Interview: National Geographic Photographer, Stephen Alvarez

Two decades of near-death experiences, changing technology and the creative process that emerges

Few people know about the power of image-making as well as a National Geographic photographer. While the final photographs published in the glossy pages of the yellow-bordered magazine speak a thousand, powerful words, the people behind the lens are often more elusive. We had the pleasure of interviewing Stephen Alvarez, who’s been working (or, survived working) for National Geographic since 1995, and are sure his …

Word of Mouth: Cape Cod

A beachside vacation destination where charm, tradition and whimsy meet

by Kate McLeod Cape Cod—Massachusetts’ hook-shaped peninsula—was home to the Wampanoag Native American people for centuries before becoming a popular vacation destination in the 1940s. The peninsula’s natural beauty was formed by glaciers about 25,000 years ago, and its stunning landscape—including dunes, kettle ponds, salt marshes, cranberry bogs and more—has long been explored by bike or on foot. New restaurants and revamped hotels have been …

QWSTION’s Bags for the Urban Traveler

Refined unisex backpacks and weekenders designed for versatility and durability

Founded in 2008 in Zurich, QWSTION was the brainchild of five guys with varied international backgrounds—Swiss, Dutch, Austrian, American and French—which explained why they were traveling so much. “The reason for starting the company was the fact that we could not find a suitable bag for ourselves,” co-founder Hannes Schönegger tells CH. “We either had nice looking bags, but no functionality for people who travel …