We love skiing, but wasting valuable slope time in lift lines? Not so much. Happily, there's a new shortcut: the eight-suite chalet Bighorn Revelstoke, in British Columbia, where you can go from bed to helipad to glacial bowls in a matter of minutes.

The James Bond-worthy amenities don't stop there (and they don't come cheap, either--prices start at $64,976 for seven days' exclusive use for up to 16 guests). After dismissing your heli-pilot, you can survey tomorrow's terrain from your outdoor hot tub, have the chef sizzle up the teppanyaki grill, get a massage in your private spa, or play pool by the light of a roaring fire. But our favorite way to relax after powering through powder all day? Settle in for a movie night (The Spy Who Loved Me, natch) at the chalet's private cinema.

Photo: Courtesy of Bighorn Revelstoke

We're pushovers for a provocateur, and few designers deserve that label more than Jean Paul Gaultier. Over the past four decades, he's evolved from enfant terrible to fashion's elder statesman without seeming to have aged a day (perhaps it has something to do with his boyish white-blonde 'do). And now, thanks to the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts' exhibition The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk, you don't have to be a boldface name to get up close and personal with the designer.

The retrospective includes 140 of Gaultier's showstopping pieces, along with sketches, costumes, movie excerpts, and videos. And, of course, the Madonna cone bra. That's a lot of blond ambition for one room.

The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk, tickets $15, through October 3 in Montréal. Subsequent tour stops include Dallas, San Francisco, Madrid, and Rotterdam.

Photo: Courtesy of Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

Train journey, or cruise? Canadian Rockies, or Alaska's Glacier Bay? If you're finding it tricky to decide on your next vacation, cruise company Holland America and Canada's luxe private train operator Rocky Mountaineer are offering 12 innovative Rail & Cruise packages that will appeal to the indecisive traveler.

All packages include seven days cruising along the west coast of Canada into Glacier Bay, Alaska, passing porpoises and whales on the way to hardscrabble frontier fishing villages like Sitka and Ketchikan. While rail options chug past rocky peaks and trees as far as the eye can see--which is pretty far, thanks to the panoramic glass-domed viewing carriages.

Train stops can include top Canadian Rockies highlights (Jasper, Yoho, and Banff) and overnights at posh hotels such as the Fairmont Banff Springs, depending on class of service. Keep an eye out for the Silverleaf option, a new mid-range level debuting on select routes. Think of it as the ultimate ode to enjoying the journey.

Rocky Mountaineer Rail & Cruise Packages, departures from Seattle or Vancouver May 8 through September 11, 2011, starting at $2,755

Photo: Courtesy of Rocky Mountaineer

The grass (or in this case, glass) is always greener on the other side. And that'll definitely be the case at the Templar Hotel, a Canadian newcomer opening in Toronto's entertainment district at the end of February.

This design-conscious glass and aluminum hotel will undoubtedly draw style-seekers to its lobby full of modern art and its 27 retro rooms with custom-built furnishings. But we recommend making a beeline for the bar. Looking up through the Monk Lounge's transparent ceiling into the Onsen Spa pool, you might get a sudden urge to drink less and take better care of your body. Meanwhile, the swimmers peering down will probably be hankering for a post-dip cocktail.

No matter which way you look at it, the Templar has the appearance of a hot spot in the making.

Photo: Courtesy of Design Hotels