Word of Mouth: Fairbanks

The aurora borealis, skijoring, street art and more in our guide to the Alaskan city

A confluence of accident and opportunism led to the founding of Fairbanks when businessman E.T. Barnette‘s steamship ran aground in the Chena River in 1901. It seems a natural progression then that over 100 years later—following gold and oil booms and busts, and statehood in 1959—Alaska’s second largest city remains a place of hyper-local, entrepreneurial free enterprise. Here, chance meets necessity and life is inextricably …

The James Royal Palm Hotel

Local inspiration fuels the revival of a Miami icon

“Design is always a collaborative process,” says Lauren Rottet, the founder of Rottet Studio and head designer of the freshly minted The James Royal Palm Hotel. The subject of a recent $42 million renovation, The James’ latest property has tapped into Miami’s local and extended community of hospitality, design, art and culinary talent. Rottet headed up the interior redesign that defines the hotel, mentioning the …

Word of Mouth: Scottsdale

We discover local flavor in food and design throughout the resort town

The Sonoran desert and foothills of the McDowell Mountains in Scottsdale inspired Frank Lloyd Wright to build Taliesin West as his personal winter home in 1937, and since that time the gorgeous topography has continued to draw people to the region. In the growing resort town known for galleries filled with Southwestern art, shops piled high with turquoise jewelry and a massive number of resorts, …