A curated selection of mercantiles for adventurous people.
42.0409º N, 74.1182º W On Tinker Street across from the village green—the heart of charming Woodstock—set among tie dye and tarot, yogis sipping green juice and sampling artisanal chocolate, Woodstock General Supply is a cabin-esque outdoorsman’s haberdashery and outdoor woman’s port of call. It has an expertly curated collection of clothes and bags, candles, notebooks made from stone instead of trees, and grooming products for you and your bearded comrades. The first time I came across this shop was several years ago,…
44.2950º N, 93.2688º W Faribault Woolen Mill was founded on the banks of Faribault, Minn. in 1865. World renowned for quality blankets and throws, the mill endures as one of the last vertical woolen mills in America. Fifth generation craftspeople continue to dedicate themselves to creating beautiful wool and cotton goods with century-old methods and machinery. The company’s flagship store is onsite at their Faribault headquarters. It’s beautifully curated with an entire section of discounted excess or compromised materials. We…
34.0522º N, 118.2437º W At the intersection of Lincoln and Venice Boulevards, Deus Ex Machina is effortlessly cool in its indoor-outdoor combo café and motorcycle cum surf shop. This Australian-born fuel factory fills the coffee cups of its patrons, offering light fare and ample shared tables. Take a break from your latte and screenplay to test out motorcycle helmets or better yet, your own Deus-brand motorcycle or surfboard for the freeway and those Pacific swells. Did I mention they produce…
67.2090º N, 93.2923º W It was a bright and unseasonably warm day. Eagerly waiting to be seated for a busy Sunday brunch, we wandered the strip mall—of course, the architecture of a strip mall is not terribly charming, but the shops inside truly were. The window of Flora and Fern caught my eye, filled with vibrant plant life. The inside of the shop is playful and even more spirited, with a swing built into the ceiling and an actual greenhouse…
64.1265º N, 21.8174º W At the end of the long pier-like stretches off of Iceland’s capital there is a rock wall, not taller than me. On the other side of it, it’s a deep plunge to the Faxa bay—only a moderate bulwark from the mid-Atlantic. On this wintry day, the waters were low, winds calm, and the high noon light was soft and violet. As I neared the rock face a large sign of reclaimed wood with the words written…