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Because no two journeys are the same, we check in with a few of our frequent flyer friends to find out some of their favourite spots, must-see places, and essential carry-ons

interviews by Will HALBERT

Neil Barrett
Co-founder of Standard & Strange Oakland, California & Santa Fe,
New Mexico

First off, tell us a little about what you do and why that entails a little travel.
I’m a co-founder of Standard & Strange, a menswear store in Oakland, California (and Santa Fe, New Mexico as of this month) and do a bit of everything. I’m traveling for 2-3 months of the year for the store, visiting trade shows to do our buying, visiting vendors and the mills and factories that make the products we stock, and above all, having fun and really getting to know the folks we work with on a deep, personal level. It takes me all over the world and is simultaneously a criminal amount of fun and a staggeringly brutal grind.

Where was the last place your role took you?
NYC for trade shows, in a few days I’m going to Santa Fe to get our new store open for business.

Outside of work responsibilities, where’s your favourite place to travel?
Getting on my motorcycle and doing 1-2 week road trips alone. I clear out all the apps on my phone that pester me with notifications and I tell my staff to ‘only call me if I need to turn around and go home’. It’s the other end of the spectrum, just two wheels, an open road and my own thoughts. I’ve got a BMW GS, and it takes me damn near anywhere. I’ll bring camping gear with me, head to the American Southwest and camp on public land. 

Beyond the usual toothbrush and a change of underwear, are there any personal essentials that you feel compelled to take along for the ride with you when travelling?
Merino wool tees. I’ve been wearing them every day for over 10 years and they’re the absolute best. I’ve tried them all and Outlier’s tees are head and shoulders above the rest. I’m a very light packer – one pair of jeans, a couple collared shirts, and 2-3 changes of merino tees/underwear/socks will last me 1 month on the road easily. I’m not a criminal – I do laundry on the road, whether it’s in the hotel room sink or having someone launder it for me. Bose wireless noise canceling headphones make flying much more comfortable. The worst part about flying is having to listen to the conversations of other Americans. One of the best remedies for jet lag is 20-30 minutes of regular exercise. I run – the kit is simple and it’s really great to wake up early in a new city/neighborhood and go running. You’ll see parts of the city you otherwise wouldn’t.

In terms of back home: When is the best time to visit your city? Where are some of the best places
to visit?
Spring, Summertime and Autumn are great times to visit the Bay Area. Some of the best restaurants in the country are out here, both in Oakland and San Francisco. One of the best parts of living here is the nature that’s within a few hours of driving. Yosemite is a must-visit if you’ve got the time, the wine country in Napa/Sonoma is incredible, and there’s always a road trip up or down the coast. I always recommend doing a 50/50 split between time in Oakland/San Francisco and taking a road trip and spending time in nature.

Any tourist traps or places we should avoid?
The only redeeming feature of Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco is the In-N-Out Burger there, but you can find ’em elsewhere.  Alcatraz is fantastic – it’s one of the few touristy things that are worth doing. Walking across the Golden Gate Bridge is very overrated. Drive across it and go for a hike in the Marin Headlands instead.Traffic is always a shitshow in the Bay Area. Don’t rent a car while staying in SF/Oakland. Rent a car for road trips. 

And lastly, any countries, cities, journeys or pilgrimages that you’d like to tick off the list?
I’ve got a good friend living in Zimbabwe that I’ll visit next year. I’ve never visited Africa but Zimbabwe in particular is meant to be a very special place. I’ve also wanted to do walk the Camino de Santiago trail in Spain – it’s an old pilgrimage route that’s been traveled by hundreds of thousands since AD800. It’s a 500-mile walk and takes around 30-40 days to do the full route.

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Mike LOWE
Brand Ambassador for Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Whisky
Sydney, Australia 

First off, tell us a little about what you do and why that entails a little travel.
Mostly what I do is communicate with people, especially those uninitiated and those who have genuine love for Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Whisky. How I do this is a much longer answer.

Where was the last place your role took you?
Adelaide, Australia. But the opportunities have been incredible in the past year, with trips planned to Italy, Greece, Iceland, Argentina, Singapore and of course, all around Australia.

Outside of work responsibilities, where’s your favourite place to travel?
Tasmania is a real beauty! I’m most at home around farmland and outback areas, which is the great attraction of Tasmania. It’s so filled with local produce and artisan providores that to visit is to be left with a hunger for more.

Beyond the usual toothbrush and a change of underwear, are there any personal essentials that you feel compelled to take along for the ride with you when travelling?
Don’t forget your towel! You’re always near a beach somewhere. I carry my Monkey Shoulder towel and thongs everywhere I go.

In terms of back home: When is the best time to visit your city? Where are some of the best places to visit?
All through the summer months – December through April, to really capture that Australian escapism that has captured people’s wanderlust since the 1980s. Everyone’s usually at the beach during this time, and those long, hot summer days really stretch for ages. A week takes a month and eventually you wonder if you’ll ever leave.

There are far too many local bars to name, but when you’re in town check out Maybe Mae (Adelaide), Fancy Free (Melbourne), The Gresham (Brisbane), Maybe Sammy (Sydney), and Dutch Trading Co. (Perth). You can’t always place that special something about a venue that makes it feel like you’re always welcomed as a friend. These places are but a few that Australia can boast for providing that down to earth and jovial hospitality for when people imagine their yet-unmet Australian mate.

Any tourist traps or places we should avoid?
Sometimes Bondi feels like the busiest place on earth, but that’s because it’s considered one of the best beaches in the world. If you feel the need to visit but don’t want to be overcrowded, head to one of the neighbouring beaches less than 5mins walk away. Same same, but different.

And lastly, any countries, cities, journeys or pilgrimages that you’d like to tick off the list? 
Brazil! They seem to teach ‘The Art of the Party’ in school. The whole country is so alive.

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Tristan Banning & Hawley Dunbar
Co-Founders of Sidewalk Hustle
Toronto, Canada

First off, tell us a little about what you do and why that entails a little travel.
We are Hawley Dunbar and Tristan Banning and we run the lifestyle website Sidewalk Hustle. We write about art, music, fashion, culture, and as such we find ourselves in new and wonderful places.

Where was the last place your role took you?
We were just in Chicago for Lollapalooza Music Festival with ASICS Tiger. The week before that we were in New York visiting Dia:Beacon, an old box factory turned art gallery. It is a stunning collection and well worth going to. Check out our Instagram @SidewalkHustle to see some fantastic pictures. Before that Lisbon, and Berlin were the most ‘overseas’ adventures. 

Outside of work responsibilities, where’s your favourite place to travel?
Japan. We LOVE it there and try to get out that way as much as possible. We were last out that way in March for a couple of weeks. We made a special trip south of Tokyo to Naoshima Island and stayed at the Benesse House.  It is an incredible place. There are several museums with dozens of large scale pieces of art outside in the ‘wild’ spread across a relatively small and easy to access area.

Beyond the usual toothbrush and a change of underwear, are there any personal essentials that you feel compelled to take along for the ride with you when travelling?
We always over pack. We are not light travellers. Tons of shoes, clothes, accessories, camera gear, on and on. But the one thing we bring everywhere, the real secret weapon, is our portable steamer. Having freshly steamed clothing is so key. You don’t want to look like a slob with wrinkled clothes, and sometimes you don’t want to iron clothes for various reasons. We usually have to get a new one once a year because we use it so much. 

In terms of back home: When is the best time to visit your city? Where are some of the best places to visit?
Home is Toronto, and the best time to visit is summer. Winter isn’t that bad (subjective we know), but if you want to see how incredible Toronto, is come in the summer. The parks are full of people hanging out being social. Usually somewhere in the city is a street, food, beer festival/party. If you can swing it, come the first weekend in August. It’s a long weekend so the city parties. There is Caribana, a large Caribbean street carnival; there is a large, two day music festival uptown; there is a two-day festival put on by Drake downtown. The weather is usually pretty amazing.  It’s a wild time. 

Any tourist traps or places we should avoid?
Toronto isn’t that big compared to other global cities. A lot of the ‘tourist traps’ – the likes of the CN Tower, Kensington Market, and some shopping and food spots along Queen West and Ossington – are actually the main attractions. So no, nowhere to avoid!

And lastly, any countries, cities, journeys or pilgrimages that you’d like to tick off the list? 
We haven’t headed down to anywhere in South America so anywhere there is on the list. We also would like to spend some time exploring South East Asia. Somewhere with nice beaches, because winter will be upon us soon enough.