Condensed Mancations

[trip style = mancation + active & adventure]

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Mancations are on my mind. My husband, who is fast becoming Mr. Trip Styler with a travel schedule that's outpacing mine, has two on his roster, plus my friend is organizing a 14-guy bachelor break to San Francisco.

{Trip Styler Tip :: See Mancation tips, resources and definition here.}

Occasionally, I wish I were a man, so I could take a man trip; there's no drama, virtually no budget, and a sport-filled schedule. Man time is maximized, nay a spa week in sight; they're in, they're out, and back to normal life. Done.

The more I think about it, Mr. breaks are just like men {at least on the surface}; direct and not too complicated. Maybe one day I'll get invited on a mancation, or take a girls getaway moonlighting as a mancation, but for now, I'll live vicariously through the men in my life.

Curious about what makes a mancation tick, here's a peek into two bro furloughs my husband is taking over the next few weeks:

The 30-Hour Cat Ski Destination :: Cascade Mountains, WA - Friday afternoon: leave {by car} - Eat a meaty take-out dinner on the road - Drive to a small hotel near the cat ski base camp - Saturday: ski brains out with Cascade Powder Cats - Late afternoon, drive home

The 48-Hour Sport 'n Sun Destination :: Scottsdale, AZ - Monday afternoon: leave {by plane} - Evening of bbq'ing, tequila, cigars and hot tubbing at a vacation rental - Tuesday: brunch, golf, hockey {watch The Phoenix Coyotes play the Vancouver Canucks in a suite at the arena} - Wednesday: morning breakfast, afternoon flight home.

[photos via cascade powder cats & grayhawk]

Roam+Board :: Nira Alpina

[trip style = ski + spa + luxe]

{Editor’s Note: I've seen this chic ski resort making the rounds over the past few months and can't get its location and design out of my head. I haven't been here, but am hoping to stay {and ski} in the Swiss Alps in the nearsighted future.}

What Following the cascading lines of the hill, every room in this recently minted ski-in, ski-out mountain resort features floor-to-ceiling windows opening onto a private patio.

With panoramic views of the Engadin Mountains and Lake Silvaplana, the 70-room Nira Alpina hotel and spa layers Swiss spruce, Italian stone, traditional touches and contemporary lines in its modern chalet design.

Access the ski hill via a private walkway to the Corvatsch cable car station and get lifted 3300 meters to the mountain's highest point before shredding 350km of ski terrain below.

Soothe tired muscles in the sauna and steam room, and wind down at hotel's swish piano bar beside a crackling fire. Romantic après anyone?

Where Perched at the highest point in the small village of Surlej, five kilometres from St. Moritz, Switzerland. Fly into Zurich and ride the train for four hours past high-reaching glaciers and soaring bridges. PS - Bluebird days are a dime a dozen with the region's average 322 days of sun per year.

When Like any mountain resort town, there is a distinct sport-induced seasonality: winter skiing {Dec - Apr} and summer hiking/biking {Jun - Oct}. The rest of the year is rest and reno time for locals.

Who/Why You're a skier/snowboarder with a leaning toward luxury seeking your next mountaintop experience.

Cost From $330/night in winter, and $250/night in summer. Includes wifi and breakfast.

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More Roam+Board Rockhouse – Jamaica Hotel Bellevue – Near Seattle Rolling Huts – Methow Valley {WA} Golden Rock Inn – Nevis The Ace NYC – New York The Viceroy – Palm Springs Sorobon Beach Resort – Bonaire From ice hotels to Anna Wintour’s steal-of-a-deal holiday escape, find all featured R+B properties here.

[photos via nira alpina]

The Savvy Traveler :: Marisa

[trip style = beach + urban/sightseeing + weekend getaway]

Marisa is a New Yorker who has lived in and traveled to some of the world's most enviable cities. Like learning to walk, globetrotting came naturally to Marisa growing up in a family that routinely traveled. It's not surprising that any chance she gets to explore, she's on the first flight out of JFK. Next stop: Brazil. Luckily, her job involves jetsetting too, accumulating airline miles between NYC, Palm Springs and LA as the head of Marketing and PR for the Jack Parker Corporation, a private real estate and hotel company that owns Le Parker Meridien New York, the Parker Palm Springs and more. Before getting into PR, she added some extra zest to her foodie soul studying Italian cooking and wine in Tuscany, so don't miss her NYC restaurant picks below! Follow her adventures in the Big Apple and beyond on Twitter: @marisaznyc.

Trip Styler Tip :: Accumulate and redeem Starwood points at both above-mentioned Parker hotels.

1/ Pick your top 3 trip styles and why?
[trip style = beach + urban/sightseeing] After moving back to NYC from LA, the only way I could make it through the winter was escaping to the Caribbean, Mexico, or far flung beach destinations in Asia, Europe and South America. For me, it's the combination of trip style = urban + beach that creates the ultimate trip: visiting historical sights and museums, taking a few days to relax in the sun and enjoying great meals. For example, a trip to Italy would consist of a stop in Florence and Rome, followed by some time in Positano and Capri. Last year I went to Turkey and combined Istanbul with Bodrum.

[trip style = weekend getaway] A big part of living in NYC is being able to escape! It’s an amazing city, but definitely a tiring one. In the summer, I usually head to the Hamptons for some R&R and in the winter I crave sun. My go-to destination is Florida since my parents live down there and it’s a quick flight.

2/ What items are always on your packing list?
- American Apparel shiny black leggings---great for dressing up or down
- A large scarf or pashmina for the plane to keep warm
- iPad---makes flights go by faster when I load it with movies, books, etc...
- Nikon camera

3/ You currently live in NYC; what are some of your fave restaurants?
I am a huge foodie {I even starred on the NBC show America’s Next Great Restaurant}, so I'm always trying new restaurants, and New York City is the best place for that! I like to mix it up between cheap eats, divey places and top-rated.

A few of my favorites are:
- the burger joint and Norma’s at Le Parker Meridien $
- Meatball Shop $
- Café Habana $-$$
- La Esquina $-$$
- Eataly {I can get lost in the market there…} $-$$$
- Balaboosta $$
- ABC Kitchen $$
- Casa Mono $$
- The Dutch $$$
- Marea $$$
- Spotted Pig $$$

4/ Carry-on or checked bag?
If I'm traveling for five days or less I do carry-on. For longer trips I usually check.

5/ Last trip, next trip and what destination{s} are on your radar?
I was gone a lot of December and January in Southern Florida {Delray Beach and Miami}, Palm Springs and Los Angeles. I'm visiting Brazil for the first time in a little over a week and I can’t wait. I'll be there for Carnival! Not surprisingly, the trip will be split between trip style = urban + beach in Rio de Janiero and the luxe, oceanfront town of Buzios. In Rio I'll be staying on an old coffee plantation at the Relais and Chateaux Hotel Santa Teresa, and in Buzios at the chic boutique resort, Casas Brancas. In the spring I'm off to Cabo, and hoping to take another international trip this summer! I'm dying to check out Morocco or Portugal and return to Spain.

6/ Do you have any travel rituals you follow each time you jetset?
I always try and research to make some dinner or ticket reservations before I travel. I will hit up friends who've been to the destination as well as read articles/reviews online. Then I like to map out my days, so I have a loose itinerary {not too rigid} of the places to see and things to do. If I'm traveling internationally, I will send an email to the concierge to help with any reservations, but if it's domestic, I handle it myself. It’s key to do this, because in some countries, sites/museums are closed on random days, so you don’t want to miss something important if you're only in a place for a short amount of time.

More Savvy Travelers
Christina, Taking Care Of Biz
Charles, The Global Travel Influencer
Bryce, The Pilot

{If you know anyone who should be featured in our once-monthly The Savvy Traveler series, drop us a line!}

[photo c/o Marisa]

Jetset Jingles :: Portland

[trip style = weekend getaway + urban]

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

I recently read that Portland is considered the “Mecca of indie rock"---a place where budding bands congregate and a home to well-established indie rockers. Whether it be the unique neighborhoods, the vintage feel, or the laid-back attitude, the city of roses has been luring musical talent like it’s going out of style. Artists like Gossip, The Dandy Warhols, The Shins, M. Ward and Elliott Smith were either formed in or relocated to Portland after they gained popularity. Good thing there's a lot of food trucks, because grabbing a quick bite is the only way to keep up with all the gigs at popular venues like the Doug Fir Lounge.

If you haven’t already guessed, this month's Jetset Jingles plays homage to the slew of indie rock acts with an attachment to PDX---consider it your plane, train or automobile starter soundtrack to some of Portland's best musical acts.

Happy listening….

Song List 1/ Modest Mouse - Float On {from Good News for People Who Love Bad News} 2/ Gossip - Heavy Cross {from Music for Men} 3/ Spoon - The Underdog {from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga} 4/ The Dandy Warhols - Bohemian Like You {from Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia} 5/ She & Him - Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? {from Volume One} 6/ The Shins - New Slang {from Oh, Inverted World} 7/ Elliott Smith - Rose Parade {from Either/Or} 8/ Elliott Smith - Waltz, No. 2 (XO) {from XO} 9/ Sexton Blake - Bette Davis Eyes {from Plays the Hits!} 10/Dolorean - How Is It {from The Unfazed}

Playlist

{Can’t view this playlist? Click here.}

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More Jetset Jingles Palm Springs Rat Packin' Caribbean R+R Best of Coachella Turbulence Calm

[photo by @tripstyler]

Portlandia

[trip style = urban + weekend getaway]

Over the next few days I'll be trip style = weekending in Portland, aka Portlandia for those in the know. If you're a regular Trip Styler reader, you're probably aware that I heart the gritty city with a deep NYC & LA kinda love. What other city has more bikes parked in front of restaurants than cars? What other city pours bourbon in the vast majority of all its cocktails? What other city puts bacon on their doughnuts?

PS. Have you seen the series Portlandia with SNL's Fred Armisen? If you've ever been to Portland, or want to go, it's worth a watch.

Some images of my favorite things:

{To Start: Coava & Stumptown Coffee.}

{Whenever I travel by car "locally", my dog @nachoking comes along. Hotels like Fairmont(s), Ace(s), Westin(s), Kimpton(s), etc...all welcome dogs.}

{Voodoo Doughnut, for waistline purposes, a once-a-year indulgence. Maple bacon and oreo peanut butter.}

{To finish: butterscotch pudding at the Irving Street Kitchen.}

Related
Spotlight Portland {part deux}
Spotlight Portland {part one}
Ace Portland
Vancouver to Seattle Must-Stops

[photos by @tripstyler]