The Oahu Quick-Change

[trip style = sun + beach]

When Trip Styler Sis and I were in Oahu a few months ago, we went completely gaga over a tropical trend we spotted: Beach-goers changing from their bathing suit to everyday clothes in the sand or beside the road. Forget the changing room or beach bathroom, they had the après-beach change dialed to a stealthy, one-minute affair. We wanted in. I mean, who doesn't want to channel the aloha attitude of Oahu's quick-change artists?

To teach us the art, we met someone who lives this lifestyle every day; chef, artist, free diver, champion spear fisher AND Patagonia Ambassador Kimi Werner. Here's what she told us about the Oahu quick-change and life on the island's North Shore.

1/ What's the background story of the après-beach quick-change? When you're surrounded by water and a warm climate you develop an ocean lifestyle. I think we become less conservative and more laid-back. Since we spend so much time in bikinis or board shorts, we get used to not wearing as much clothing as people from other places, so changing by the roadside becomes less of a big deal. It's practical. Change quickly and go on to your next experience.

2/ Is there an art to changing by the road or at the beach?
String bikinis are the easiest, because you can just throw on clothes, pull the strings to untie the suit and whip them out of your shirt sleeves or shorts. Or you can use a towel. Just wrap yourself up, drop your bottoms, undo your top and replace with dry clothes. And voila!

3/ What are some essential ingredients for the quick-change?
Clothes and a towel.

4/ What do locals do about storing their wallet and keys while they're at the beach?
If you don't have to bring it, don't, though most people stash their essentials out of sight and hide their keys while they're in the water. Otherwise, attach a lockbox to the outside of your car and put your keys in there.

5/ What are your favorite beaches on Oahu?
Waimea Bay and Sunset Beach.

6/ Best place to catch the sunset on Oahu?
Sandy's Beach.

PS. Don't miss Kimi's breathtaking {literally} video about her island life, the ecosystem and encountering a great white shark on a research trip.

[photos in order of appearance: 1 - Jeff Johnson, courtesy of Patagonia / 2 + 3 - Jake Marote / 4 - Malia Yoshioka]

*A special thank you to my friend, foodie and all-around nice gal Malia for making this possible.

Hola Hualtulco

[trip style = beach + sun + budget-conscious]

It's 5:15pm on Dec 29th. Mr. Trip Styler and I are combing the travelsphere for a flash of sun-spiration. Huatulco, Mexico's heat and hues grab our attention. We've never been and the flight leaves in a day. As the sound of rain drips in a hypnotic drone from my balcony, spending the first week of 2014 consuming cervezas and guacamole al fresco turns from window shopping to buying. Before booking we check the weather report---an upside of last-minute travel---to confirm tropical temps and steer clear of the Polar Vortex. Seven straight days of sun makes the harried should we? moment before hitting "submit" so much easier: Hola Huatulco.

Hualtulco hugs the base of Mexico's Pacific Coast so far south it's the last major beach destination until Central America. "Do you love Huatulco?" "It's beautiful, si?" are the main questions asked by shopkeepers and taxi drivers. They're fiercely proud of their stomping grounds, a collection of 36 beaches and nine bays nestled into the cactus-covered coastline. If you have a private boat {or an affinity for bushwhacking} like some of the snowbirds we met, they'll tell you tales of many more beaches and bays.

Until recently, most of the spots I've visited in Mexico are driven by international tourism. Huatulco is different. Local hotels occupy every few buildings and far outnumber the big and beachy structures frequented by winter-averse margarita mavens. Beach dwellers are mostly Mexicans. Residents and visitors pay the same cab fares and eat at the same restaurants. This we're-all-in-the-same-boat approach to tourism is refreshing, like a cold Corona on the beach.

Beaches 

Arrocito Beach

Arrocito Beach

Tangolunda Beach

Tangolunda Beach

Chahue Beach

Maguey Beach

Maguey Beach

Maguey Beach

Maguey Beach

Tejon Beach

Tejon Beach

Tejon Beach

My beach read: Life by Keith Richards. About 200 pages in, you won't want to put it down. Tales of the Rolling Stones' shenanigans at concerts, in hotel rooms and on private jets will either conjure a love for your normal life or lust after fame.

Food

Just opposite the main square in La Crucecita, Los Portales glows in technicolor with neon, plastic-woven chairs---a take on the famed Acapulco chair---bright lights and eye-popping dishes.

A bottle of Pacifico washed down my best chicken taco meal in Huatulco at Restaurante Arely, a festive locals' joint a few blocks off La Crucecita's main square.

MediterraneO, an on-the-beach, shipwreck-style restaurant we visited three times sporting swings as bar stools and wooden tables decorated with yellow gerbera daisies. Visit at night---9 or 10pm---to dance the night away to the rhythm of live music. Find it in the Santa Cruz neighborhood.

Don't rule out the beach for good food, either. At Maguey Beach we secured an umbrella and lounges for ordering a few Pacificos and guac.

Shop

Museo de Artesanias Oaxaquenas, a family collective of artisans making carpets, blankets and scarves by handweaving colors sourced from the land to dye local wool. Find it in the center of downtown La Crucecita.

Hotel
Hotel Villablanca, a modest, little off-the-beach abode with included breakfast and WiFi. It's so well positioned two blocks from the beach, near a grocery store and a 15-minute walk from town that a flock of snowbirds winter here, meeting every day for breakfast and happy hour by the pool. Rooms are basic, beds are hard {common at local hotels in Mexico} and the grounds are well kept. From $60 per night.

Recommendations
- Cash is king. Credit cards are not widely accepted in local joints. Take out pesos as you need them at one of the many bank machines in town {HSBC, ScotiaBank, BancoMex and more}. - Brush up on your Spanish beyond "donde esta el bano" and "un cerveza por favor." English is not widely spoken.
- Cabs are very reasonable, with small trips starting at $2 or 25 pesos. Tip up.
- If you want to explore the local beaches, which I recommend, bring a beach umbrella. The breeze is light and won't overturn your shelter and there isn't much shade.
- Casual clothes are du rigueure {read: I never wore the wedges I packed, only my sandals, but know that I didn't stay at big, beachfront resort}.
- While you should always be street-smart when you travel, I never felt unsafe.
- Of course only drink bottled water and try all the local food!

[photos by @tripstyler]

Travel Detox

If coffee wasn't such a treasured ritual in my morning routine, I could stop drinking it right now. I've found a smoothie that gives me so much energy I don't even need my morning americano. The Glowing Green Smoothie was created by nutritionist Kimberly Snyder, whose famous fans and devoted smoothie drinkers include Drew Barrymore, Dr. Oz, Fergie, Josh Duhamel, Olivia Wilde, Kerry Washington and Owen Wilson.

Packed with dark, leafy greens and naturally sweetened with fruit, this green smoothie boosts your energy level, cleans your body of harmful toxins, oxygenates your blood, supports your immune system, stimulates your digestion and brightens your skin. It's also the ideal pre- and post-travel detox. I'd like to think it cancels out the happy hour fries, cocktails and erratic international eating. If you're craving it on your travels, ask for it at your hotel; many take custom room service orders and some resorts even have smoothie stations similar to omelet stations. And if you're in LA, visit Snyder's Glo Bio juice and smoothie bar. Oh, did I mention it's delicious?

My take on the Glowing Green Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup coconut water (try ZICO Natural 100% pure coconut water from hand-harvested Thai coconuts)
• 1/2 bunch spinach, rinsed
• 1/2 head romaine, rinsed
• 4 sticks celery, chopped
• 1 pear, cored & quartered
• 1 green apple, cored & quartered
• 1 banana, peeled & halved
• 1/2 lemon (juice & grated rind)

Instructions

1. Fill blender with water, coconut water, spinach and romaine, and blend until smooth (30-60 seconds depending on your blender).
2. Add celery, apple and pear, and blend until smooth.
3. Add banana and lemon and blend. Add 1/4 cup water if too thick.

* Yields approximately 60 oz (4-5 servings of 12-16 oz)

* Nutritional information and original recipe here

* Mix it up a little; vary ingredients with chard, kale, cucumber, cilantro, or parsley * Tastes best cold and can be stored in fridge up to three days or frozen and thawed overnight

This post is written by Trip Styler fashion and lifestyle blogger Heather.

[photo by @heatherlovesit]