel cable at up to 80km/hour---you criss-cross between Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, dangle over Fitzsimmons Creek {which looks more like a raging river} and walk over suspension bridges between treetop platforms.

Even if you've never been to Whistler, Ziptrek Ecotours might still ring a bell. You may recognize the name or experience from The Bachelorette or Lonely Planet's Top 10 Canadian Adventures. If not, here's a visual: helmet and harness-clad zippers strap in, step out into thin air and assume the tuck or spreadeagle position while gliding {and often screaming} from platform to platform at Trans-Canada Highway speeds.

Addressing the obvious, if you're afraid of heights, it can be scary. Usually, this turns into exhilaration. I've zipped twice before; once  into the Pacific Ocean, and once on North America's longest continuous dual zipline, and I wasn't scared Ziptrekking until I inverted myself for 15 seconds on the last of five lines. I don't like handstands at the best of times, but being upside down made my body realize I was flying at the height of treetops in an old-growth rainforest. For five seconds, my brain panicked, then I remembered my six-point harness, my guide double- and triple-checking my zipping getup and the fact that Ziptrek is the North American pioneer of zipline tours. Momentary freakout averted.

My guide said he replaces his well-worn gloves once every three weeks. Not for fun, but for necessity. Guides use a smart and stealthy combination of pulleys, foot pedals, bicycle break handles and their glove-covered hands to slow zippers to a grinding halt at the base of each line. This is especially unbelievable when you consider the longest line, a 2,000-foot rush, where for 45 seconds you and Tarzan have a lot in common, aside from the leopard print loin cloth.

While my ecological exploration from 15 storeys high will not encourage me to run off and join Cirque du Soleil's ariel acrobatics team, it's enough to make me feel like I gave a great audition. Oddly, post-Ziptrekking conjures up the same feeling as après-ski, so make sure you set aside time for wine and cheese or beer and nachos.

The Skinny

• Who: Anyone older than six and less than 275 'ish' pounds. Perfect for singles, couples, families or groups. Check specific tours for more details.
• When: 365 days a year. {Gas heaters warm zippers at platforms in winter.}
• How/Cost: Starting at $89 for adults, the 2.5- to 3-hour Bear Tour is best for first-time zippers with 5 ziplines up to 1,100-feet in length and 4 treetop bridges. Starting at $109 for adults, the 2.5- to 3-hour Eagle Tour is for the adventurous soul with 5 ziplines up to 2,000-feet in length and 4 treetop bridges. Starting at $199 for adults, the Mammoth Tour combines the Bear and Eagle experiences with 10 ziplines and 9 treetop bridges. For those who simply cannot stand a high-wire adventure, there's the two-hour TreeTrek Canopy walk from $39.

Related Content Whistler :: Live High Pay Low Spotlight :: Whistler A Slower-Paced Whistler

[photos by @TripStyler]

Weekending in Victoria

[trip style = urban + weekend getaway]

There's a certain je ne sais quoi in the air at the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Some might call it the chilled-out island lifestyle, others might call it romance or passion-filled living. This could be why Amazon.ca crowned Victoria as Canada's most romantic city, due to the copious amounts of romance novels, sex and relationship books, romantic-comedy DVDs and Michael Bublé CDs purchased by residents on a per capita basis. All I know is the moment I got off the hour-and-a-half ferry ride from Vancouver, my mind, body and soul had somehow decided to take it down a notch and relax. Weekending at its best!

British Columbia's capital reminds me of a polished and highly educated business woman by week and cabin gal by weekend, who appreciates a good romcom in her free time. The city centre is manicured, historic, easily walkable and hip, whereas the outlying areas are beachy, casual and beg to be biked, ran and kiteboarded. People don't race, ride and board Victoria's seaside and country roads because they have to; it's because they want to. This passion-filled living is evidenced by the most Canadian national athletes per capita of any city in Canada. Even the Harbour Ferries take an activity-oriented break from their usual commute to perform a weekend water ballet {more on this below}.

As much as Victoria is fit, it's also chilled-out. Whether re-caffeinating at a coffee shop or refueling at a pub, there's always a hint of patchouli in the air. This scent, usually found in the presence of hippies, serves as a fragrant reminder of the slower-paced island lifestyle that balances the task-oriented, government-filled buildings throughout the capital region.

Victoria's je ne sais quoi can also be attributed to its location. This relatively small, walkable city is surrounded by ocean, farms and wineries, and locals have come to know today's catch, artisan cheeses and fresh produce as the rule, not the exception. I've never had just-caught halibut, just-made Havarti or just-picked haricot beans I didn't like in Victoria. The bar is high, making this weekend destination the perfect escape for romantics, exercise fanatics, foodies and everyone in between.

Trip Styler Tip: Take advantage of spring's blossoms and fall's colors and visit in early May or late September. Fewer crowds, warm weather and lower rates await visitors just outside the summer peak season.

Do

• Watch - Harbour Ferry Ballet - Intended to show the agility of the little pickle-shaped ferries, captains convene and dance in perfect formation. This unconventional ballet is in its 20th year! Every Sunday at 10:45am from May to September.
• Sip - Afternoon Tea - Taking tea and crumpets to a whole new level, The Fairmont Empress' Afternoon Tea is a celebrated tradition that started when the hotel first welcomed guests in 1908. The refined ritual offers seatings from 12 - 4:45pm daily.
• Walk - Beacon Hill Park - Stroll Beacon Hill Park's gently rolling hills and bridged streams. Don't miss a morning or evening walk along Victoria's multi-kilometre waterfront.
• Browse - Chinatown - Covering only two city blocks, Victoria's Chinatown--the second oldest in North America--is packed with tradition, art, live-work spaces and alleyways, the most famous of which is Fan Tan Alley, the narrowest street in Canada.
• Shop - Still Life - With a ladies boutique on one side of Johnson Street and a men's boutique on the other, try on the curated and casual clothes in a teepee dressing room. Sorry men, you'll have to settle for a traditional changing room.
• Pick up - Rogers' Chocolates - You can't visit Victoria without being lured into Rogers' Chocolates for at least one coveted treat. It's no wonder the chocolate is so good - they've been working at it since 1885.

Eat

• Coffee - Habit Coffee and Culture - The coffee is smooth, the decor minimalist and the staff cool.
• Baking - Willie's Bakery & Cafe - Founded in 1887, this historic eatery offers generously portioned baking and hearty take-away and eat-in plates with a casual inside and secluded sunny patio.
• Breakfast & Brunch - Lady Marmalade - With foods like aged white cheddar and spinach waffles churning out of the kitchen, one meal at this moderately-priced, central and funky bistro will make you want to come back for more.
• Lunch - Red Fish Blue Fish - Set in a converted storage container, there's something to the Ocean Wise fish and chips served on the boardwalk hugging Victoria's waterfront. With line-ups often 50+ people long, it's become both an institution and a spectacle, featured on the Food Network's Eat Street.
• Dinner - Brasserie L’Ecole - With a new menu daily focusing on wholesome food with French flare, this restaurant welcomes guests in an old Chinatown schoolhouse.
• Drinks - Bengal Lounge - Drink cocktails and eat curry on tufted leather chairs under the glare of a Indian tiger, cooled by the breeze of vintage brass and tasseled fans, while listening to the sounds of a jazz trio.

Stay

Downtown Victoria has an abundance of hotels to choose from, but the city's ivy-covered landmark property is The Fairmont Empress. Staying at the Empress makes you feel like you're participating in Victoria's bustling past and present all at the same time.

Related
30 Hours in Victoria

A Pemberton Taster

[trip style = active & adventure + staycation]

When the sun finally started shining along the Pacific Coast at the beginning of August, it felt like there was a unanimous sigh of relief, followed by a ton of hasty vacation requests and last-minute summer bookings. We were all getting questionable weather, apparently as far south as San Francisco when Virgin America tweeted about the lack of any summer at SFO. Alas, after a month of cheering and chanting, the sun made an encore, the kind concert goers dream of.

My response to our sudden summer was to spend as many weekends as I could enjoying the breezy West Coast warmth up at Whistler, until I got distracted by the lure of fresh-picked veggies, peaks that escalate as far as heaven and a roaring waterfall still gushing remnants of last winter's record-breaking snowfall. All of this was 30 minutes away in Pemberton, a small village with epic landscapes.

Similar to Pemberton Distillery's award-winning sipping vodka, here's a taster to wet your whistlerwhistle:

Nairn Falls A campground, hiking trail, river and waterfall are all bundled into this 170-hectare  highway-side nature fiesta. Whether you stop here for the 1.5km easy-breezy waterfall hike or just to use the loo, this provincial park offers a quick slice of BC paradise.

North Arm Farm If North Arm Farm was a book, I'd tell you to judge it by its cover. Once you step out of its concrete-floored shop selling fresh-cut flowers, organic fruits and veggies, baked goods and picnic lunches, you discover 60 acres of working farmland. The u-pick strawberries, raspberries and blueberries only add to its haycation allure. Just plug your nose when pass through the open-air barn, its rustic beauty makes up for the potent aroma of hundreds of drying garlic cloves hanging from the rafters, but again, it's a working farm and this is part of its charm.

One Mile Lake Welcoming you into Pemberton's town centre with a whisper, this tranquil lake's glassy waters and wooden boardwalk pull you in. It's the kind of place that shouts "please picnic here." Grabbing a coffee at the nearby Mount Currie Coffee Co I noticed a poster for stand up paddle board {SUP} yoga at the lake, the perfect setting for such a balancing act {note to self, wear bathing suit underneath yoga wear}. Swim, rent a SUP or walk its circumference---based on the name, you won't be walking for too long.

Whether you're visiting Whistler or live in Vancouver and crave a trip style = staycation that will temporarily whisk you away from hum drum of the city, Pemberton's clean air {that I swear could be bottled and sold}, smooth vodka {that is bottled and sold} and lakeside walks will give you the natural summer high you've been patiently waiting for.

Related Spotlight :: Whistler Live High, Pay Low in Whistler Magic Carpet Ride {River Rafting in BC}

[photos by @tripstyler]

From The Archives :: Beat the Heat in Sonoma

[trip style = wine tasting + weekend getaway + sun] {more pics below}

{Editor's Note: This month's From The Archives, originally published July 16, 2010, explores ducking from an air conditioned tasting room to an air conditioned car to taste wine in the heat of summer. Normally, temperate travelers from temperate climates avoid the sauna-like conditions that plague many of California's hot spots during the hottest months of the year, but I learned a few cool tips and tricks that took my Sonoma wine tasting experience from Barefoot to Opus One caliber.}

Sipping on an icy lime and cucumber-infused water, I realize it’s already 6:45pm. Having just returned from a full day of wine tasting, I am lounging poolside catching the tail-end of the Sonoma sun.

Although temperatures in the Napa Valley can reach 40 degrees Celsius during the summer, it is still worth braving the heat to visit the USA’s most famous wine region. With a few minor adjustments to packing and planning, us mild-mannered Pacific Northwest dwellers can beat---even embrace---the heat in Napa.

Because Napa is inland, the temperatures are a little more extreme than Vancouver’s. While the sometimes intense midday heat makes you wish you were sipping an ice-cold mojito surrounded with spritzers by the pool’s edge, the mornings and evenings provide a cool retreat.

Embracing morning’s milder temperatures allows you to counterbalance wine tasting and start the day by walking to a local café for breakfast, hiking to perfect picture-taking vistas or biking on Sonoma’s back roads to wineries like Ravenswood, Sebastiani and Gundlach Bundschu. Save the wine tasting for the afternoon when you can sip chardonnay to your heart’s content in an air conditioned tasting room. Once you hear the next winery calling your name, dash for the car and amp the air conditioning until you find shelter from the heat at the next vineyard! Although this sounds like a bit of a process, you have to love a region where rain isn’t even part of the locals’ summer vocabulary.

If you want to see more than just a tasting room, many wineries offer tours of their production facilities and vines. Being indoors, the production portion of tours is cool, yet walking through the pinot or zinfandel vines is a little more toasty. If you can stand the oven-like conditions for an instant and want to get up close and personal with the grapes, most wineries offer umbrellas while some of the bigger players have roofed, open-air vehicles.

Depending on your affinity and tolerance for wine, after a few sequential tastings, you may want a cool, pool break. The poolside scene from 5–7pm offers less crowds and soothing, milder rays. And if you’ve been tasting cabernets all day, it’s nice to have a late siesta before another glass at dinner.

One night I abandoned my 5-7pm poolside rule and went out for dinner at 6.45pm. I made the mistake of dining outside and later realized why I got parking right in front of the restaurant in high season. Surrounded by calming water features, grapevines and the allure of open-air dining, sadly, I couldn’t enjoy my dinner on the patio because the heat was still intense. Case in point, I’d been at the pool the night before until 7pm.

The next night I strapped on my party shoes and went out at 8pm. Being a glutton for punishment, I risked sitting outside. The risk paid off. Dining alfresco at the right time was a perfect finish to an excellent day in wine country. Oddly, that night I didn’t even want wine with my gastronomic indulgences.

Sonoma Travel Tips Stay – The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa or El Dorado Hotel. Eat – The Girl and the Fig and El Dorado Kitchen. Do – Consider navigating to wineries near your hotel by bike. Most major hotels rent bikes to guests for $25 per day. As of this time last year, guests of Fairmont properties in the USA {and Canada} can now use on-site BMW bikes for free. Sonoma's back roads may be off the beaten track, but the wineries are worth a visit. Hint – Whether biking or driving to wineries, if traveling in a pair, share tastings so you can winery-hop without indulging in too much nectar.

Sonoma Pictures {Grape Vines.}

{Biking to wineries in Sonoma.}

{Grapes at Beringer Winery, the oldest continuously operating winery in Napa Valley.}

{The courtyard at my favourite winery in Napa: Michel Schlumberger.}

{Wine barrels being aged and stored.}

Related Content Wine Touring 101