I recently spent six days in Mexico city for a professional development workshop. During my short stay my days were kept busy as I visited the studios and galleries of Mexico’s booming art scene’s best curators and artists. I was also fortunate to be able to stay at a beautiful hotel and sample cuisine from a few of La Cuidad’s finest restaurants. My next series of posts will recount the places I saw, people I met and the culture I experienced. First up, Mexico City’s Hotel Condesa df. Click Read More for additional information and photos.

Randy Bloomfield recently took three weeks time away from his life as a professional photographer, surfer and father to join a small group of close friends on a trek to KalaPattar, Mount Everest. A journey to Nepal had been on Randy’s travel to do list list for over 10 years, and the occasion of a best friend’s 40th birthday and the mountain trek transformed the dream into a reality.

Randy and his companions fly 18 hours from Los Angeles into Katmandu before heading to the mountain. “Getting off the plane you immediately notice the smell of Katmandu”, he observes. “It smells like Asia, but also reminiscent of being in New York City in the summer after it rains. Musty and damp, and the occasional whiff of incense mixes with garbage.”

Neither myself nor my girlfriend could be considered wine experts by any stretch, regardless we’ve decided to visit Napa Valley for an extended weekend of wine tasting and relaxation. We start in Los Angeles and drive northward on Route 1, speeding along a delicate grey road that tightly hugs the Pacific ocean. During our seven hour journey the landscape shifts between craggy cliffs, uniform grasslands, looming mountains and calm beaches. Soon after the sun drops below the horizon we’ve reached our destination.

The next morning we head off for breakfast and to visit the Benziger Vineyard. Looking out the window, I am overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of the landscape that was shrouded in darkness as we drove into the the Valley the previous night. The hills bellow with lively and varied colors, and the vineyards appear as neat lines of toy soldiers prepared for a day’s march.

Two weeks ago a colleague of mine told me about a unique establishment in California named The Crosby – part book store, part restaurant. This seemed a fantastic combination of two of my favorite things and I immediately planned a Friday night jaunt to the city of Santa Ana, just south of Los Angeles.

The understated exterior of The Crosby immediately declares itself as the hip spot in town, while quiet music smoothly emanates from open glass doors. As myself and my date walk in we can clearly hear a guitar being played by the bookshop clerk, and we see the restaurants youthful and lively clientele fully occupying the floor and bar. We peruse the art books and monographs in the store, and a few minutes later we are seated at our table. The spatial transition from book store to restaurant is ideal; whether feeding the mind or the stomach, there is enough space to ensure proper enjoyment of either.

wejetset is excited to welcome another member to our writing team. Anthony Smyrski is an art director, filmmaker, and independent book/magazine publisher, collaborating with an international clientele in both the cultural and commercial sectors. He is the art director for Swindle and Next American City magazines, and has worked with publishers such as Thames and Hudson, DAP, powerHouse and Gingko Press.

For Anthony’s debut entry he presents our first travel vidcast – a narrated slide-show documenting his journey to St. Petersburg, Russia. His inviting description of train travel, museum visits and quaint cafes provides useful insight into one of Russia’s most historical cities. You can view the vidcast below or download the iPod ready video by clicking Read More. Please disable all pop-up blockers for viewing.

+ Watch Anthony Smyrski’s Report on St. Petersburg, Russia [View]