The Curation: Volume 22
In Residence with Emily Nathan and in-depth diaries of three fantastic Italian trips I've taken in the past 3 years
Lucky number 22! I’m shaking it up a bit, choosing depth instead of variation. First we have a truly fantastic, inspiring interview with one of my idols, Emily Nathan. Then, for paid subscribers, I share three Italian itineraries I’ve done post-pandemic in diary detail. This is something I’ve wanted to do since I started on Substack. Writing it, I got into the flow state the Creatine People are always talking about. I think that means it might be a good one? I hope. It was immensely enjoyable for me to write. Thank you so much for being here and…it’s June!
In Residence with Emily Nathan
This is a big one. A very, very special one. We’re in residence with someone I have admired for years, as I’m sure many of you have as well. Emily Nathan is a thought leader in the travel space, an editor of the highest caliber, and a photographer that captures the world so uniquely. To say I admire her would be a vast understatement.
Chances are, you’ve seen the hashtag #mytinyatlas on a viral photo or ten that you inevitably saved. She founded Tiny Atlas Quarterly, a truly respected name, with the distinct vision of telling travel stories from the professional photographer’s perspective. In doing so, it shares voices and tales not traditionally told. It’s unique, insightful, and downright valuable. It’s a window to the world, a really beautiful one. It’s it’s a name people trust and revere. Something straight up hard to do these days. Emily is also the author and curator of two books I very much need in my collection, My Tiny Atlas: Our World Through Your Eyes, and Coastlines: At The Water’s Edge. Her name on a cover means coffee table placement.
Beyond Tiny Atlas Quarterly, Emily is my favorite travel photographer. Her work achieves the ultimate goal: making people feel something, while inspiring a great curiosity for the world. But also, she’s generous and highly human. TAQ does something very different and highly impactful. They’ve created a platform for travelers, creators, and photographers alike to get paid for their travel imagery with their licensing partners. It’s genius, and incredibly selfless.
You probably already follow @tinyatlasquarterly on Instagram, but do yourself a huge favor and follow Emily as well, @ernathan, right here and right now. In addition to her books, with Father’s Day on the horizon, her Guided Travel Journal with Photography Tips and 50 Postcards From Around the World make the perfect gifts. Or, treat yourself – tiny literary treasures are worth a “why not?” treat.
I’ll forever be grateful for Emily’s generosity and time in sharing the following with me and all of you. It’s entirely inspiring, and incredibly well-written.
Thank you, Emily, to infinity and beyond!
I always have to start by asking, of all the hotels you've stayed at, do you have a favorite? Or two?
This is a hard question. So much about a hotel experience is also about you and your state of mind when you were there (a bath in a massive wooden tub overlooking the Caribbean with the lights out, sky darkening and wind howling over the Caribbean Sea, a room overlooking a bustling antique market in a European capital you have never been to before, a super dark modern swimming pool in Asia after a crazy shoot day, etc).
I am not a big resort person, so that’s good for your readers to know. I like to have an almost no lobby experience. I don’t want to take an elevator to a room, I want to just walk to my room. So when I think back on favorites, those preferences are a big part of the equation. I appreciate the familiarity of a great brand doing its thing though. I used to shoot for a part of Ritz Carlton and it was always a flawless experience. Dove Mountain for them stands out as a gem.
Ok- so I am a beach person but two places pop to mind which are both epic mountain hotels. And location is really the thing for a hotel, right? When a beautiful property is exactly where you want it to be (and in my case it seems, away from everything else unless we are talking city hotels), that sticks out. Azur Lodge just outside Queenstown is extraordinary, the hotel, but also the location. It is hard to fathom how epic the location is. Flying into Queenstown was extraordinary, I was like, is this actually heaven? Same with Borde Baker in the Chilean side of northern Patagonia. A small modern set of rooms laid out on a cliff over a rushing teal river. Visalam in India left a big impression, same with Wategos at the very edge of the cape in Byron Bay, Australia.
While I know you've been so many places, is there a hotel that's on your travel bucket list that you haven't been to yet?
Oh wow, so many! People assume I have been everywhere and know everything, but often, even in places I have been, I have flown in for a shoot, stayed where a client put me and flown out. That said, I have hardly spent any time in the entire continent of Africa outside Morocco (where I have just been for a few days). Singita properties constantly show up as favorites for editors and writers I follow, but of course there are smaller brands doing incredible things that are not as high on my radar yet.
Likewise, many people know I am not the biggest fan of winter so I haven’t been sent to northern destinations as much, but I am keen to go to Norway, so maybe Union Oye there and I have always wanted to stay in the Tree Hotel in Sweden and I have never seen the northern lights, give me any epic northern lights hotel situation. Nihi on Sumba has been on my mental list for ages, and some of the beautiful properties in the UK outside of London like Gleneagles.
Your eye is so special and highly admirable. With that, are there certain things you look for in hotels? Or, places to stay?
I always bring a bathing suit and am a water person, so waterfront locations (and beautiful pools) are always high on my list.
I am so focused on location so it is location first, then I start thinking about hotels when I know I am going. Or if I am putting a trip together for myself or Tiny Atlas, it’s first where (broadly) and what is the experience I am trying to create or capture if it is a shoot, and then property next.
I will almost always choose a boutique property first but I appreciate the appeal of a larger hotel (and loyalty points) or larger hotel chains as well. And when we get into larger chains, I am thinking about their location number one, then about design and sustainability/regenerative choices as well as experience second. I don’t want mini bottles of shampoo and water bottles if the local water is fine.
I want to see brands making choices where it counts with refillable containers, water filling stations, local food, doing good things for the community, renewable power etc. I like where 1 Hotels is going on sustainability (though we should be considering the impact on big renovations and new construction as well) and have enjoyed staying at a few of their properties. The location choices within a destination that 1 hotels is setting down in are excellent.
Another place, Playa Viva is one of the best examples I have experienced of a hotel walking the walk and putting in the work to be a hotel doing good by the land and people.
Oh man, I wanted to go to Playa Viva before but now I must.
Do you have a "happy place" – somewhere (a hotel?) that you return to over and over again?
West Marin and Hawaii are definitely my happy places and our family happy places (my son is planning to be a marine biologist and this in no way was my idea but might be a nuture thing, as we are constantly by the water for vacation). On Hawaii we often stay in rental homes on the Big Island and Kauai (the places we visit the most) but we are almost always in hotels on Oahu since we usually only go for a couple nights before or after one of the outer islands.
On Oahu, I like the Moana Surfrider on the upper floors with a balcony onto the bay, their restaurant terrace on the water is the best breakfast spot (very pricy- worth the money for the view). We recently stayed at Kaimana Beach which is just outside of the main Waikiki zone and, similarly, the higher floors with balconies facing the water are great and the hotel design is cute and fresh. We had a spacious lanai that we spent good time on. The restaurant at Kaimana is right on the beach and has tasty and interesting food and drinks (think grilled hamachi kama, super fresh sushi, local fruit tropical cocktails with crushed ice vibe). They have a cute coffee shop and boutique and also a local surf brand has a shop out front.
We just stayed at the Rosewood Kona Village (I had been to the original version of Kona Village many years ago for a shoot for Travel and Leisure family) and it is the nicest hotel on Hawaii IMHO and a perfect resort (though very expensive). I was there for work, don’t hate me! The stay definitely made me curious to visit more Rosewood properties as every detail was attended to. The sustainability and culturally-minded renovation at Kona Village is world class.
If someone were to ask you about under-the-radar places in the world that deserve going out of your way for, where comes to mind? Hidden gems, you could say.
This is a top request from our Tiny Atlas audience too. I have a hard time with hidden gems because if something is hidden and you have a large reach, do you want to let everyone know? I surf (poorly, but for many years now) and surfers are total gatekeepers. On the one hand, that seems unfair, but on the other hand, surfers like a pristine natural world and I can understand that protective sentiment. Speaking of surf, we did two surf-y trips in partnership with Allswell (a notebook and creative workshops brand), Adobe and Fuji instax in Tofino, BC and Tahiti (Teahupo’o and Mo’orea) years ago and those are destinations I still dream of returning.
A great way to find special locations is to just ask around when you are somewhere (and leave a bit of room or a few days open to spontaneous choices). For example, I was in Auckland for a commercial shoot and I planned to do a Tiny Atlas shoot afterwards. For all the days I was in Auckland, everywhere I went I asked locals where their favorite place was within 2-3 hours drive from town. I had in mind a place I wanted to stay (Waiheke island) but everyone kept saying the Coromandel peninsula (I had never even heard of it). So, I researched it, and went there and it was so gorgeous (I stayed in a rental house on the beach, surprise!).
Alternatively, I think places that are known but less known to Americans because they are harder to get to are good to consider. Uxua in Trancoso, Brazil and Brazil generally is a great one. It’s a massive country with a huge population, nothing hidden about it, but most Americans don’t have Brazil on their lists. Luang Prabang in Laos was a place I had not been interested in before I was assigned a shoot there, and it’s a total gem. Same with Boracay in the Philippines (Boracay had a serious case of over tourism but I think it has been and is continuing to be addressed).
Road trips (and planning for them) are a great way to travel too and there are endless gems you will find moving at a slower pace. Los Poblanos Inn outside Albuquerque and Hell’s Backbone Grill (an inn with an epic restaurant and a restaurant with a few rooms respectively) are both special spots. Los Poblanos for the property design and the food and Hell’s Backbone Grill for the food and the location near the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument are such worthy stops, or worth going out of your way for.
I know you're both a Bay person and a New England person - any favorite hotels here in Northern California and in New England that you feel comfortable sharing with us?
Hmm. Let’s see. I love a neighborhood hotel. A friend got married a long time ago and stayed at the Hotel Drisco (she is born and raised in SF) and that was such a cool way to see San Francisco! In SF everyone lives in the neighborhoods so you are totally outside the tourist zone, but it is in Pacific Heights so, the views alone are fantastic. Do not go if you are not comfortable driving (and parking) on dramatic hills.
I did a shoot once at Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay and it is a beautiful coastal area that is pretty rare to have access to in NorCal (on pristine oceanfront cliffs you guessed it). Indian Springs is a gem in Calistoga as is the new Madrona Hotel in Sonoma. I love the Anderson Valley for anything wine county, Boonville Hotel is a perfect spot. Timber Cove has beautiful design in a great spot on the coast just west of there. Big Sur deserves it’s fame, same with renowned hotels there like Deetjens and Post Ranch Inn.
For New England, we have been spending more time since the pandemic and work going remote (and not going back to in-person). My husband’s family is from Vermont. In Burlington, Hotel Vermont is great. The rooms are bright with nice modern design and local touches. Every time we go to Warren, Vermont I want to stay at the Pitcher Inn but have not yet.
We have been spending more time in Maine but I am just getting to know it. We have been visiting Monhegan Island which is out of time and very special for the last few years. There are just a couple places other than rental homes to stay. The Island Inn is pretty perfect, though simple. We haven’t stayed but we eat at the restaurant overlooking the harbor. It feels like a mini version of Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel (which I haven’t been to since I was a kid in Michigan, you would love it because it’s very Wes Anderson and pattern and color mayhem).
When we come to Vermont via NY we love to stop in North Adams at Tourists. It’s a special spot. We recently drove into Vermont via Boston and stayed at Hotel Thaxter in Portsmouth, NH(which is such a cute town) and it was great and nicely priced. They have a delicious Japanese (?!) restaurant too in the hotel which was a delightful surprise after the cross country flight, rental car pickup and drive.
Hotels aside, is there a place or two (anywhere in the world) that you feel a pull towards but haven't visited yet? I love the variety and uniqueness of everywhere you go and share with us on TAQ.
Everywhere I haven’t been! Ha. I am curious about the world but some places that come to mind are: the outer Hebrides, the Faroe Islands, the Azores, Greenland, Antarctica and the less visited islands of Japan. I am really curious about Oman, Lebanon, and Siwa in Egypt. I have been meaning to visit Molly from Luna Zorro (she is also from the SF bay) in Guatemala forever but have not made it there yet. Molly and her husband are working on a little property in Antigua and you know it will be so good. Lake Atitlàn in Guatemala has been on my list forever. I love textiles and ceramics.
Lastly, do you have a travel motto or practice you live by?
Hmm, realistically, How can I make this more complicated? Not really, but I will always go out of my way to see friends or family, go to a new or interesting hotel or see the most beautiful place. Last night I was walking to a movie in my neighborhood with my husband and talking about flights I am working on booking for this summer (Chicago, Montreal, Sardinia for a month, Vermont for a month) and he was like, you don’t have to make it complicated, you can do the simplest thing and I was like, yes, but…
The Tiny Atlas philosophy (which realistically is my philosophy I guess but I think it is shared with so many in our community) is to find the beauty and find the joy. You will never see everything and go everywhere. Find the beauty on your street, in your neighborhood, in the local gems of your area, on a road trip, on a big trip. If you look at my personal IG you will see tons of beautiful places far from home but I am just as likely to share beautiful moments I see and try to capture on my street or in the Bay.
Go where you will feel alive and engaged. Don’t go somewhere strictly because others are going there or because you think you should, go because a place is calling you.
Also, know that travel is a total luxury and that things go wrong. Plan to fail. Plan like things will go wrong. Don’t book flights with super short connection times, if you are traveling in the winter, what is the chance your flight won’t take off? Always bring a day or two of necessities in your carry-on if you check a bag. Try to have grace when things go wrong and appreciate the perfection on a seamless trip (they are rare). We are so lucky to get to travel at all, and I know how lucky I am to have already visited so many fascinating and beautiful places. I hope that sentiment comes through in everything we create for Tiny Atlas.
Thanks for having me!
Thank you again for everything.
My Personal Italian Itineraries, Part 1
This has been on the to-do list for paid subscribers since I’ve started. In lieu of a full hotel list this week, I wanted to share three full itineraries of trips I’ve taken to Italy in recent years. The feelings, the details. The goal is to transport you with me, every step of the way. Hidden gems in popular places, sure, but also lesser-traveled locales I don’t blast to the social masses. Diary style, place by place. My most personal post, interestingly. Maybe the one I’m most proud of? Can you say that without the passage of time? Unsure. Sadly, I ran out of room at the end, so photos will follow as we pick up with the Italian Summer itineraries next week.
Itinerary One: Part Classic, Part Local
The year was 2021, the travel restrictions had just lifted, and I jumped on the first “COVID-safe” flight I could. It was a wild time to travel to Italy, just two weeks after the word started to reopen. The two flights and three nose swabs were worth it. I arrived in Capri as the first American back on the island since 2019. (This isn’t absolute fact, but gathered after every single person said there hadn’t been a single American yet)
My time in Capri was spent with my best friend, Stefanie, at her childhood home on the island. A place with so many memories from when we were young. A place truly Caprese. I’m still so grateful Stef, if you’re reading.
It was so crazy, so cool, so alluring to be on an island I know so well and love so much with just a fraction of the people typically there. Magical. Day-of Fontelina reservation? No problem. Same night 9pm Aurora reservation? Easy. Walk through the island in the middle of the day? Impossible-to-express amazing. I can’t remember how long I stayed, but I think about 9 days. Bliss!
Then, I was off to new pastures. The ferry from Capri to Naples, a taxi to the train station, a train to Rome, a transfer to the local route to Formia, a quick scramble to