*notcot -
10.14.12
, 11:50 -
It has been quite the week, so, apologies for being a bit quiet. A last minute super packed trip to San Francisco came up, so jumped in the car and ended up barely able to have enough time to sleep let alone post (feel’s like a first i a while!) and just got back to Los Angeles, missing the Endeavour have its slow parade like drive across LA, but just in time to wake up and watch the Red Bull Stratos jump - LIVE! And it was mesmerizing… stunning to see the views and how fast he was freefalling! “Red Bull Stratos, a mission to the edge of space, will attempt to transcend human limits that have existed for 50 years. Supported by a team of experts Felix Baumgartner plans to ascend to 120,000 feet in a stratospheric balloon and make a freefall jump rushing toward earth at supersonic speeds before parachuting to the ground. His attempt to dare atmospheric limits holds the potential to provide valuable medical and scientific research data for future pioneers.” And wow - it was quite a sight to see even via laptop… See screenshots from the event moments ago on the next page, and find out more about the mission and the team at Red Bull Stratos!
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*notcot -
10.08.12
, 12:24 -
We’re in San Francisco! Here’s a peek at some of the random finds that have grabbed my cell phone camera’s attention while running around the city…
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*rugenius -
10.05.12
, 00:01 -
This week’s roundup from NotVentures include discovering Monaco by moped, top spots for sea turtles and a stunning Japanese fruit market. To find out more about each destination, click on its own image.
*notcot -
09.28.12
, 13:16 -
The last few months have been a non-stop burst of trips trailing from Los Angeles to Nashville and Cincinnati (and the roads between) to Istanbul, San Diego, Linz, Venice, London, Florence and more… The biggest difference this summer? More personal trips than work trips! (Though many overlap!) Ultimately it made me realize how insanely picky i’ve become when picking my own hotels… and finding the awesome, not so touristy, fun spots to check out!
So, on new online experiences to help with such dilemmas, enter - Valet! Launched by our friend and jetsetter, Josh Spear with Aaron Rutledge, Valet is an exclusive new travel company filled with a carefully curated collection of hotels and travel guides with favorites from folks like Josh Rubin of CoolHunting, Jeff Staple, Ben Clymer of Hodinkee, and you can even find some of my favorites showing up on the site bit by bit. As they say, “Our curators are some of the most interesting and influential people in the world. For many of them, Valet was a safe place to finally share their city secrets.”
While this is just the beginning, there are nearly 100 hotels in over 50 cities around the globe in the system already ~ and in addition to the New York City guide, Shanghai is right around the corner! Being an exclusive, curated membership site they are looking to build a community for “creative professionals, tastemakers and frequent travelers who appreciate curation, design, and great value over bargain-basement price shopping and recommendations amassed from dozens of anonymous reviews.” And one of my favorite details of their system? On top of special benefits and pricing at some of my usual hotels… no physical card to add to my ever growing wallet! They’ve made their membership cards digital, so you can easily pull them up on your phone/laptop/Apple Passbook. Also keep an eye out for their upcoming iPhone and iPad apps.
You can apply here and use the code: NOTCOT to get in early and lock in the launch membership rate of $199/year. Ready to take a peek at what you can find inside Valet? See screenshots for a sneak peek inside Valet on the next page!
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*rugenius - , 00:00 -
This week’s roundup from NotVentures features elephant polo, beautiful libraries and bizarre museums. To find out more about each destination, click on its individual image.
*notcot -
09.23.12
, 10:30 -
Phew - Back home in LA now! Beyond what makes it to posts, every trip seems to accumulate a pile of cellphone/instagram photos. You’ve seen the ones from Istanbul and Linz (and part II)… so between London to Florence and back to London for design week/exploring… the last 2 weeks has also lead to a wealth of randomness that hasn’t made it into regular posts. Some made it to instagram and twitter, others seemed like a waste to leave in my phone and not remember them somewhere! So if you’re ready for an epic photo dump of the silliness and inspiration that popped up the last two weeks… click on to the next page!
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*rugenius -
09.21.12
, 00:21 -
This week’s roundup from NotVentures features fall foliage, diving in the Solomon Islands, and Thai markets. To find out more about each destination, click on its individual image.
*notcot -
09.16.12
, 03:14 -
Currently in Florence, Italy with Mercedes-Benz to try out the new CLS Shooting Brake. It’s quite fun (esp the AMG one) ~ and even prettier in person! Josh Rubin of CoolHunting and i were driving together for much of today, and as we went from airport to castle to florence and such, we were ultimately hunting for the ultimate tree/forest lined spot to shoot some car pictures… and as i was driving, Josh suddenly found the perfect spot and although we had to go a few twists and turns before being able to safely turn back to make it up the street he spotted, it was totally worth it!
Welcome to Località Lilliano near Poggibonsi, Siena, Italy. It is one of the most magical streets you’ll ever wander down. The trees are AMAZING. The way they branch… the lush green color… the way they line the whole street… the way the sunlight dances through the leaves and off the matte designo magno white paint job of the CLS Shooting Brake… SO. before i crash this 3am, i had to share these pictures of the Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake and the trees on the next page!!!
p.s.
There’s something very Rorschach looking about some of the tree images!
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*rugenius -
09.07.12
, 00:59 -
This week’s roundup from NotVentures includes Tuscan escapes, Madagascan baobabs and Chinese quarry gardens. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.
*notcot -
08.31.12
, 09:19 -
More fun crazy inspiration i’ve run into in Linz that has been captured on my cell phone (all of these, once again, are on the HTC One S which i finally got unlocked, so some pics popping up on instagram/twitter while i’m here now!) The first batch of craziness can be seen here.
This time we have everything from subtle MUSTACHE building! To a peek at the behind the scenes set up of the F.U.C.K. Project… fun signage and typography… toy store adventures… the super bright colors of Ar Electronica at night… stamping my arm with infographics… the solar sintering contraption in real life… and more! See it all on the next page!
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*rugenius - , 00:00 -
From the best luxury hotel suites in Las Vegas to the world’s scariest bridges, this week’s roundup from NotVentures has it all. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.
*notcot -
08.29.12
, 11:00 -
We just moved into the Spitz Hotel in Linz, Austria, which is a stone’s throw from Ars Electronica, and a spacious boutique designer hotel that i’m currently giddy about. Take a peek inside our room and you’ll see why… Also, i’ve never moved to a hotel in part because of their SPONGE and awesome branding… the use of the Spitz Hotel red star/burst is all over the room in tiny details that just give it a fun playful spark! And the details of their custom desks - with cut acrylic inlays for stationery and hotel information and a cutout of their burst logo in the powder coated steel of course too. Anyhow, must run off to help set up for the exhibition, but wanted to give you guys a peek into our new room first! See it all on the next page!
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*notcot -
08.28.12
, 17:15 -
I’ve tagged along with Shawn Sims and Golan Levin to Linz, Austria as they showcase the Free Universal Construction Kit in its entirety and accept their award at Ars Electronica Festival. It’s been quite the journey to get here (i’ve never blown a tire as we pulled away from the gate, which led to 2 hours on the tarmac waiting to get a tire changed… which of course resulted in missing our connection… and a few bonus hours of Frankfurt lounge time)… and running around, wandering, exploring, and relaxing, which inevitably means a slew of random pictures (perfect excuse to properly test out my HTC One S camera)… See the inspiration of the last day or two on the next page!
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*rugenius -
08.24.12
, 00:00 -
This week’s roundup from NotVentures includes everything from LA’s hottest tables to escapes to Bora Bora. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.
*rugenius -
08.17.12
, 00:00 -
This week’s roundup from NotVentures features escapes to Angkor Thom, Corfu, Barbados and more. To find out more about each destination, click on its individual image.