Boutique Homes was created out of the desire to feature some of the world’s best design homes and small scale hotels for the discerning traveler. The site launched in the summer of 2010 by Heinz Legler and Veronique Lievre, a pair who know exactly what one needs for a stylish getaway. They’re partners in Verana, an isolated retreat in the jungle of Yelapa, Mexico. Think of Boutique Homes as the Tablet for home rentals and small design hotels. The site includes properties designed by Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, and a multitude of other architecturally minded houses, apartments and hotels. It’s an alternative from the chain hotels or even sifting through all the listings on Airbnb. Their properties also offer more of a personal experience. Though design and architecture is the primary focus, many of their houses are isolated. It’s the perfect retreat from the urban life.

If the photo above won’t conjure any desire to take to the open road then nothing will. New York photographers Sean Sullivan and Mikael Kennedy are a couple of lucky guys. For the next thirty days they will be exploring America. But unlike the explorers who braved the frontier traveling east to west they will travel through the western states. Starting in Los Angeles and heading east into the deserts of New Mexico, then north to the Rockies heading into Montana and finally westward to the Pacific Coast dialing a total of 5,600 miles on the odometer, twice the distance from coast to coast. Their journey begins on April 5th, follow their travels on Ramblers Bone.

Rivendell Mountain Works founded by Larry Horton in 1971, carried the philosophy that “small is beautiful.” They were a cottage industry that produced a small amount of its products with care and craft; about 1000 packs in its nine years of operation according to Oregon Photos. It wasn’t until 2006 when Eric Hardee revived the brand and embraced the company’s original spirit, that a new generation of customers took note of the backpacks. Matt Singer being one of them. His latest collaboration with Rivendell Mountain Works come in the form their popular Mariposa pack, an original design from 1977. These limited edition backpacks will benefit Million Trees NYC – “a citywide initiative dedicated to planting and caring for one million new trees across New York City’s five boroughs.” You can purchase one directly from MattSinger.net.

Detroit has been revving up for some time, with the hum of young, creative entrepreneurs finding opportunity amidst the much lamented urban decay. On a recent day trip there, we just scratched the surface of Detroit’s sprawling neighborhoods, museums, and public art — but we did stumble on a particular block in the Corktown neighborhood that’s been rebuilt with a serious dose of local pride.

In the shadow of the once grand Michigan Central Station is a cluster of activity. SLOWS Bar BQ was one of the first to open on Michigan Avenue, with patrons now willing to wait two hours for their dry rub baby back ribs. A new cocktail bar in the vein of NYC’s Milk & Honey and Angle’s Share recently opened, by the name of Sugar House. A few other businesses are taking root, mainly under the guidance of Phil Cooley and a close knit group of family and friends.

Meghan McEwen is part of that circle. She is also the proprietor of Honor & Folly — a small-scale inn with a focus on design a few storefronts down from Slow’s and Sugar House. She has been writing and documenting her obsession with travel and design for some time on Designtripper, and prior to landing in Detroit she was editor-in-chief for a Chicago design magazine. Her expertise and passion came together with brick and mortar when she opened Honor & Folly.

The inn has a large open living room and kitchen space and two bedrooms. Exposed brick and antiques create a warm, textural backdrop for beautiful and functional objects by local designers (all available for purchase.) In addition, cooking classes and events are hosted in the space. It’s a cozy home base, from which to explore Detroit’s grand architectural relics and wide open avenues.

Next time you’re passing through the Detroit area, stay a little longer. There are sure to be more undiscovered gems waiting.

Michael Muller is on the road again, this time he lands in San Francisco taking in the Dieter Rams exhibition at SF MoMA and making his way to the Clift hotel. Read about his experience at the plush and luxurious hotel.

It used to be that restaurants were an afterthought to hotels, but times have changed, it’s now an integral part of the overall experience. Hotels have partnered up with restaurateurs that are so good, they can be stand alone establishments. To go even further, established restaurants are now venturing into the business themselves, by expanding their brand into lodging accommodations. Fergus Henderson and his business partners are doing just that. This Saturday will see the opening of St. John Hotel. The famed chef that has revived nose-to-tail dining is giving his guests a place to rest. “Nose-to-tail eating has become from table to bed.” The hotel is autonomous from their other restaurants but holds the same amount of attention when it comes to dining. Breakfast, lunch and dinner along with smaller meals in between called Elevenses and Little Bun Moments will be offered. The rooms are sparse, comforting and utilitarian. “The lights switch on and off, the taps go from hot to cold and there’s more than a touch of glamour.”