The Dong people sing love songs, drinking songs, and work songs; “gate-barring songs” to greet visitors while assessing their intentions; and Grand Songs, epic historical ballads passed down orally from song masters to young disciples. In other respects as well, the people of Dimen, one of 15 Dong villages in Guizhou province, still practice a way of life that dates back to the 13th century. They build their houses and bridges with wooden pegs and posts. They use ancient, integrated farming methods, raising rice and carp together in thousands of terraced ponds cut into the mountainside. The women weave and dye their own cloth, including a glossy black fabric they buff with boiled cow skin and egg whites.

But Dimen isn’t completely stopped in time. Its tiny commercial center consists of a bus station, an elementary school, a grocery store—and a cell phone shop. And even though Guizhou is one of the poorest provinces in China, televisions, washing machines, and other trappings of modern life increasingly crop up in Dong households, largely because the government offers subsidies on surplus consumer goods.

China is rocketing into the future—lacing itself up with superhighways, swallowing rural towns, and spitting out gleaming cities. In Dimen, nearly half of the village’s 2,340 residents work in nearby towns and cities, forgoing the rice fields for better-paying jobs in construction and manufacturing. But in the past decade, privately administered conservation projects have encouraged the people of Dimen to reestablish a self-sustaining local economy and, even while engaging with the outside world, preserve many of their traditional ways. The Western China Cultural Ecology Research Workshop, founded by Hong Kong professor and entrepreneur Wai Kit Lee, strives to bolster indigenous Dong culture without turning Dimen into a tourist trap that puts villagers on display.

The Research Workshop collaborated with residents to rebuild the Dimen drum tower, which burned down in 2006. The restoration of this symbol of village unity set the precedent of a rural community empowered to safeguard its heritage.

One of the Grand Songs of the Dong, which takes more than an hour to sing, is titled “Village Elder Tang Gong.” According to local legend, Tang founded Dimen 800 years ago. This traditional red pagoda was built as a memorial to him and restored in the 1980s.

The Dong people of Dimen live much the way their ancestors did. But a few modern amenities have appeared in recent years, as in the home of Niangqian Wu and her husband, a rice farmer and carpenter who helped construct the Western China Cultural Ecology Research Workshop. They live in a house built into a hillside, its front half hanging precariously over the slope. In the living room, which is heated by a coal fire, the ceiling is low and the thin wooden walls are plastered with peeling sheets of newspaper. Asked how her life has changed over the past decade, Wu nods in the direction of the single bare lightbulb overhead. “Better wiring, piped water, better roads,” she says through a translator. “Fire hydrants.” Indoor plumbing is now standard.

A glossy white refrigerator sits in the corner of the room. It is empty, its interior still coated with protective plastic film and the manufacturer’s labels. In the dim light it glows like an alien. “She says the fridge is for decoration, to make them look like a modern family,” the translator says. “On TV, they see that city people have refrigerators. But she says her family has no use for it. When it is time to eat, they kill chickens. They catch fish. They pick vegetables from their garden.” Wu giggles, covering her mouth. “She thinks it’s very funny,” explains the translator, “that the fridge is empty.”

Distinguished by its stone arches and tiered tiled roofs, a covered “flower bridge” is an architectural highlight of most Dong villages. It provides shelter from the rain and a year- round place to rest, socialize, and play games.

A narrow pebbly river bisects Dimen’s dense patchwork of wooden houses. Spanning the water stand five exuberantly ornamented “flower bridges,” also known as “wind-and-rain bridges” for their utility in a storm. Just outside the village, terraced rice paddies and fields of vegetables and tea plants provide residents with their main livelihood and sources of food.

In the spring of 2010, Wai Kit Lee and fellow researcher Leon Ren helped launch an experimental pilot project, inspired by the Community Supported Agriculture movement. They paired approximately 150 rice-farming families in Dimen with families in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen. The city dwellers pay the farmers directly, and fairly, for their organic rice. The hope, Ren explains, is to foster personal connections and spark “interactive tourism and cultural exchange.” He envisions urban families visting Dimen to see where their rice comes from, getting to know the farmers, and learning more about ethnic-minority culture and rural life.

SIDEBAR: Lifestyles in the Balance

In 2003, Wai Kit Lee arrived in Guizhou with a team of musicologists. A Hong Kong businessman, publisher, and professor of ethnic-minority culture at universities in Beijing and Guiyang, Lee planned to record the music of the Dong, Miao, Yao, and Shui people and release it on a series of CDs. But when he witnessed the penetration of commercial activities in the region and saw villagers leaving their homes to work in nearby factories and cities, he took on a considerably larger project. With his own money, he funded the Western China Cultural Ecology Research Workshop, which opened on the eastern outskirts of Dimen in 2005. Its goals include the documentation of ethnic music, crafts, and rituals, and the development of locally controlled economic projects that improve the quality of life without throwing the culture out of balance.

Resembling a rambling wooden tree house, the workshop’s complex was built using traditional Dong techniques, without a formal blueprint or a single nail. The village feng shui master sacrificed a chicken to ensure that construction proceeded smoothly. Gently rising staircases connect the center to the lodge, which accommodates up to 60 visiting scholars and researchers.

The research center aims to reverse a trend that has taken hold in rural China: Business interests lease entire century-old villages and turn them into ethnic-minority “theme parks.” They charge admission fees for daily shows of formerly sacred rituals. Villagers get paid nominal amounts to perform them and to host tourists in their “traditional-looking” homes. “They use heritage to develop a brand and incite tourism, to attract eyeballs and money,” says Lee. “People who go to those theme parks are curious about ‘exotic’ lifestyles, but they do not visit them with the intention to understand more about the culture.” Guesthouses and souvenir shops might thrive, but eventually, he says, “the soul of the town is gone, only the skeleton remains.”

“We’re trying to find opportunities for the Dong to improve their livelihood without completely altering their way of life,” Lee explains. “I want to show that a village can be rich in other ways—in community, in self-reliance, in lack of anxiety.”

For more images of Dimen, see here.

1. Outerlands

The menu at this rustic cafe from the husband-and-wife team of David Muller and Lana Porcello is ever-changing; a recent visit turned up whole baked trout with walnut gremolata. But there’s always soup and Muller’s homemade levain bread. 4001 Judah Street; (415) 661-6140; outerlandssf.com.

2. Polly Ann Ice Cream

If you can’t decide which of the 48 daily flavors to choose, go for green tea, everyone’s favorite, or spin the wheel of destiny and leave it to fate. For the intrepid, there’s Durian, a stinky-but-sweet flavor stored in the back. 3138 Noriega Street; (415) 664-2472.

3. Tuesday Tattoo

With its calm environment and friendly staff, this is an unintimidating place to get inked in San Francisco. Jesse Tuesday (right), Sam McWilliams and Hannah Wednesday specialize in intricate custom designs; even if you’re not in the market for body art, their portfolios — open on the front counter — are worth a browse. 4025 Judah Street; (415) 242-6028; jessetuesday.com.

4. Trouble Coffee Company

The magic words at this funky coffee shop, sheathed in reclaimed wood, are ”build your own damn house.” Say it to the barista and he’ll hand over a cup of coffee, a thick slice of cinnamon toast and a Thai coconut, all for $8. 4033 Judah Street; (415) 690-9119; troublecoffee.com.

5. Carville Annex

This tiny gallery — the space is basically a hallway leading to a staircase — has a lofty mission: to spotlight emerging talent and involve the viewer in the process. In January it’ll feature inhabitable sculptures by the local artist Llewelynn Fletcher. 4037 Judah Street; carvilleannex.com; by appointment only.

6. Woodshop

Four creative young artisan-designers (all surfers) share this studio with a by-appointment shop in the front where they sell their work: handmade heirloom-quality surfboards, typography-driven graphic art, and custom wooden furniture like a walnut slab table with cast bronze legs. 3725 Noriega Street; (415) 240-5504; woodshopsf.com.

7. General Store

Mason St. Peter, an architect, and Serena Mitnik-Miller, an artist and designer, opened this shop last December, envisioning a place with a little of everything. Most of the items are made locally, including Botany Factory terrariums and Tellason denim. 4035 Judah Street; (415) 682-0600; visitgeneralstore.com.

8. Mollusk Surf Shop

This quintessential California surf shop has been a community anchor since it opened in 2005, selling silk-screened T-shirts, hoodies and hand-printed posters along with a plethora of surf gear and boards. There’s also an art gallery and a treehouse installation made from recycled wood by the artist Jay Nelson. 4500 Irving Street; (415) 564-6300; mollusksurfshop.com.

Friday

4 p.m.
1) CREATIVE SOUVENIRS

With its relatively affordable rents and D.I.Y. ethos, Salt Lake City is a bastion of creativity. To survey the design scene, stop by Frosty Darling (177 East Broadway; 801-532-4790; frostydarling.com), a whimsical gift shop stocked with retro candy and handmade clothing, accessories, and housewares by the owner, Gentry Blackburn, and other Utah designers. Signed & Numbered (2100 East 2100 South; 801-596-2093; signed-numbered.com) specializes in limited-edition, hand-pulled art prints and concert posters, from $8 to $150. And at Salt Lake Citizen (210 East 400 South; 801-363-3619; facebook.com/SaltLakeCitizen), in the atrium of the Main Library building, you’ll find street-inspired clothing and accessories from 40 city designers, including embroidered wide-leg jeans and jewelry made of laser-cut acrylic.

7 p.m.
2) UTAH FARMS

Chain restaurants used to dominate Salt Lake City’s food scene, but today intimate spots are popping up, run by young chefs inspired by the bounty of local organic farmers and artisanal purveyors. Leading the pack is Pago (878 South 900 East; 801-532-0777; pagoslc.com), a bustling neighborhood joint housed in a squat 1910 brick building. The chef Mike Richey spotlights local organic products in dishes like bagna cauda wagyu bavette steak with heirloom fingerling potatoes and local arugula ($29) in a rustic candle-lit room that seats just 50. Another newcomer is Forage (370 East 900 South; 801-708-7834; foragerestaurant.com), which serves wildly creative dishes like vanilla-scented diver scallops paired with smoked beluga lentils. A three-course dinner is $45.

9 p.m.
3) OPEN CITY

Raise a glass to celebrate the repeal of liquor laws that required bars to operate as private clubs and collect membership fees. The Red Door (57 West 200 South; 801-363-6030; behindthereddoor.com) has dim lighting, a great martini list and kitschy revolution décor — yes, that’s a Che Guevara mural on the wall. Squatters Pub Brewery (147 West Broadway; 801-363-2739; squatters.com) serves high-gravity beers from the award-winning brewmaster Jenny Talley, like the 6 percent alcohol India Pale Ale. And Club Jam (751 North 300 West; 801-891-1162; jamslc.com) is a friendly gay bar with a house party feel and impromptu barbecues on the back patio.

Saturday

9 a.m.
4) BOTANICAL BLISS

The Red Butte Garden, nestled in the foothills above the University of Utah campus (300 Wakara Way; 801-585-0556; redbuttegarden.org), has a newly planted rose garden, 3.5 miles of walking trails and morning yoga in the fragrance garden. For a wake-up hike, ask the front desk for directions to the Living Room, a lookout point named for the flat orange rocks that resemble couches. Sit back and absorb the expansive views of the valley, mountains and the Great Salt Lake.

11 a.m.
5) NOT JUST TEMPLES

Chart your own architecture tour. The city’s Main Library (210 East 400 South; 801-524-8200; www.slcpl.lib.ut.us), a curving glass structure built in 2003 by the architect Moshe Safdie, has fireplaces on every floor and a rooftop garden with views of the city and the Wasatch Mountains. For older buildings, wander the Marmalade Historic District, home to many original pioneer homes from the 19th century, or go on a walking tour with the Utah Heritage Foundation (801-533-0858; utahheritagefoundation.com).

1 p.m.
6) DIVERSE PALATE

Although recent census figures put the city’s population at 75.3 percent white, there is a growing ethnic population of Latinos, Pacific Islanders (particularly Samoan and Tongan), and refugees from Tibet, Bosnia and Somalia. Taste their influence at places like Himalayan Kitchen (360 South State Street; 801-328-2077; himalayankitchen.com), a down-home dining room with turmeric-yellow walls and red tablecloth tables, where dishes include Nepali goat curry ($15.95) and Himalayan momos, steamed chicken dumplings served with sesame seed sauce ($10.95).

3 p.m.
7) GIMME SUGAR

The Sugarhouse district is known for its one-of-a-kind shops and pedestrian-friendly mini-neighborhoods that are near the intersections of 900 East and 900 South (which locals call “9th and 9th”), and 1500 East and 1500 South (“15th and 15th”). Highlights include the Tea Grotto (2030 South 900 East; 801-466-8255; teagrotto.com), a funky teahouse that specializes in fair-trade and loose-leaf teas, and the charming King’s English Bookshop (1511 South 1500 East; 801-484-9100; kingsenglish.com), a creaky old house filled with books and cozy reading nooks.

7 p.m.
8) ITALIAN HOUR

Salt Lake City has plenty of appealing Italian restaurants — Cucina Toscana and Lugäno are perpetual favorites — but the most romantic is arguably Fresco Italian Cafe (1513 South 1500 East; 801-486-1300; frescoitaliancafe.com), an intimate 14-table restaurant tucked off the main drag in a 1920s cottage. The menu is small but spot-on, with simple northern Italian dishes with a twist. The butternut squash ravioli, for example, is served with a splash of reduced apple cider and micro-planed hazelnuts ($18). There’s a roaring fire, candlelight and, in the summer, dining on the brick patio.

9 p.m.
9) LIVE FROM UTAH

As the only sizable city between Denver and Northern California, Salt Lake City gets many touring bands passing through. Hear established and up-and-coming acts at places like the Urban Lounge (241 South 500 East; 801-746-0557; theurbanloungeslc.com) and Kilby Court (741 South Kilby Court; 801-364-3538; kilbycourt.com). If you want to make your own sweet music, stop by Keys on Main (242 South Main Street; 801-363-3638; keysonmain.com), a piano bar where the audience sings along.

Sunday

10 a.m.
10) SECULAR MISSION

Mormons get around, and not just for missionary work. Latter-day Saint Humanitarian Center (1665 South Bennett Road; 801-240-5954; lds.org/placestovisit) is a humanitarian juggernaut that sends out handmade quilts, secondhand clothing and educational and medical supplies from their gigantic, factory-like complex to needy places around the world. If you’re curious to see how it all works, take a 45-minute tour of the sprawling warehouse, where workers and volunteers sort the more than 100,000 pieces of clothing that arrive at the center daily. If you’re inspired to help, you can stay after the tour and help prepare the humanitarian kits that regularly ship out to Haiti, Zimbabwe and other countries in crisis.

2 p.m.
11) OLYMPIC GHOSTS

Thrill-seekers head 28 miles east to Park City’s Utah Olympic Park (3419 Olympic Parkway, Park City; 435-658-4200; olyparks.com), which hosted 14 medal events during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. Even in the summer you can make like a medalist and fly down a slope at 70 miles per hour on a Comet bobsled, race along a slick steel alpine slide, or recreate a ski jump that is billed as the world’s steepest zipline. Burgeoning culture and culinary sophistication has its benefits, but for sheer thrill, nothing beats an adrenaline rush.

IF YOU GO

Most major domestic airlines fly into Salt Lake City, including Delta, which operates a hub here. A recent Web search found a nonstop flight from Kennedy Airport for about $407 for travel in June.

There’s a light rail system downtown, but you’ll still want a car.

The elegant Grand America Hotel (555 South Main Street; 800-621-4505; grandamerica.com) lives up to its name with a formal afternoon tea, green tea spa treatments and 775 palatial rooms with Italian marble bathrooms. Doubles from $179.

The Inn on the Hill (225 North State Street; 801-328-1466; inn-on-the-hill.com), housed in a 1909 English-style manor, retains its historic character with Tiffany stained-glass windows and reproduction antiques in the 12 guest rooms. Queen rooms start at $135, including breakfast.

Downtown, Hotel Monaco (15 West 200 South; 800-805-1801; monaco-saltlakecity.com) has 225 whimsical rooms, embellished with colorful fabrics, geometric headboards and striped wallpaper. Doubles start at $129.

DRAWINGS: 11 hours in the valley: 9 a.m.: Grab a cinnamon bun or a house-made English muffin at the Model Bakery (644 First Street, Building B, Napa; 707-259-1128; themodelbakery.com).; 10 a.m.: Ogle more than 1,000 artworks at di Rosa, one of the world’s top collections of Bay Area art (5200 Sonoma Highway, Napa; 707-226-5991; dirosaart.org). ; 1 p.m. : Linger over lunch at Tra Vigne, where the mozzarella al minuto is made to order (1050 Charter Oak Avenue, St. Helena; 707-963-4444; travignerestaurant.com).; 2:30 p.m.: Unwind with a hot stone massage at the 13,000-square-foot Mission-inspired Spa Villagio (6481 Washington Street, Yountville; 707-948-5050; villagio.com).; 4 p.m.: Nibble a macaron from Bouchon Bakery and wander Thomas Keller’s 2.5-acre garden (6528 Washington Street, Yountville; 707-944-2253; bouchonbakery.com).; 5 p.m.: Browse the furniture and gothic objets d’art at Ma(i)sonry, then sample a flight of wine in its garden (6711 Washington Street, Yountville; 707-944-0889; maisonry.com).; 8 p.m.: Dine at the new Farmstead, where everything from the olive oil to the grass-fed beef is local (738 Main Street, St. Helena; 707-963-4555; longmeadowranch.com).

Going to Town

SHOP: Start at the Oxbow Public Market (610 and 644 First Street, Napa; 707-226-6529; oxbowpublicmarket.com), a covered marketplace chockablock with specialty food stalls, including an organic ice cream shop and an outpost of the Hog Island Oyster Company. From there, meander over to Cake Plate (1000 Main Street, Suite 100, Napa; 707-226-2300; cakeplateonline.com) for creative cupcakes as well as bright and graphic women’s clothing by the likes of Trina Turk, Orla Kiely and Leifsdottir.

EAT: For lunch, choose from beer-can chicken at Bounty Hunter Wine Bar & Smokin’ BBQ (975 First Street, Napa; 707-226-3976; bountyhunterwine.com) or authentic Indian food at Neela’s (975 Clinton Street, Napa; 707-226-9988; neelasindianrestaurant.com). Come dinner, there’s the grand seven-course tasting menu at La Toque (1314 McKinstry Street, Napa; 707-257-5157; latoque.com; $135) or the vegetable restaurant and yoga studio Ubuntu, which recently earned a Michelin star (1140 Main Street, Napa; 707-251-5656; ubuntunapa.com; entrees $11 to $17).

NEXT UP: Later this summer, three high-profile restaurants will open in the $72 million Napa Riverfront complex: a contemporary Japanese dining room and shop from the ”Iron Chef” Masaharu Morimoto; a Tyler Florence rotisserie and wine bar featuring locally raised meat; and Fish Story, a sustainable seafood restaurant with a raw bar and a boat dock.

Barrel  Fever

FOR ART

HESS ART MUSEUM: Serious culture-trippers should make a beeline for the Hess Art Museum at the Hess Collection Winery, which displays modern and contemporary art by the likes of Andy Goldsworthy, Anselm Kiefer and Robert Motherwell in a sleek three-story gallery. 4411 Redwood Road, Napa; (707) 255-1144; hesscollection.com.

HALL RUTHERFORD: Drawn from Craig and Kathryn Hall’s personal collection, the 30 or so artworks on display at Hall Rutherford include paintings and sculptures throughout the grounds and wine caves and a bronze grapevine dripping with Swarovski crystals. 56 Auberge Road, Rutherford; (707) 967-0700; hallwines.com; by appointment.

FOR SPECTACLE

CASTELLO DI AMOROSA: The Castello di Amorosa is a 121,000-square-foot replica of a 13th-century castle, complete with chapel, torture chamber and five stone towers that took the vintner Dario Sattui nearly 14 years to build using medieval materials and construction techniques. The operation is a bit like a theme park, but the impeccably designed building itself is well worth a gawk. 4045 North St. Helena Highway, Calistoga; (707) 967-6272; castellodiamorosa.com; tours by appointment

DARIOUSH: Darioush Khaledi designed his flashy namesake winery, Darioush, to evoke a palace in Persepolis, the ancient capital of his native Iran. It’s Persia by way of Vegas: picture a travertine-clad villa, an indoor three-story waterfall and 16 uplit granite columns topped with double bullheads. 4240 Silverado Trail, Napa; (707) 257-2345; darioush.com.

FOR CREATIVE PAIRINGS

SIP SHOPPE: At Swanson Vineyards’ stylish new Sip Shoppe, secreted away in a faux circus tent down a rural road, playful pairings reign: think pinot grigio served with domestic caviar and a potato chip, and dark chocolate paired with a dessert wine served in a miniature crystal goblet. 1271 Manley Lane, Rutherford; (707) 967-3500; swansonvineyards.com.

ROBERT SINKSEY VINEYARDS: At Robert Sinskey Vineyards, ”flight attendants” help visitors pair the estate’s food-friendly reds and whites with roasted almonds, gougères and olives picked and cured on site. The $50 farm-to-table tour lets guests pick fruits and vegetables from the orchard and organic garden, sniff kaffir lime and bay leaves, and figure out which herbs go best with which wines. 6320 Silverado Trail, Napa; (707) 944-9090; robertsinskey.com.

FOR ECO-CRED

CADE WINERY: Cade Winery is striving to a Gold-LEED-certified, solar-powered winery and tasting room. The modern concrete-and-wood structure is built mostly of recycled and reclaimed materials; the 14,500-square foot wine caves are naturally ventilated; and the tasting room is insulated with denim remnants. 360 Howell Mountain Road South, Angwin; (707) 965-2746; cadewinery.com; by appointment.

QUINTESSA: At the 280-acre Quintessa winery — one of the most scenic properties in Napa — the owner and vineyard master, Valeria Huneeus, grows grapes in a sustainable, biodynamic way, farming in tune with the phases of the moon and cosmological cycles, and applying homeopathic compost teas to the vines. 1601 Silverado Trail, Rutherford; (707) 967-1601; quintessa.com; by appointment.

Doubling Up

MUD BATH: HIGH: Mosey up to the mud bar at Spa Solage for a customized blend of minerals, clay and essential oils ($98). 755 Silverado Trail, Calistoga; (707) 226-0820; solagecalistoga.com.

LOW: Lower yourself into a concrete trough for an old-fashioned, no-frills volcanic mud bath at Indian Springs ($85). 1712 Lincoln Avenue, Calistoga; (707) 942-4913; indianspringscalistoga.com.

NIBBLES: HIGH: Book a one-hour guided cheese, charcuterie and wine tasting ($50) at the new Kenzo Estate, owned by a Japanese businessman who made his fortune in the video game industry. 3200 Monticello Road, Napa; (707) 259-5408; kenzoestate.com.

LOW: Pick up some local ash-aged goat cheese and Frá Mani Toscano Salami at Sunshine Foods, and have a picnic by the boccie courts at Crane Park. 1115 Main Street, St. Helena; (707) 963-7070; sunshinefoodsmarket.com.

TOUR: HIGH: Go up in a hot-air balloon with Napa Valley Balloons for a bird’s-eye view of the valley, followed by a Champagne brunch ($240 per person). 1 California Drive, Yountville; (707) 944-0228; napavalleyballoons.com.

LOW: Rent a carbon fiber road bike from the St. Helena Cyclery and cruise the Silverado Trail ($65 for a 24-hour rental). 1156 Main Street, St. Helena; (707) 963-7736; sthelenacyclery.com.

COOKING CLASS: HIGH: high Sharpen your knife skills and cooking techniques in the five-day Basic Training Boot Camp at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone ($2,095). 2555 Main Street, St. Helena; (800) 888-7850; ciachef.edu/california.

LOW: Enroll in a whole hog butchering or salumi-making class at the new Fatted Calf charcuterie shop ($135). 644-C First Street, Napa; (707) 256-3684; fattedcalf.com.

BURGER: HIGH: Splurge on the almond-wood-grilled American Kobe beef burger topped with Gruyère and wine-stewed onions at Martini House in St. Helena ($17). 1245 Spring Street; (707) 963-2233; martinihouse.com.

LOW: Claim a picnic table at Gott’s Roadside and chow down on a classic burger topped with pickles and American cheese ($8). 933 Main Street, St. Helena; (707) 963-3486; gottsroadside.com.

Trail Mix

In an effort to protect the valley from overdevelopment, the Land Trust of Napa County has permanently preserved more than 52,000 acres of agricultural and natural land since 1976. You can take one of the organized hikes led by trust members and, once you’ve done that, trek solo through protected areas that are otherwise off-limits. (707) 261-6316; napalandtrust.org.

Jolly Ranches

1. Auberge du Soleil

Look Provence in California, with hillside stucco cottages shaded by olive trees.
Best for Hollywood types, honeymooners.
Don’t miss The three-acre sculpture garden.
Caveat Not family-friendly.
180 Rutherford Hill Road, Rutherford; (707) 963-1211; aubergedusoleil.com; doubles from $575.

2. Bardessono

Look Weathered steel, polished concrete, reclaimed wood, clean lines.
Best for Eco-minded sybarites (it’s California’s first LEED-platinum-certified hotel).
Don’t miss An in-room spa treatment (every bathroom has a fold-out massage bed).
Caveat The minimalist interiors can be sterile.
6526 Yount Street, Yountville; (707) 204-6000; bardessono.com; doubles from $350.

3. Calistoga Ranch

Look Cedar bungalows nestled in the woods, with decks and outdoor showers.
Best for Deep-pocketed nature lovers.
Don’t miss Hiking the resort’s 157 redwood-filled acres.
Caveat Bedroom and living room are seperated by an open-air deck — a drag when it’s cold or rainy.
580 Lommel Road, Calistoga; (707) 254-2800; calistogaranch.com; doubles from $550.

4. The Carneros Inn

Look Haute agricultural architecture by way of tin-roofed cottages with porches.
Best for People seeking evidence of Napa’s rural past.
Don’t miss The guests-only spa, which uses local ingredients like goat butter.
Caveat Off the beaten path — 25 minutes to St. Helena.
4048 Sonoma Highway, Napa; (707) 299-4900; thecarnerosinn.com; doubles from $450.

5. Meadowood Napa Valley

Look New England country club — a golf course, tennis courts and gable-roofed cottages — on 250 acres.
Best for Preppy families.
Don’t miss Croquet on the lawn and dinner in the Michelin-starred restaurant.
Caveat It’s spread out enough that you’ll be hitching golf-cart rides from the bell staff.
900 Meadowood Lane, St. Helena; (707) 963-3646; meadowood.com; doubles from $525.

6. Milliken Creek Inn and Spa

Look Wooden shingled summer house by the river.
Best for Romantic getaways (candlelight at turn-down, breakfast in bed).
Don’t miss Wine-and-cheese hour hosted by local winemakers.
Caveat There’s no restaurant, pool or gym.
1815 Silverado Trail, Napa; (707) 255-1197; millikencreekinn.com; doubles from $350.

7. Hotel Luca

Look Fantasy version of an Italian courtyard house.
Best for Italophiles and foodies (it’s a short walk to Yountville’s restaurant row).
Don’t miss The house-cured salumi at the hotel restaurant.
Caveat Noisy courtyard dining is in earshot of guest rooms.
6774 Washington Street, Yountville; (707) 944-8080; hotellucanapa.com; doubles from $295.

Star Search

Ad Hoc:

Claim to fame Thomas Keller’s casual joint was supposed to be temporary, but it’s still here four years later, thanks to wild acclaim. Set menus change daily.
Vibe Unpretentious: waiters in jeans, family-style dishes.
Signature dish Perfect fried chicken, served every other Monday.
6476 Washington Street, Yountville; (707) 944-2487; adhocrestaurant.com; four-course meal $49.

Bottega:

Claim to fame Italian fare by Michael Chiarello, a Food Network personality and St. Helena resident.
Vibe Buzzing: Chiarello makes the rounds, greeting locals and industry insiders by name.
Signature dish ”Green eggs & ham” (braised asparagus with pecorino budino pudding, egg and prosciutto bits).
6525 Washington Street, Yountville; (707) 945-1050; botteganapavalley.com; entrees $15 to $37.

Bouchon:

Claim to fame Keller’s original brasserie, with a Michelin star and outposts in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
Vibe Festive: closely packed tables and a patio overlooking Yountville’s main drag. Popular with local chefs.
Signature dish Roasted leg of lamb with seasonal accompaniments.
6534 Washington Street; Yountville; (707) 944-8037; bouchonbistro.com; entrees $17 to $34.

Etoile at Domaine Chandon:

Claim to fame At 26, the chef Perry Hoffman is one of the youngest recipients of a Michelin star in the United States.
Vibe Insidery: Napa veterans imbibing in the lounge, visitors lingering over a four-course feast.
Signature dish Dungeness crab with shaved fennel and madeira gelée.
1 California Drive, Yountville; (888) 242-6366; chandon.com; entrees $26 to $38.

French Laundry:

Claim to fame Keller’s three-Michelin-star temple is almost impossible to book — you have to call precisely two months to the calendar day.
Vibe Reverent: an awed hush accompanies the meal of a lifetime.
Signature dish ”Oysters and pearls” — a sabayon of pearl tapioca with oysters and white caviar.
6640 Washington Street, Yountville; (707) 944-2380; frenchlaundry.com; nine-course meal $250.

Redd:

Claim to fame The first solo venture from Richard Reddington, who worked at Restaurant Daniel, Auberge du Soleil and top restaurants in France.
Vibe Hopping: power brokers, C.E.O.’s and Hollywood producers.
Signature dish Glazed pork belly with apple purée, burdock and soy caramel.
6480 Washington Street, Yountville; (707) 944-2222; reddnapavalley.com; entrees $26 to $30.

Shopping Block

Martin Showroom Erin Martin’s eclectic shop is filled with furniture and objects like tar sculptures by the Los Angeles artist Mattia Biagi and a chandelier made of rope. 1350 Main Street; (707) 967-8787; martinshowroom.com.

Woodhouse Chocolate Tracy Wood Anderson handcrafts chocolates and truffles in flavors like Thai ginger and pecan-caramel. 1367 Main Street; (707) 963-8413; woodhousechocolate.com.

The Marketplace at Greystone The Culinary Institute of America’s store (above) stocks a jaw-dropping array of cookware, books and hard-to-find ingredients. 2555 Main Street; (888) 424-2433.

Napa Valley Olive Oil Manufacturing Company This unassuming barn is famous for its extra-virgin olive oil, bottled on the premises every morning. 835 Charter Oak Avenue; (707) 963-4173.

Flats Jan Niemi’s ballet flats are handmade in Tuscany and come in colors from black to tangerine. 1219-B Main Street; (707) 967-0480.

Jan de Luz French antiques share space with milled soaps and exquisite linens at this boutique, which can monogram anything while you wait. 1219 Main Street; (707) 963-1550; jandeluz.com.

Side Note

SLEEP Opening in June, h2hotel will have 36 rooms, a solar-heated pool, a restaurant, and a bar helmed by the mixologist Scott Beattie (219 Healdsburg Avenue; 707-922-5251; h2hotel.com; doubles from $195). The minimalist Duchamp Hotel (421 Foss Street; 707-431-1300; duchamphotel.com; doubles from $350) has six cottages with Donald Judd-inspired wooden beds.

EAT Cyrus (29 North Street; 707-433-3311; cyrusrestaurant.com; tasting menu $102 to $130) is the French Laundry of Sonoma, with inventive cooking by Douglas Keane. For something low-key, check out Barndiva (231 Center Street; 707-431-0100; barndiva.com; entrees $20 to $32), where Ryan Fancher uses exclusively local ingredients.

SIP The new Prohibition Speakeasy Wine Club (340 Healdsburg Avenue; 707-473-9463; speakeasywineclub.com) — hidden behind a phone booth in the back of a wine shop — specializes in Sonoma vintages. The Medlock Ames Tasting Room and Alexander Valley Bar (6487 Alexander Valley Road; 707-431-8845; medlockames.com) also runs a farm stand.

SHOP Lime Stone (315 Healdsburg Avenue; 707-433-3080; limestonehealdsburg.com), owned by the chef Charlie Palmer and his wife, Lisa, stocks culinary gifts. Studio Barndiva (237 Center Street; 707-431-7404; studiobarndiva.com) features textiles from women’s collectives in Ethiopia and Tibet. And Arboretum (above left; 332 Healdsburg Avenue; 707-433-7033; arboretumapparel.com) has organic cotton jeans and handbags made of vintage car fabrics.

THE LOCATION

Tucked away on a residential street in South Congress, a trendy neighborhood just over Lady Bird Lake from downtown Austin. A short walk away are chic boutiques, restaurants and one of Austin’s oldest music halls, the Continental Club.

THE ROOM

The hotel occupies a white-clapboard Victorian house and several bungalows, on a small estate with oak trees, cactuses and topiaries. Each of the 14 rooms is different, but they all have an eclectic mix of vintage furniture and edgy art, monogrammed sheets and those astronomically priced mattresses made by the Swedish company Hästens that start at $8,000. My room, Suite Three, was in the historic house; it was compact but comfortable, with 11-foot ceilings and ornate Victorian millwork painted glossy black. Cool design touches included a headboard upholstered in red mohair velvet, a Turkish kilim rug and a tufted leather sofa in pea-green. A psychedelic video, by the Marfa, Tex., artist Adam Bork, was installed in the nonworking fireplace. Other rooms have outdoor showers, screened porches and a piano.

THE BATHROOM

Beautiful to look at, with a black penny-tiled shower, brass fittings and a bathtub. Toiletries include fig soap and other Côté Bastide products. Fancier items like an old-fashioned shave brush and Portuguese toothpaste are for sale. Small caveat: the shower floor angled slightly, sending water into the center of the room, soaking my socks.

AMENITIES

Everything you’d expect: free Wi-Fi, iPod sound system, flat-screen television and DVD player. And plenty of pleasant surprises, like a lap pool lined with beanbag chairs and curvy deck chairs, free bicycles for exploring the city, and a guest lounge with a fireplace and creative cocktails at the bar. Best was the in-room minibar, with more than 40 items from around the globe, including Scottish shortbread, Dutch peppermints, three kinds of cheeses and Russian caviar accompanied by mother-of-pearl spoons.

ROOM SERVICE

A streamlined “breakfast in your room” menu is offered from 7 to 11 a.m., and includes a Gruyère omelet topped with truffle oil ($15); homemade scones served with fresh lemon curd and guajillo honey ($18) and a Bloody Mary made with fresh heirloom tomato juice ($14). My room had no table, so I ate in the sunny courtyard. Service was prompt, warm and friendly.

BOTTOM LINE

Rock-star style and Southern hospitality make a rare and beguiling combination. Everything about this hotel is thought out and well considered, from the plate of locally made sweets that greet you in your room to the handwritten note nearby. Studio rooms start at $295.

Hotel Saint Cecilia, 112 Academy Drive, Austin; (512) 852-2400; hotelsaintcecilia.com.

Hidden in these canyons are not only A-list movie stars like Jennifer Aniston and Mel Gibson but also more than 40 vineyards. They range from postage-stamp-size plots to serious commercial enterprises run by unlikely but dedicated gentleman farmers: wealthy entrepreneurs, developers and restaurateurs who can afford to grow grapes and make wine on some of the most expensive real estate in America.

“Malibu isn’t a farming community,” says Tim Skogstrom, who recently opened the Cornell Winery and Tasting Room nearby in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Still, wine isn’t new to the area. In the mid-1800s, Los Angeles County was the center of the California wine world; by 1870, the region’s 43 wineries were producing four million gallons of wine. Rapid urban growth, Prohibition, an epidemic of a vine-killing disease, and the rise of Napa and Sonoma in the North, however, soon wiped out the industry here. Now, a century later, wine is making a comeback, with a clutch of tasting rooms sprouting up along the canyon roads.

It is doing so with people like George Rosenthal, a movie studio magnate-turned vintner who cultivates 30 acres of vines at his hacienda-style country house. (His full-time residence is in Santa Monica.) Rosenthal was one of the first to reintroduce grapes to Malibu, planting a few acres of Bordeaux varietals in 1987. Now in his 70s, he zips through his estate on an electric golf cart, pointing out the challenges of his site, which are typical in Malibu. There are no valley vineyards here, but rather mountainous terrain with an array of soils, microclimates and sun exposures — so every block within a site requires a high level of care.

Rosenthal Estate wines, which are sold at iconic  restaurants like the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel, are still not turning a profit — even 22 years in. This is not uncommon because of the high overhead (water is scarce and extremely expensive statewide, and most of the vineyards have to be worked by hand because the slopes won’t accommodate machinery. But profit isn’t the point; everyone making wine in Malibu can afford to lavish money on the project. “It’s about the passion,” Rosenthal says. “There’s a great romance to a vineyard and sharing that lifestyle with others.”

One man who may break that mold is Charles Schetter, whose Malibu Sanity label, Skogstrom predicts, will be “the first cult wine out of the area.” A large-scale land developer by day, and a longtime Burgundy collector, Schetter planted six blocks of chardonnay and pinot noir in 2005, in his backyard, which happens to have the ideal microclimate: cool coastal breezes and lots of afternoon sunshine. His obsessive personality helps, too: Schetter tends the vines himself, has attended enology classes and constantly checks the computerized weather monitor that he keeps by his bed. “If you’re going to be serious about winemaking, you need to go all the way,” he says. “Short of that, it’s a hobby —or you’re just writing the checks.”

The region is still evolving, but across the board, the quality of Malibu vintages is improving. Alex Weil, the head sommelier at the new Bouchon restaurant in Beverly Hills, has watched the region advance over the past 15 years and thinks it holds promise. “They’ve got terroir and a coastal climate, like Rhone or Burgundy, and a population with the means to keep experimenting and learning,” he says. But to get respect in the wine world, “they’ll need to produce a truly great wine, or have a great figure, a star, emerge from the pack. That will take time, no question.”

Most locals acknowledge as much. “We’re where Santa Ynez was 20 years ago,” says Tony Griffin, screenwriter and scion of the Merv Griffin entertainment empire — and since 1998, a grower of chardonnay and malbec in a half-acre backyard plot he calls the Griffin Family Vineyard. He points to his Burgundian-style chardonnay — “see, the label’s crooked because I put it on myself.” He takes a swig and adds: “The thing Malibu needs is age, to age like a good wine. In 10, 15 years, we’ll be good. Right now, we’re just baby wines.”

ESSENTIALS

The best Malibu wines are sold at Malibu Village Wines (3900 Cross Creek Road, 310-456-2924, www.malibuvillagewines.com) and Cornell Winery and Tasting Room (29975 Mulholland Highway, 818-735-3542, www.cornellwinery.com). Or piece together your own Malibu wine-tasting trail at the Rosenthal Estate Wines Tasting Room (26023 Pacific Coast Highway, 310-456-1392, www.rosenthalestatewines.com), Malibu Wines (Semler and Saddlerock’s tasting room) (31800 Mulholland Highway, 818-865-0605,www.malibuwine.com), and SIP Malibu (Cielo’s tasting room) (2598 Sierra Creek Road, 818-865-0440, www.cielofarms.com).

Six wines worth seeking out:

• 2007 Hoyt Family Vineyards Chardonnay, $26 Big and buttery, but well balanced, from one of the region’s only female wine producers.
• 2007 Malibu Vineyards Cabernet Franc, $32 Double gold medal winner at the San Francisco International Wine Competition, made by an unusually hands-on proprietor.
• 2008 Malibu Sanity Pinot Noir, $46 Malibu’s best pinot, from one of the region’s most promising boutique vineyards.

• 2008 Griffin Family Vineyard Chardonnay, $46 Bright and tropical, with great acidity.

• 2005 Rosenthal Estate Wines Block M Single-Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, $50 The latest release from one of Malibu’s wine pioneers, known for their muscular cabs.
• 2007 Semler Sauvignon Blanc, $23 Restrained, mineral-laden, Italian-style, pairs well with food.

Kyoto, the former imperial capital of Japan, is a vibrant mash-up, an ancient city electrified by the breathtakingly new. Cruise the futuristic food halls of a department store, gaping at the perfect fruit and glistening sea creatures, before zipping up to the traditional floor, with its kimonos and tea ceremony implements. See 2,000 ancient temples and shrines, then dine at a sleekly modern restaurant. Glimpse a geisha gliding down a cobblestone lane, bracketed by wooden machiya houses, and feel yourself catapulted to the 18th century — until you see her duck into a very 21st-century taxi, with a passenger door that opens and shuts automatically.

Friday

5 p.m.
1) HERITAGE HUNT

Two and a half years ago, the city enacted a landmark law aimed at protecting the city’s heritage districts, which have been defiled in recent decades by concrete block towers and other forces of modernization. Fleeting fantasies of old Kyoto can be found in Gion, the entertainment district, where, around dusk, geisha and maiko (geisha-in-training) can often be spotted flitting down Hanami-koji like exquisite rare birds to meet clients. As the sky dims, wander along Shirakawa Minami-dori, an atmospheric street surrounded by preserved wooden structures. But don’t wander too far or you’ll hit a gantlet of concrete and aluminum high-rises shrouded in neon signs and tangled electrical wires.

7 p.m.
2) MODERN KAISEKI

Kaiseki is Kyoto’s haute cuisine, an elaborate multicourse meal that originated about 500 years ago as an accompaniment to tea ceremonies. Today, sampling the cuisine can be a rarefied and pricey experience; meals at Michelin-starred kaiseki restaurants like Kikunoi (kikunoi.jp/english) run upward of $160 a person. But for an unbuttoned — and surprisingly affordable — take on kaiseki, try Giro Giro Hitoshina (420-7 Nanba-cho, Nishi Kiya-machi-dori, Higashigawa, Matsubarashita, Shimogyo-ku; 81-75-343-7070), a stylish restaurant carved out of an old wooden town house, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Takase-gawa canal. Edakuni Eiichi, the chef, turns out innovative dishes like daikon rolls stuffed with foie gras and sweet potatoes. The set 10-course meal, which changes monthly, is 3,680 yen (about $40 at 91 yen to the dollar).

9 p.m.
3) AFTER HOURS

For a taste of Kyoto’s youth culture, head to one of the city’s funky live houses, or music clubs. One good bet is Taku Taku (Tominokoji-dori, Bukkoji-sagaru, Shimogyo-ku; 81-75-351-1321), a former sake storehouse that hosts big blues and rock acts like Taj Mahal and Los Lobos, and up-and-coming Japanese rock and pop bands. It’s been around since 1974, and the place oozes history, its walls plastered with concert posters. Afterward, if you’ve made some new friends, head to Super Jankara Karaoke Room (296 Naraya-cho, Kawaramachi, Takoyakushi-agaru, Nakagyo-ku; 81-75-212-5858), where premium rooms start at 450 yen a person every half-hour on weekends.

Saturday

10 a.m.
4) INNER PEACE

Though it’s mobbed by tourists during cherry blossom season (late March to early April), Maruyama Park in Gion is a tranquil spot the rest of the year. Start at the vivid white-and-orange Yasaka Shrine, where locals pray to the god of prosperity and health, and then wend your way through the park past ponds, gardens and a gigantic weeping cherry. Be sure to detour through the surreal hillside cemetery, its terraced maze of gravestones resembling a miniature city. The views are spectacular.

Noon
5) MAKE LIKE A MONK

Shojin Ryori, the vegetarian cuisine developed centuries ago by Zen Buddhist monks, consists of vegetables, beans and an array of bean curd variations, including creamy sesame tofu and chewy tofu skins. One of the best places to sample it is

Tenryu-ji Shigetsu (Syojin-ryouri Sigetu, Saga, Ukyo-ku; 81-75-881-1235), on the grounds of a 14th-century temple in Arashiyama. Diners sit or kneel in a long wooden hall and eat in silence, the better to appreciate the subtle flavors on the red lacquer tray (from 3,000 yen for a set lunch).

1:30 p.m.
6) DROP SOME YEN

Shoppers will find plenty of temptations along Sanjo-dori between Muromachi-dori and Teramachi-dori, a narrow stretch lined with stylish shops and buzzing with pedestrians and bicyclists. Also worth a wander is Teramachi-dori between Oike-dori and Marutamachi-dori, where you can find vintage textiles and kimonos made from elm, hemp and linden fibers at Gallery Kei (671-1 Kuon-in-mae-cho, Ebisugawa-agaru, Teramachi-dori, Nakagyo-ku; 81-75-212-7114; gallerykei.jp).

4 p.m.
7) TIME OUT KYOTO

For a recharge, stop by Somushi Kochaya (Karasuma Sanjo-nishi-iru; 81-75-253-1456; somushi.com), a Korean tearoom that serves medicinal teas spiked with ingredients like ginger and persimmon leaves (from 650 yen). Or seek out the new OKU Gallery and Cafe (570-119 Gionmachi Minamigawa, Higashiyama-ku; 81-75-531-4776; oku-style.com), a minimalist white space with a long, low window overlooking a miniature Japanese garden. Until 7 p.m., it serves tea and creative treats (like a jelly roll cake flavored with mugwort for 1,400 yen) on elegant black and white ceramic tableware by the local designer Shojiro Endo.

6 p.m.
8) NOODLE DINNER

Slurp handmade udon and soba — the ultimate Japanese comfort food — at Honke Owariya, established in 1465 and said to be the oldest noodle shop in Kyoto. There are three locations citywide, but the original 545-year-old restaurant is the most charming, with both traditional tatami-matted dining areas (remove your shoes and sit on the floor) and Western-style tables and chairs set within the creaky rooms of a former confectionery shop (322 Kurumaya-cho, Nijo, Nakagyo-ku; 81-75-231-3446; www.honke-owariya.co.jp). Try its signature Hourai Soba set, topped with shiitakes, shrimp tempura, Japanese leeks and grated daikon (2,100 yen). Bonus: a descriptive English-language menu, a rarity in Kyoto. The original closes at 7 p.m., but two other locations stay open later.

9 p.m.
9) NATIVE NIGHT LIFE

Pontocho-dori, a narrow alley packed with bars, restaurants and giant glowing paper lanterns, is great for photo ops. But for a more local scene, head north to Nijo-dori, a quiet street of private homes and small businesses. Highlights include Cafe Bibliotic Hello! (Nijo-dori, Yanaginobanba Higashi iru, Nakagyo-ku; 81-75-231-8625; cafe-hello.jp), a cozy cafe, gallery and bar with a fireplace and floor-to-ceiling bookcases. End the evening at Chez Quasimodo (Takakura Dori, Nijo-agaru, Nakagyo-ku; 81-75-231-2488), an intimate bar with a low, barrel ceiling where the mustachioed owner, Yoshio Sawaguchi, pours rare Scotch, stokes the fire and plays French chanson and jazz on vinyl.

Sunday

10 a.m.
10) CULTURE SHOCK

For a whiplash tour of Japanese culture, start at the Onishi Seiwemon Museum (Kamanza-cho, Shinmachi Nishi-iru, Sanjo-tori, Nakagyo-ku; 81-75-221-2881; www.seiwemon-museum.com), run by the 16th-generation tea kettle artist Seiwemon Onishi, where you can inspect tea ceremony implements and one-of-a-kind cast-iron kettles. Then blast into the present at the International Manga Museum (Karasuma-Oike, Nakagyo-ku; 81-75-254-7414; www.kyotomm.jp), which opened in 2006 in a converted elementary school, with exhibitions, drawing demonstrations and a library dedicated to Japanese and international comic books.

Noon
11) KYOTO’S KITCHEN

The flavors of Kyoto burst in Technicolor at Nishiki-koji Market (Nishiki-koji-dori, Nakagyo-ku; 81-75-211-3882), a seven-block arcade chockablock with tiny stalls of produce, seafood and specialty foods like deep-fried eel bones. Aritsugu (Nishiki-Koji Dori, Gokomachi Nishi-iru, Nakagyo-ku; 81-75-221-1091) is a 450-year-old family business that once produced swords for the Imperial Household and now specializes in hand-wrought steel chef’s knives, which can be engraved with your name, in English or Japanese, on the spot. They’re pricey — around 20,000 yen — but they make a sharp souvenir.

IF YOU GO

Kyoto is a 75-minute train ride from Osaka’s Kansai International Airport, or a 2.5-hour Shinkansen bullet train ride from Tokyo to Osaka (english.jr-central.co.jp). In early June, a one-stop flight to Osaka from Kennedy Airport (via Tokyo) starts at about $1,200 on American Airlines or Japan Airlines.

Kyoto is well served by buses, taxis, trains and subways, and easily navigable by bike.

If you’ve wanted to sleep in a capsule hotel, try the new and surprisingly stylish Nine Hours (588 Teianmaeno-cho Shijo Teramachi, Shimogyo-ku; 81-75-353-9005; www.9hours.jp). Each 3.5-foot-high black-and-white pod costs 4,900 yen a night, or $53.75 at 91 Japanese yen to the dollar.

The four-year-old Hyatt Regency Kyoto (644-2 Sanjusangendo-mawari, Higashiyama-ku; 81-75-541-1234; kyoto.regency.hyatt.com) remains among the city’s most luxurious, with 189 rooms decorated with oak furniture and silk-upholstered headboards. Standard doubles start at 22,000 yen.

Founded in 2004, Iori Machiya Rentals (144-6 Sujiya-cho, Tominokoji-dori, Takatsuji-agaru, Shimogyo-ku; 81-75-352-0211; kyoto-machiya.com) restores old wooden houses and rents them out, with rates from 26,000 yen.

Read excerpted article here

The brainchild of Austin-based hotelier Liz Lambert, El Cosmico is a new kind of lodging: part trailer park, part creative commune—“a Trans-Pecos kibbutz for the 21st century,” as the website would have it. (The place will exchange free boarding for labor, if you want to try your hand at building a stone wall, for instance.) Located in a scrubby 18-acre field in Marfa—the remote, single-stoplight town that has become a major art mecca in recent years because of its affiliation with the late minimalist artist and furniture maker Donald Judd—El Cosmico features “guest rooms” in the form of five renovated vintage trailers rescued by Lambert with the help of her “trailer guy” and a Yahoo group for Spartan owners and enthusiasts. Completing this modern take on KOA are five yurts with bamboo floors, one teepee, and 24 camping spots. Also on site is an open-air kitchen, a grove of Chinese elm trees strung with hammocks, and a smattering of wood-fired Dutch hot tubs that resemble Alice in Wonderland teacups.

Lambert, who grew up in West Texas and lives part-time on a ranch just outside Marfa, envisions El Cosmico as a place for locals as well as visitors. It will function as an inclusive “artistic playground” that fosters a sense of community and creativity, where people can take pottery and printmaking classes in soon-to-be-built art shacks and gather for songwriting workshops and yoga retreats.

At the heart of the experience are the trailers, which date from the ’40s and ’50s and start at just $75 a night. Though small (none are bigger than 323 square feet), the interiors resemble the cabins on a ship with tons of creative storage and no space wasted. And because they’re clad entirely in birch veneer freshly coated in marine varnish, they shine brilliantly at night, especially when candles are lit. “I think of them as land yachts,” Lambert says. “The surrounding desert is like the sea—in fact, this whole part of Texas was once under water—and these trailers are like little ships.”

Whenever Lambert stays in the trailers (she favors the Branstrator for its claw-foot bathtub on the front porch), she sleeps with the doors and windows open so she can smell the dusty sagebrush and hear the coyotes howling and the trains passing by. “There’s a sense of being cocooned and protected, but you’re still connected to the outdoors,” she says. “When I get out of bed, I’m two steps from the front door. I love the immediacy of the experience.”

Hwy. 67 and Madrid St., Marfa, Texas; 432.729.1950; elcosmico.com; campsites $20; yurts $50; trailers $75-$125 per night.

10 Things a Trailer Can Teach You

Think Like a Ship
In boat construction, every nook and cranny is utilized and objects often play more than one role. In El Cosmico’s Imperial Mansion, a stool made of recycled tires doubles as a coffee table. In another trailer, a bathroom door becomes a bedroom door with a swing of the hinge.

Reconsider the Basics
Free up precious square footage by deciding what you can do without. Maybe you don’t need a couch if you have a big bed? If you never bake, can you forgo an oven?

Break Out of the Box
A deck or patio can act as an open-air living room, doubling your space. To make an appealing hangout, install a fire pit, a grill, weatherproof furniture—and even an outdoor shower or bathtub.

Make Like a Minimalist
Keeping interiors simple and spare, with little excess ornamentation, increases a sense of spaciousness. All-white interiors or floor-to-ceiling wood paneling creates a neutral backdrop and allows well-placed bits of color to really pop.

Sneak Peeks
Generous windows in tight quarters can ease a sense of claustrophobia and emphasize a connection to the outdoors. If you have the ability to design or add windows, place them in unusual spots (at bed height, for example) to create postcard views that offer new perspectives on the landscape.

Embrace Cozy
A small space can be cave-like in a good way. Enhance the coziness with a plethora of candles and a woolly throw blanket and enjoy intimate corners for conversation.

Master Division
Instead of dividing up a long, narrow space with walls—blocking sightlines and making things feel uncomfortably closed-in—imply different zones with transparent screens, such as a beaded curtain or an open bookshelf. Do you really need privacy when it’s just you, or the two of you?

Cut Clutter
Embracing certain practical rituals, like taking off your shoes before entering or putting something away as soon as you use it, helps keep things clutter-free. This is essential in a small space, where it doesn’t take much to make a mess.

Beautify Essentials
A tiny space puts an end to the hoarding of stuff (ideally), so why not make what you do have extra beautiful? Splurge on a few key pieces and pay attention to the mundane objects: a gorgeous broom makes housekeeping a little bit happier.

Personality Test
Sharing 280 square feet offers a crash course in tolerance and compatibility and a chance to get to know your sweetheart—or yourself—a lot better. “It strips things down,” says Lambert. “We get so busy and cluttered in our lives. Spending time in a trailer offers a reckoning: It helps you reassess what your needs actually are and to figure out what’s really important to you.”

Surrounded by 18 ski resorts—the densest concentration of slopes anywhere in America—Lake Tahoe is a winter-sports paradise. But despite its abundance of on-mountain thrills, the region has been lacking, somewhat, in off-slope amenities—unless you count the casinos and an all-night bar scene (not to mention attendant bachelor parties) on the lake’s south side. No longer. These days, it’s the northern towns—including Northstar-at-Tahoe and Squaw Valley ski resorts, lakefront Tahoe City, and, farther inland, the vibrant, historic town of Truckee—that have the real energy. Here, a look at the new North Lake Tahoe.

Stay

After much anticipation, the $300 million Ritz-Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe (doubles from $299) opens this month at the family-friendly Northstar-at-Tahoe resort. The 170-room stone-and-wood lodge has a cavernous 17,000-square-foot spa with earthy treatments, like a crushed pinecone exfoliating scrub and a cedar-oil massage; a buzz-worthy restaurant, Manzanita, where star San Francisco chef Traci Des Jardins’s comfort food comes with a French twist (duck meatballs; wine-braised short ribs); and a pampering “mountain valet” who will manage your gear and escort you to the snow. For a more intimate, in-town experience, there’s the three-year-old Cedar House Sport Hotel (doubles from $170), in Truckee, where the 42 rooms are built mostly out of recycled and sustainably harvested wood in an appealing minimalist style, with leather-upholstered platform beds and birch plywood furniture.

Eat and Drink

Twelve miles north of the lake, Truckee resembles a cross between Aspen and a 19th-century railroad town. Built during the boom years of the transcontinental railroad, its two-story wood-and-brick buildings now shelter a surprising number of fantastic restaurants. Before catching the morning lifts, head to Jax at the Tracks (breakfast for two $25), housed in a restored 1940’s dining car; try the aptly named Morning Addiction—layers of hash browns, avocado, bacon, and eggs, with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Up the road, the loungelike Drunken Monkey (lunch for two $35) has creative sushi (halibut tempura with chili aioli), Asian tapas (Vietnamese shaking beef; curry mochiko chicken), and 14 types of sake by the glass. In Squaw Valley, home to the 1960 Olympic Winter Games, you’ll find one of North Tahoe’s best restaurants, PlumpJack Café (dinner for two with wine pairing, $120). The café’s new chef, Rick Edge, recently created a series of winemaker dinners, pairing bottles from single northern California wineries with dishes like venison loin and celery root, cocoa, and hibiscus, or seared scallops with roasted chestnuts. If you’re staying in Northstar-at-Tahoe, head to the sultry Baxter’s Bistro & Lounge (drinks for two $18) for artisanal cocktails (try the Alpine Blood Orange Cosmo), house-made charcuterie, and remarkably good live jazz.

Shop

Chic boutiques have also been cropping up in Truckee in recent years. Try Dylan’s Delights, for stylish children’s clothing and toys, and The Pharmacy, an apothecary-like space with tin ceilings and gleaming antique cabinets piled with lacy lingerie, Italian linen sheets, and beauty products from around the world. High Camp Home has luxe cowboy-inspired furniture—just in case you’re in the market for a cowhide-upholstered couch. In the lakeside Tahoe City, Kalifornia Jean Bar stocks dozens of cult denim brands. Head there during Friday happy hour for discount prices and wine tastings—guaranteed to make any jeans fit better. For the latest high-tech skis and outdoor gear, stop in at True North. The store also has a sleek in-house wine and coffee bar where the wine selection changes monthly.

Ski

This season, Squaw Valley celebrates its 60th anniversary with two revamped on-mountain restaurants and new ski and snowboard classes. But the biggest news is at Northstar-at-Tahoe, known for its diverse, beginner-friendly terrain. In the past year, it has unveiled a handful of expanded trails and lifts and North America’s only Burton Snowboard Academy. And the base village—a brand-new $55 million development—has a 9,000-square-foot ice rink and connects to the Ritz-Carlton by an intermountain gondola. The sophisticated après-ski crowd gathers around the fire pit at the Chocolate Bar (drinks for two $20), conveniently located at the base of the high-speed gondola, for spicy hot chocolates, espresso martinis, and a postcard view of the slopes.