Three Days in the Pacific Northwest

Day 1: The Best of Seattle

Fly into SeaTac, and immediately head to Pike Place Market to grab coffee and fresh pastry at Storyville Coffee. Then wander around the market’s plethora of local artisan booths. At The Athenian, enjoy a chowder lunch from the perch of a 2-person booth overlooking the Olympic Mountains and the ferries passing by in Elliot Bay. In the afternoon, choose to peruse downtown’s Seattle Art Museum or head north a bit to Seattle Center’s Museum of Pop Culture, then grab a beer at Holy Mountain Brewing. They offer very small pours, so you can try a few! An early dinner at The Walrus and The Carpenter in Ballard will reward you with some of the freshest oysters and the best beef carpaccio anywhere. They don’t take reservations, so wander around historic Ballard to explore the local shops if you have to wait for a table, or after dinner to build up a thirst to hit up the neighborhood’s brewery district. If you are instead ready for a new area, head to Fremont to tip back a Belgian beer at Brouwer’s Cafe. End the night with the city’s iconic view from Queen Anne's Kerry Park with its expanse of skyline, Space Needle, and Elliot Bay in the distance.

Day 2: Overnight on San Juan Island

Take in the surroundings of breakfast at charming Le Pichet before hopping a seaplane from Lake Union to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Enjoy a stroll around this cute harbor town. Stop by King’s Market to acquire picnic fixings before heading west to Lime Kiln Point State Park to enjoy a leisurely lunch on the cliffs overlooking Haro Strait. If you time it well, you will see spyhopping Orcas and a lovely sunset over the Olympic Peninsula and Vancouver Island! End your day shucking some local goodness at The Westcott Bay Oyster Company.

Day 3: Fly back to Lake Union

After staying the night in Roche Harbor’s historic Hotel de Haro, enjoy breakfast—including freshly made donuts—at the nearby Lime Kiln Cafe. Stroll through the small town of Roche Harbor or venture out to hike through English Camp. Fly back to Lake Union and then down to SeaTac and away. To keep the PNW vibes going, go to Lucky Louie Fish Shack or Skillet—both are at the airport and offer surprisingly good local fare!

“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller”

– Ibn Battuta

Highlights of Budapest

“Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow” – Anita Desai

Where to Stay

Make reservations at an Airbnb located in one of the beautiful Austro-Hungarian buildings that make up so much of Budapest. Stay near Szabadsag Ter in the V. District or near Buda Castle and Fisherman's Bastion on the Buda side of the Danube River.

Where to Eat

Budapest's coffee game is strong. For a modern flavor and vibe, choose Espresso Embassy, or for a more authentic Hungarian coffee house experience, visit New York Cafe—arguably one of the most beautiful cafes in the world—or Central Kavehaz—a famous literary hub in the 1800s. Be sure to sample one of the iconic cakes!

A good breakfast/brunch choice is the very posh cafe Dernye in the Castle District on the Buda side. It was the prime location for the Hungarian glitterati in the 1920s and still retains its elegant feel and distinctly Parisian/Hungarian flavor. Mensa on the Pest side is a great pick for lunch. Order the langos and cream of garlic soup or one of the fruit soups Hungary is famous for.

Make a reservation for dinner at the tiny, perfectly wonderful Kis Piac near Szabadsag Ter and enjoy warm service, homemade bread and pickles, excellent food, and good Hungarian wine. In the summer, try Fragola for gelato—the gorgonzola pear is delicious.

What to See

Budapest has excellent public transit, but is best seen on foot. Wandering through District V and VI is particularly spectacular. Don't miss the beautiful Andrassy Utca and Heroes' Square, elegant Szabadsag Ter and the impressive Parliament building, St. Stephen's Basilica, and Castle Hill and Fisherman's Bastion. An evening stroll along the Danube will take you by many of these places, particularly the latter two lit up across the Danube River.

Enjoy an unforgettable soak in one of the city's numerous hot springs. The most specular is Szechenyi Baths where you can soak in mineral pools and saunas under the stars and in ornate buildings, with hot and cold pools of different temperatures and mineral compositions. Don't leave Budapest without enjoying the unique experience of late night drinks at the epic ruin bar, Szimpla Kert. And lastly, make time to visit the sobering memorial, The Shoes on the Danube Bank, for a reminder of the complex and sorrowful history of the city.