Word of Mouth: Québec City

From Le Festival d'été de Québec to museums, bars and more

A visit to Québec City means stepping outside of the ordinary. While most on the North American continent are used to Spanish or English as the native languages, this Francophone region offers more than their distinct tongue. Only a few years back, the city celebrated its 400th anniversary. This history is evident in every step—it pervades the atmosphere and touches the senses. Positioned along the …

A Robot-Run Hotel Opens in Japan

While other hotels boast about their abundant amenities, prime location and luxurious rooms, Japan’s Henn-na hotel stakes its claim as a leader in efficiency. The recently opened hotel in Huis Ten Bosch—a Dutch-inspired theme-park located in Nagasaki—aims to reduce electricity usage and waste through eight core design concepts. This includes motion-sensing lights, a cutting-edge “radiant panel” air conditioning system and a staff of friendly robots. …

Bowndling Hiking Apparel and Backpacks

A new quality-focused outdoors brand for women, by women

“We believe hiking deserves better clothing,” says the all-women team from young, UK-based label Bowndling, which launched November of 2014. The outdoors industry seems reluctant to merge function with fashion for fear of detracting from tech specs—and as a result, women customers are often stuck with choosing the lesser of two evils: hyper-feminine pieces in shades of neon and hot pink, or shapeless silhouettes that …