Pacific Northwest + California Road Trip ✶ JPKOUDSTAAL.COM

Day 1: AMS → Seattle

After a long flight with little space and even less sleep, we land in Seattle at 2:50 PM. After a long wait and many questions at customs we hop on the metro into the city and check into the quirky Pineapple Hotel, where we get a warm welcome. After freshening up, we follow the hotel’s recommendation and head to The Victor Tavern. Burgers and pretzel bites with cheese dip hit the spot and we return to the hotel for some needed rest.

Day 2: Seattle

Breakfast kicks off at Top Pot, where we try their delicious old-fashioned doughnuts. Next, we walk toward Pike Place Market. It’s still quiet at the very first Starbucks, so we decide to step inside and order a flat white. Afterward we share a salmon-filled pastry at Piroski Piroski, a Russian bakery, before wandering through the early-morning market. Not much is open yet, but we do catch the famous fish-throwing show, funny to see it in person.

By 9:00 AM, we’re ready for a bowl of mac & cheese at Beecher’s Handmade Cheese (absolutely delicious). Next we get happily get stuck in a nerd shop full of comics, Funkos, and other collectibles. Then we make our way to the Gum Wall, and down to the waterfront to see the Seattle Great Wheel and the quirky Ye Olde Curiosity Shop. Lunch is clam chowder at Ivar’s Acres of Clams.

Back to the hotel for a rest, then on to the Museum of Pop Culture. The $32 entrance fee per person makes us hesitate, but we decide to go in anyway. Music, sci-fi, horror, and other pop culture exhibits keep us busy until late afternoon. Dinner at Bambino’s Pizzeria is unfortunately a flop: a bread-like pizza with hardly any flavor.

Day 1: AMS → Seattle

After a long flight with little space and even less sleep, we land in Seattle at 2:50 PM. After a long wait and many questions at customs we hop on the metro into the city and check into the quirky Pineapple Hotel, where we get a warm welcome. After freshening up, we follow the hotel’s recommendation and head to The Victor Tavern. Burgers and pretzel bites with cheese dip hit the spot and we return to the hotel for some needed rest.

Day 2: Seattle

Breakfast kicks off at Top Pot, where we try their delicious old-fashioned doughnuts. Next, we walk toward Pike Place Market. It’s still quiet at the very first Starbucks, so we decide to step inside and order a flat white. Afterward we share a salmon-filled pastry at Piroski Piroski, a Russian bakery, before wandering through the early-morning market. Not much is open yet, but we do catch the famous fish-throwing show, funny to see it in person.

By 9:00 AM, we’re ready for a bowl of mac & cheese at Beecher’s Handmade Cheese (absolutely delicious). Next we get happily get stuck in a nerd shop full of comics, Funkos, and other collectibles. Then we make our way to the Gum Wall, and down to the waterfront to see the Seattle Great Wheel and the quirky Ye Olde Curiosity Shop. Lunch is clam chowder at Ivar’s Acres of Clams.

Back to the hotel for a rest, then on to the Museum of Pop Culture. The $32 entrance fee per person makes us hesitate, but we decide to go in anyway. Music, sci-fi, horror, and other pop culture exhibits keep us busy until late afternoon. Dinner at Bambino’s Pizzeria is unfortunately a flop: a bread-like pizza with hardly any flavor.

Day 3: Seattle

Breakfast at The 5 Point Café is a full-on American diner/dive-bar experience. Eggs, hash browns, pancakes, oatmeal, it’s all there. The music is blasting, but we still manage a nice chat with some folks from Chicago at the next table.

We head to the Space Needle while it’s still quiet. The elevator ride is fun, the views are even better. After exploring the nearby park, we ride the monorail to Westlake and continue to walk to the Starbucks Reserve Roastery. Yes, it’s touristy, but the drinks and food are good. We share a Sakura Float, delicious!

Next up: Kpop Nara where Juul aquires Katseye merch, followed by the fantastic Elliott Bay Book Company, where she happily buys three books.

Back to the hotel for a break, then on to Pioneer Square for the Beneath the Streets Tour. The underground passages and stories of Seattle’s past are fascinating. After that we grab hot dogs by the waterfront before browsing a few more shops.

An Uber takes us up to Kerry Park, where we get the postcard view of Seattle and even a glimpse of Mount Rainier. Dinner is at Goldinblack, a cozy Korean restaurant, before heading back to the hotel.

Day 3: Seattle

Breakfast at The 5 Point Café is a full-on American diner/dive-bar experience. Eggs, hash browns, pancakes, oatmeal, it’s all there. The music is blasting, but we still manage a nice chat with some folks from Chicago at the next table.

We head to the Space Needle while it’s still quiet. The elevator ride is fun, the views are even better. After exploring the nearby park, we ride the monorail to Westlake and continue to walk to the Starbucks Reserve Roastery. Yes, it’s touristy, but the drinks and food are good. We share a Sakura Float, delicious!

Next up: Kpop Nara where Juul aquires Katseye merch, followed by the fantastic Elliott Bay Book Company, where she happily buys three books.

Back to the hotel for a break, then on to Pioneer Square for the Beneath the Streets Tour. The underground passages and stories of Seattle’s past are fascinating. After that we grab hot dogs by the waterfront before browsing a few more shops.

An Uber takes us up to Kerry Park, where we get the postcard view of Seattle and even a glimpse of Mount Rainier. Dinner is at Goldinblack, a cozy Korean restaurant, before heading back to the hotel.

Day 4: Seattle → Forks

We pack our bags and grab breakfast at Mr. West, conveniently close to the car rental. After picking up our car, we drive out of sunny Seattle. What a nice city, kind of like Rotterdam with its own Euromast vibe. Friendly service everywhere, plenty of Pride flags, it made us feel right at home.

Two hours later, we pass through Port Angeles, which is a bit underwhelming, so we drive on toward Crescent Lake. We’re ready to eat, but a Wi-Fi outage has shut the restaurant. We make do with chips and chocolate cake from their shop and enjoy them by the lake. Then it’s a short hike to Marymere Falls, but hotter than expected. Randomly, it seems to be “compliment day”: Karen gets two on her bird shirt, Juul on her Taylor Swift shirt, and me on my camera.

By late afternoon we roll into Forks, famous for the Twilight films. Our motel is fine, though every other room is occupied by a biker gang drinking and revving engines in the courtyard. At least it was quiet at night.

We check out Bella’s red truck from the movies and grab dinner at Rinconcito Del Sabor, a (delicious!) Mexican place. A quick stop at a souvenir shop full of Bigfoot and Twilight merch, where Juul picks up an overpriced gift for her best friend, and then back to the motel.

Day 5: Forks

We’re up early, warned by locals that the Hoh Rainforest gets crowded fast. Peanut butter and banana sandwiches in the room, and we’re on the road by 7:00 AM. At the entrance, the ranger hears we’re from the Netherlands, grins, and shouts: “Feyenoord!” Before lifting the barrier, he even sends us off with a perfect Dutch line: “Veel plezier in het park, tot ziens!” Made our morning.

Parking is already filling up, but we snag a spot. First up is the Hall of Mosses, where we spot squirrels, birds, fish, and the true star: a giant yellow Banana Slug. (Another visitor saw it and said: ”Oh wow. I hate it.”)

Then we hike the Spruce Nature Trail, which takes us along the Hoh River. The nature here is stunning. On the way out we see the massive line of cars waiting to get in – so glad we came early.

We had coffee and sandwiches at the Hard Rain Café, then on to Ruby Beach, where dramatic sea stacks rise from the water. Later we swing by La Push, another coastal spot with rocky formations. A bit gloomy weather-wise, but still impressive.

Back in Forks, dinner at Sully’s Drive-In is simple and not expensive (a nice change). Juul ends the day with a $7.99 single scoop ice cream from the souvenir shop next door.