Travel TV :: A Pilot About Pilots

A pilot about pilots?

Aside from The Amazing Race, the major networks haven't engaged much with travel-related TV during primetime. That's all about to change.

How Exciting is this? Playing on the retro travel trend, ABC has ordered a pilot {no pun intended} called Pan Am, that will potentially air this fall {update, it just got picked up and will air at 10pm on Sundays}. It's basically Mad Men meets the golden age of travel. Back in the day, I'm told stewardesses flight attendants were celebrities, trendsetters and jetsetters in their own right. The show lives up this lifestyle and centers around: "Maggie, who is leading a double life. When not all dolled up on her flights, she is living as a bohemian beatnik in New York's Greenwich Village. Kate is secretly an undercover CIA agent. Her gorgeous sister, Laura, is new to the stewardess world, having just ditched her fiancé at the altar." {via Jaunted}

The Scoop Though the show's status is still in the pilot stage, I don't suspect it will be relegated to the ABC TV dungeon given the big names that are rumored to be on-board {no pun intended}:

• Film actress Christina Ricci will take a lead role as Maggie
• Nancy Hult Ganis, executive producer, will auto pilot {no pun intended} the show's direction given her role as a flight attendant on the airline for 7 years
• Jonah Lotan has landed {no pun intended} the role of Dean, the recently promoted captain of the Pan Am luxury plane, the Majestic.
• Scrubs star Michael Mosley will also play an aviator-wearing pilot
• Australia actress Margot Robbie will be a sexy stewardess

Pan Am Started in 1927, Pam Am grew to one of the largest airlines in the world, with a famed logo'ed skyscraper position on New York City's Park Avenue. In 1991, the airline declared bankruptcy. Sadly, I never had the chance to fly Pan Am, but I hear it was the airline in the 60's and 70's. Check out this amazing Pan Am video from 1958, promoting the wonders of the new 707 plane, and innovative over-seat lighting...

PS  - Speaking of travel and TV, tell me you've seen this Richard Simmons Air New Zealand safety video? He is the gift that keeps on giving. I don't think he's aged in 20 years.

Related Shows That Make You Want To Go

[photo by Dreamworks, from Catch Me If You Can movie]

Travel App Tuesday :: Whistler Blackcomb Live

[trip style = ski] I know, it seems a bit weird to be talking about a ski mountain{s} app when the weather is warmer, days are longer and summer is more than just a distant dream. But, just in time for spring skiing bliss {& summer mountain biking}, Whistler Blackcomb has launched their first app, and it's tres cool.

This past weekend I took the app for a test driveski. Now, I'm not sure how I'll ever ski without it, here's why: it maps your movement via gps; tracks your vertical, distance, moving time, max speed, average speed; and records your ski days. Also see a map of where you've skied {below}, so no playing hooky eating waffles all day in the Crystal Hut.

Screenshots Here are a few screenshots of the app when I used it on Saturday. If you look closely, yes, I know it's lame I only did 5 runs; technically speaking, I think I did 6, but who's counting?

NOTE: Using this app is like running a TomTom GPS navigation system on your iPhone: it drains your batteries quickly, so make sure your phone is FULLY CHARGED before you hit the slopes. In case you forget and run the app anyway, it will automatically shut off if your phone battery gets down to 20%.

Details

• Free
• Works with iPhone, iPod Touch & iPad
• Available for Android, but for blackberry you'll have to use an older-school app or the mobile site
• Track: lift status, trail conditions
• Weather & snow report
• Maps
• Webcams
• GPS-enabled – track your vertical
• Share photos and events to twitter & facebook

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Other Travel Apps Every Tuesday we feature a new travel app. Don’t forget to peruse the other 70+ travel apps we’ve reviewed from travel first aid, to luxury and boutique hotel finders, to border waits and trip itinerary management. Here are the most recent:

• Room77
• mileBlaster
• HipMunk
• Mad Libs
• Travel Etiquette

Jetset Jingles :: Coachella

[trip style = sun]

It’s April and that means two things: spring is here and so is the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Nestled in the heart of the Coachella Valley near Palm Springs, California, the 3-day music festival is one of the most well known in North America. Held in mid-April {when the weather’s just right}, the festival is not only celebrated for its amazingly diverse and abundant music, but also for its interactive art installations and sculptures.

I traveled to Coachella for the first time last year and couldn’t believe that for just over $300, I got to see some of the best musical talents of 2010. All in one place. Not only was the music, setting and warm weather enough to make a Vancouver gal pretty happy, but the people watching was not to be believed. Everyone from college hipsters, to middle-aged hippies, to Hollywood celebrities {and everyone in between} were there for the same reason: to see of-the-moment artists performing their favorite tunes.

This year, I’ll be front and center watching and dancing to some of my favorite acts like Kings of Leon, The Black Keys, Arcade Fire, Empire of the Sun, Cee Lo Green, Broken Social Scene, Tinie Tempah, Chromeo, Wiz Khalifa, Brandon Flowers, Cut Copy, Mumford and Sons, Robyn and Kanye West. ...Ok, so I named more than a few. But I can’t help it, I’m that excited.

I've put together a small Coachella playlist of my current favorite songs from some of the artists I'm most looking forward to seeing. Happy Listening.

1/ The Cave - Sigh No More - mumford & sons 2/ We Used to Wait - The Suburbs - Arcade Fire 3/ Howlin' for You - Null - The Black Keys 4/ Radioactive - Come Around Sundown (Extended Version) - KINGS of Leon 5/ Walking On a Dream - Walking on a Dream - Empire of the Sun 6/ Take Me Over - Zonoscope - Cut Copy 7/ Dancing On My Own - null - robyn 8/ Fancy Footwork - Fancy Footwork - Chromeo 9/ Only the Young - Flamingo - Brandon Flowers 10/ Sweetest Kill - Forgiveness Rock Record - Broken Social Scene

Listen to the Coachella Playlist here.

{Jetset Jingles publishes once monthly and is mixed and mastered by Nicole, amateur DJ by night and movie maven by day.}

[photos by nicole & coachella]

Going Up Down Under

[trip style = luxe, beach, sun, urban, sightseeing, glamping, cruise]

Australia is... - a country I've never tasted or experienced - a place I'm going April 19 - a destination I know I'll love and am already conspiring to return - the trip I've been dying to take for years - #2 on my bucket list

As I prepare to fly 15.5 hours from Vancouver to the land of Oz, I've been a busy bee trip styling like a mad woman in preparation for my trip. The irony is, I'll be going up while Down Under---or making my way North in a land that sits down and under the equator.

Having put so much work into planning this trip, I wanted to share some tips and opportunities you may want to explore when you decide to throw a few shrimps on the barbie in Australia.

Getting There From Vancouver, Air Canada is the only airline to fly direct, with Air New Zealand code-sharing the same flight. One- or multi-segment flights, usually connecting through San Francisco or LA, cost about $300 less. I checked prices out of Seattle to see if there was a significant savings, but there wasn't, so YVR is your best bet. Flights from Vancouver to Sydney cost $700 - $2500, with a realistic range between $1000 - $1600.

Choosing What To Do When you only have a short time on the ground---in my case 2 weeks, which I think is pretty typical for a cross-ocean visitor---it's best to choose your trip style first, and where you want to go, second. Australia looks small on a map, but to put it in perspective, a flight from Sydney to Cairns is like flying from Vancouver to Regina, or Vancouver to San Diego. With this in mind, trying to do too much on the ground can feel un-vacation-like, so we've opted to immerse ourselves in part of the East Coast: Sydney - Whitsundays - Great Barrier Reef - Hamilton Island - Sydney. Though I feel like I'm not even scratching the surface, I look forward to returning many times over to do the rest of Oz.

My Itinerary {& Tips} We've decided to divide our trip into 3 major parts.

Sydney {trip style = urban + sightseeing + luxe} STAY We decided on the Sofitel Sydney but I would not recommend it based on my experience. Here are some other hotels for your consideration: - The Establishment {luxe boutique} - The Taj Blue Hotel {waterfront} - Shangri-la {harbour views + free wifi, I also stayed here, highly recommended} - Park Hyatt Sydney {undertaking biggest reno in its history, re-opening November 2011} - The Westin Sydney - The Blues Point Hotel {budget hotel option just outside the city, with a bar featured in design blogs serving $3 champaign on Friday nights} *Note that most upscale 4- and 5-stars in Sydney range from $175-500/night.

HOW TO BOOK The best resources we found for booking Sydney hotels are: - booking.com - lastminute.com.au - hotels direct

Island Time in the Great Barrier Reef {trip style = luxe + glamping} STAY We decided to stay at: - Heron Island {family-friendly, all-inclusive located on one of the world's best dive sites} - Wilson Island {close to Heron, a tiny "shipwrecked in style" island with only 6 tents} - qualia {ultra-luxe retreat on Hamilton island} Other luxe options: Lizard Island, Hayman Island*, Bedarra* & full list of GBR islands + prices ranges here... *Resorts re-opening in summer due to damange from cyclone yasi **Note, staying on islands in the Whitsundays or near the Great Barrier Reef can be expensive. Budget $150-$2000/night. For budget conscious options, companies like Virgin Blue offer great flight and stay packages near Airlie Beach from $600 for three nights.

HOW TO BOOK - Resorts direct

Cruising the Whitsundays [trip style = cruise] BOAT There are hundreds of ships sailing in the blue-sequened waters surrounding the Whitsunday Islands. Most leave from Airlie Beach and last 1- to 5-nights. Some boats are 30-person tall ships and others are small catamarans. We were looking for a boat catering to an active crowd, with a small number of guest rooms and a deck where we could relax. We found On Ice, a 46ft catamaran with room for 8 guests and 2 crew.

HOW TO BOOK Booking a Whitsunday cruise is really confusing, but here's a good place to start.

[photo by dbearth]

Healthy on the Road :: 20-min Exercise Itinerary

[trip style = all-inclusive]

I am writing this post from Puerto Vallarta Mexico. We’re staying at a family-friendly, all-inclusive resort, with my husband’s side of the family. The weather has been perfect and the resort is lovely, but I have a confession to make: my expectations for rejuvenation weren’t too high for this trip! Good thing I was wrong, and my husband and I made a simple, daily exercise schedule to keep our bodies and minds sharp!

The Daily Schedule I am literally amazed that we are entering week two feeling relaxed, healthy and energetic. How did this happen?! I was sure my husband and I would be sick, or at the very least burned out by now. Our answer: the daily schedule we were once dreading.

Good Timing Up until very recently we were the couple in the family without kids. Nap times did not dictate our daily schedule, nor did the operating hours of the froggy slide. Things are different now, but much to our surprise, the change has been a very good thing.

A New Itinerary In the midst of our new “itinerary”, my husband and I have made an exciting discovery: a plan does not take the fun out of a holiday, rather it makes play---or rest, or work, or whatever you need out of your holiday---possible! Once we worked through some initial growing pains, we realized that our new routine is actually infusing tons of life and energy into our days.

Day 1 - The Plan On day 1, we made a plan for spelling one another off to give us both a chance to exercise, read, swim in the adult pool, have a drink at the bar, whatever, as long as chasing a two year old wasn’t involved. Spending time as a family was still our biggest priority, so these breaks required efficiency.

The 20-Min Workout I love my daily exercise, but I also love to read on the beach, my solution: a very simple, efficient 20- to 30-minute workout. The fact that my husband has adopted this daily practice as well is truly incredible. Typically, on vacation, he would prefer to call a round of mini golf his workout for the day. Now, he can’t get over how much more energetic he feels from devoting a short amount of time to intense and efficient daily exercise.

Running – For a short workout, running is a fabulous way to get the most bang for your buck. Alternating the morning or afternoon “shift”, I either hit the beach or the treadmill. When I’m on the treadmill, I have a good hard run for 20 minutes...that’s it. I add variety with 1-minute sprints or hills. Twice a week I’m doing a quick circuit routine after my treadmill run (could be done on the beach too) of 3 strengthening exercises (e.g. 10 push-ups, 10-12 forward lunges with overhead reach, and 30 for the core; repeat twice).

So that’s it! Combined with earlier nights and regular wake-up times, we’re feeling great and are returning home truly relaxed, refreshed AND invigorated.

Whether you are parenting on your vacation or not, try making a plan with whomever you are travelling, to ensure you accomplish all you want and need to do!

{When she’s not training clients or being trained by her dog Zuzu, Leah writes Healthy on the Road, published the first Thursday of every month.}

Related All-Inclusive Month... Active, Relax, Repeat Healthy DIY Plane Snacks

[photo by heather0714]