Tokyo tip: skip big western chains and book a quirky local hotel (Yoko/Asakusa Plaza/Pelican/Sunroute Akasaka/Granbell/Toshi Center); for local food, take the train to Yurakuchou and ask for 焼き肉/焼き鳥 under the tracks. Start at Tsukiji early (7am); shop for knives at Aritsugu (有次) and ask for 商品番号 us011. Day trip: Kamakura (bamboo at 報国寺; giant Buddha at 高徳院). Prebook 精進料理 at 光明寺 (5000 yen, arrive 15 min early, 1.5 hours, cash).
For postcard downtown views, head to **Kerry Park** in Queen Anne. For Mt. Rainier, choose **Sunrise** (easier drive, higher elevations, better views); drive to Enumclaw, then take SR-410 to Sunrise Road, or continue via **Chinook Pass**. For a quick outing, try **Snoqualmie Falls** (29 miles east). For a scenic budget cruise, ride the **King County Water Taxi** from Pier 55 to West Seattle for **$3.00** (or **$1.00** with a Metro transfer), then grab home-style Italian at **La Rustica** on 4100 Beach Dr SW.
In “Pour Your Heart Into It,” Howard Schultz ties Starbucks to Italian cafes as neighborhood gathering places, but the chain feels like a “Museum of Coffee” gift shop—overpriced trinkets, contrived art books, and coffee-themed music CDs—just with a coffee bar. Why does the world need ~20,000 such gift shops?
👋 Hi, I’m Joe—an entrepreneur building communities with AI. I founded **AI Tinkerers** (https://aitinkerers.org), connecting technical AI practitioners with in-person events in **60+ cities**, now with **tens of thousands** of members. I’ve scaled ventures from Crowd Cow (over **8-figures** revenue) to acquisitions incl. Mighty AI (Uber), ReplyYes (Nordstrom), MediaPiston (UpWork), and Snapvine (Whitepages).
