Tech Tuesday :: Virtual Shopping

[trip style = any] If you love shopping, especially finding the best deal, you'll love this app.

MyRegistry is marketed as a barcode-scanning, wishlist and registry app for moms or brides-to-be. Yet, I see its value more in the comparison shopping realm, particularly as it relates to shopping while traveling.

How It Works The app uses your iPhone as a barcode scanner, allowing you to scan anything shopping-related. Simply click scan barcode and the screen will register the product, then render a ton of online outlets {with pricing} where the item is available. I just tried the app for a teal-covered, pocket-sized HG2 Miami guidebook I had sitting on my desk. Within a second, I got pricing results from outlets like amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and Target!

As long as you have a wifi connection, the app is golden. Say you're on a trip style = luxe trip in London shopping at Harrods or Harvey Nichols, and you want to buy a Hermes belt or Longchamp bag. Scan the price and see what the options are, then you'll know if you should exercise your credit card in store, or exercise yourself and hightail it out of there to buy it elsewhere.

This free app works with the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.

More Tech Tuesday Get A Callback Google Flight Search Hotel Tonight Getting There Direct Airline Alliance Apps Google Hotel Finder

Roam+Board :: Custom Hotel

[trip style = sun + budget conscious]

Please note: Monday is Canadian holiday, so we're taking the day off to celebrate Thanksgiving. We're back to biz on Tuesday, Oct 11th. 

{I overnighted at this hotel last weekend after cruising from Vancouver to LA and before departing for Vancouver the next day. Members of the Trip Styler community often ask: what's a stylish hotel near Los Angeles International Airport? Ask and you shall receive; this installment Roam+Board answers that question!}

What Designed by the same architect as the LA's iconic Capitol Records building, The Custom Hotel is a recently refurbished, reasonably priced, mod hotel near LAX. In a sea of standard-issue airport hotels, I appreciate the Custom's Jet Age meets minimalist approach.

Where Los Angeles, CA: three minutes from LAX airport, 10 minutes from Venice Beach and 15 minutes from Santa Monica. Bonus: it's beside a Ralph's grocery store and 30 steps from a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf!

When LA is warm and sunny year-round. If you only have a day or two to explore the area and want to stay close to the airport, the Custom is a good launch point. Mid-week prices are 20-40% cheaper than weekend rates.

Who/Why For design-conscious folk who appreciate lemon water in the lobby; a pool with cabanas, cushy couches, cloth chairs and outdoor fire pits; a 60s-inspired open-air restaurant and basic rooms.

Cost Prices start around $97/night and include wifi, an airport shuttle, cardio and weight room.

More Roam+Board Bitter End Yacht Club - BVI Sleep On The Water - London A Woodsy Hideaway - Big Sur, CA

[images via The Custom Hotel & @tripstyler]

Healthy On The Road :: Anthony's Tips

{Editor’s Note: 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.} 

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with one of the most sought-after fitness professionals in Western Canada---Anthony Findlay, founder and owner of Level 10 Fitness. Anthony’s accomplished resume is far too big to summarize here {check out his bio---you’ll be impressed}, but suffice to say, he’s a BIG deal in the health, fitness and high-performance sports world.

Despite his demanding schedule, Anthony lives a balanced life where traveling with his wife {with or without their kids} is a priority. Fortunately, Anthony is no stranger to keeping fit and healthy while traveling; he's responsible for keeping two national sports teams in top form, both at home and away.

I asked Anthony to share his tips for staying healthy on the road:

Be Regular Anthony explained that travelers often start their trip off on the right foot and with the best intentions. Shortly after arriving at their destination, they might visit the gym or even go for a run, but for many, that’s where it ends. Away from the regular schedule, workouts are often the first thing to slip away. Anthony emphasizes that “the beauty of travel is being able to take advantage of whatever is at your disposal.” It can be the perfect opportunity to try new things and add some variety to your fitness routine. Keep up your regular routine, but just mix up the activity. He suggests getting outdoors, planning workouts and adlibbing on others, stating that people are often surprised by what awaits them at their destination. He provided a recent example from his own trip to the island of Kauai. He and his wife had heard the hiking was good, but what they discovered far exceeded their expectations. Before they knew it, their surfing vacation turned into a trekking vacation, and they loved every moment of it! Note: Anthony pointed out that runners and walkers have an advantage while traveling; not only is their form of exercise very transportable, it enables them to see and experience a local area in a way that most travelers don’t.

Bring It If you dig into the Trip Styler archives, you'll find a great piece on the value of throwing a tennis ball into your travel bag. Anthony adds that even if the only thing you get around to doing on your vacation is some stretching at the end of the day, follow it up with a tennis ball massage to work out points of tension. Anthony also suggests throwing a golf ball {great for rolling out your feet after a big day of walking and exploring}, tubing and/or exercises bands into your bag. He shared a recent experience from Las Lenas ski resort in Argentina where he was thankful to have some tools on hand: the Canadian Snowboard Cross team were staying at this relatively remote resort for two weeks. When not competing, they needed to keep up their strength and conditioning program, but lo and behold, the resort had no gym or training facility on site---time to get creative! Using hallways, bathroom stalls, tennis balls, tubing, bands---whatever Anthony could turn into a training tool---they managed to keep their training program together prior to hitting the hill!

Research & Look Ahead Surprises are great, especially if you’re a “go with the flow” kind of person, but there’s also something to be said for having an idea of what lies ahead and gearing up to perform your fitness routine accordingly. Anthony provided a great illustration of this using the Manly Beach area of Sydney, Australia as an example. Having never been there myself, his description of a possible workout had me wanting to pack my gym bag and jump on a plane ASAP. In a nutshell, he said that every beach in the area has a pool at the edge, so an awesome workout would involve a run/swim circuit, where you run from beach to beach, jumping in for some laps at each pool: Shelley to Manly to Freshwater to Curl Curl to Dee Why. Sounds like the gladiator meets beach god/goddess workout, love it! {Note: ladies, you probably need to wear your sport bikini to pull this off!}

What You Need To Stay Healthy Do you have any dietary restrictions or allergies? Remember, many parts of the world aren't equipped with options like we have here. Asking for gluten-free food in some places will get you nothing more than a confused reaction. If this is your situation, then you might need to be prepared with supplements etc., or put some more thought into your destination and the options available there.

Celebrating Right Anthony says that all too often people arrive at incredible destinations and celebrate too quickly. Indulging in food, drink and late nights can be a fun part of travel, but if you’re on a trip style = active & adventure ski trip at Chamonix Mont-Blanc in France, you'll want to be in top form to get the most out of the experience. Anthony added that many people forget about the effects elevation has on everything from rest and recovery to food and fluid requirements. One of his tips for pacing yourself with alcoholic bevs: have a glass of water for every drink.

Seasonality Anthony suggests that many travelers don’t pay enough attention to the time of year they're planning to visit their destination. For example, someone heading to Southeast Asia with visions of beaches and snorkeling may not realize they're visiting in the rainy season {summer and early fall}. This is critical information when he travels with his outdoor athletes---a lesson he learned while in South Korea with the Canadian Snowboard team, where temperatures dropped to -20/-30 degrees Celsius. For lean athletes spending hours on the hill, this is cold and planning around gear, training and recovery times etc., becomes crucial.

More Healthy On the Road… The INSANITY Workout Hydrate! Summer Paddling Healthy Road Trip Choices Make Any Trip Style Healthy The 20-min Exercise Itinerary Active, Relax, Repeat Healthy DIY Plane Snacks Hotel Room Exercises {You can do in your underwear}

[photo: anthony]

Chasing Summer At Sea

[trip style = cruising + spa]

Who: Trip Styler What: A repositioning cruise aboard the NCL Pearl  When: Last week Where: Vancouver to LA with stops in Astoria, WA {cancelled due to treacherous seas} and San Francisco, CA Why: Fall mini break How: RepositioningCruise.com

Sailing from Vancouver to LA I had one goal: chase summer in the direction it's migrating: South.

We were off to a good start. Passing by Vancouver Island, I opened my balcony door to a rush of lukewarm air and was taken by this dramatic sunset with the flare of fall's hottest colours---nougat, camel, purple and charcoal {according to the Fall 2011 Pantone Colour Report}. As we crept southward between 4 and 40km off the Pacific Coast, aside from a picture perfect day in San Francisco, the weather didn’t usher in an extended summer as hoped.

Thank goodness I stumbled upon the ship's spa the first day at sea and found out about the one-week pass to the thermal baths, sauna, steam room and heated ergonomic loungers. When I learned there were only a limited amount of passes sold---120 for a 3,000-passenger ship---I became a regular seeking serenity now. The spa was my poolside; all that was missing were the mojitos. I'd have to settle for apples and chilled water. {Trip Styler Tip :: Whether you're at a resort, all-inclusive or on a cruise, it's imperative to do a self-directed or staff-led tour on the first day of your arrival. Don't make the same mistake as I have in the past, discovering the resort's hidden gems on day three of a four-day trip. You could miss opportunities like the spa pass!}

I’ve never sat in an over-water sauna---at sea nonetheless---until this cruise. Unless I discover a glass-ceilinged sauna that sits at the base of the Grand Canyon or suspended from the top of the Eiffel Tower, nothing will compare. Its dry, woodsy heat mimicked the mid-day heat of the Arizona desert, and when I wanted a break there was a 14-degree Celsius cold plunge pool that I only braved up to my ankles.

As a form of indoor tanning, I lay on a heated, green and blue mosaic-tiled lounger that fit the contours of my back as if it were made for me by a tailor. The gentle heat was so soothing that between snoozing, magazines were the only reading material my eyes could focus on with big pictures and minimal words. To wake up after the heat-induced power tanning session on the lounger, I took a dip in the body-temperature water therapy pool with enough jets to power a 747 and yet another horizontal, contoured relaxation area that sent bubbles upward massaging the legs, back and neck.

After spending the better part of my at-sea days heating up, cooling down and lounging Finnish-style in the spa, it was the last day of the cruise. Ironically, the sun had just made an appearance, glistening off the peaks of the gently wavy sea. Chasing summer {mostly} accomplished, thanks to the spa and the San Francisco sun.

Related A Steal At Sea Fashion Friday :: Buoy Oh Buoy Sailing In The Whitsundays Travel Trends :: Larger Than Life At Sea Travel Trappings :: Cruising Essentials Royal Caribbean + DreamWorks = Smart Cruisin’ with the Fam

[photos by @tripstyler]

The Savvy Traveler :: Rachel

[trip style = sun + weekend getaway + luxury]

Rachel is passionate about packing right and bringing the most stylish and apropos ensembles for every trip style. As a freelance fashion writer who has graced the pages of publications like Seventeen.com and Thehuffingtonpost.com, she comes by this obsession naturally. We knew she was The Savvy Traveler's go-to gal for jetsetting in style when we read this: "all the packing advice I came across online was generic and formulaic – not at all the whimsical glimpse into stylish global attire I was hoping for." So she fixed the problem when she started her blog, Suitcase Secrets, where she documents her packing techniques and lists each time she jetsets near and far.

1/ What are your top 3 trip styles and why? 
[trip style = sun + weekend getaway + luxury] I love my home in NYC and think it’s one of the greatest cities in the world, but I get antsy if I don’t head out of town every couple of weeks. Even if it’s just for a couple of days, I love exploring new places and stepping away from my daily routine. Whether it’s trip style = wine touring in Napa to quench my food and wine cravings, trip style = weekending at the W Hotel in Miami for some fun in the sun, or a romantic trip style = luxury getaway to Paris, where my boyfriend and I can stroll through the streets all day and night, traveling is a true treat for me. And when I get to plan an extended trip, it’s even better! I’m off to Italy in a few weeks, and we’re pulling out all the stops to make it a dream trip—first class flights, five star hotels, food and wine tours galore. It’s going to be unreal.

2/ What items are always on your packing list?
I obviously put a lot of thought into each and every suitcase I pack, but some items are so versatile, I never leave home without them. These include:

• Oversized Jee Vice sunglasses
• A pair of skinny jeans from James
• A Tolani scarf
• Intelligent Nutrients bug repelling perfume
• Evian spray
• My laptop and camera
• Goody hair ties and clips
• A pair of Havaiana flip flops

3/ Essential travel gadget or app? 
It’s a toss-up between my computer and camera. As a blogger, I love to document my journeys, and I enjoy looking back on photos from past trips to keep the memories fresh. I also try to stay very connected—the last time I was without my laptop was in South Africa. It was liberating, but also took a lot of adjusting!

4/ Hotel or destination that’s on your radar and why?
I’m normally dying to get to Europe, and have been desperate to go to the south of France for ages, except the timing never seems to work out. Right now I’m really fascinated with staying at the Sofitel Cartagena in Columbia. Between the festive culture, restored colonial mansions and exotic cuisine, I’m pretty excited to check it out. On the other hand, my boyfriend really wants to go to Papua New Guinea. We’ll see which one happens first...

5/ Best trip you've ever taken?
The best trip I’ve ever taken was to St. Lucia and Anguilla back in February. We stayed at Cap Juluca in Anguilla for four nights, and felt so lucky to be able to step out of our suite and straight onto the beautiful white beach. And St. Lucia was seriously magical—we had a breathtaking “sanctuary” with our own private plunge pool at Jade Mountain. There’s no fourth wall in your room, and the views are like nothing you’ve ever seen in your life. Plus, the service was truly extraordinary. I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming!

6/ What are your best practices for packing quickly?
While sometimes packing quickly can be necessary, I actually prefer to spend a bit more time prepping, so I don’t have to stress about what to wear once the trip is underway. Sometimes I try on outfit possibilities and photograph things I like, so I can slip them on exactly as-is once I get to my destination. I also suggest packing wardrobe pieces you wear often and love. It’s great to add in new items or extra special garments as well, and if you bring a bunch of go-to basics, you’ll end up with a ton of options during your trip.

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

More Savvy Travelers
Tiffany, The Luxury Travel Inspector
Lora, The BC & OR Family Travel Expert
Bryce, The Pilot

[photo via rachel]