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I was still in a pleasant, gauzy, art-induced haze after laying eyes on the Nefertiti Bust in Berlin’s Neues Museum when the November rain pelting Museum Island stopped for a few blissful minutes. I seized the chance to lower my umbrella and linger in the middle of Friedrichsbrücke footbridge, on the Spree river. Above, the sky was damp, hazy, and green-gray; reflections from yellow streetlights glowed warm in the rippling water. I ran my fingers along antique German script etched in the bridge’s concrete, the lettering like medieval calligraphy. The 18th-century Berlin Cathedral presided over it all, its tarnished sea-green dome stately and gothic. This view, I remember thinking, this dramatic vignette, is like a woodcut from an Edgar Allan Poe novel.  As I turned to continue down the cobblestoned path, a murder of crows began to swirl and scream overhead. It couldn’t have been more appropriate. It couldn’t have been more bizarre. And it couldn’t have been more magical. This was the Berlin I’d hoped to experience: the fiercely authentic, austere, urbane city that I’d read about in newspapers’ style sections and seen on TV in 1989, when the Wall fell.  Witnessing the crows was one of many far-out moments I had in the city’s bubbling cauldron of rich history, modern art, addictive street food, avant-garde design, and friendly people. I did it all on a budget in one long weekend, with the trendy Mitte district as a home base. And I didn’t want to leave. Stay in hip, surprisingly affordable Mitte. After my redeye on Airberlin, direct from New York City’s JFK airport to Tegel in Berlin, it was morning when I arrived in the trendy Mitte district—known for its café scene, galleries, and cool shops—and checked into the design-forward, you-won’t-believe-these-low-rates Circus Hotel (from about $95 per night, circus-berlin.de). The hotel isn’t whisper-quiet or plush, but its decor is youthful and energetic—silhouettes of birds on a bright-green background were painted on my room’s walls—and the Rosenthaler-Platz U-bahn subway stop is steps from the front door. I stowed my suitcase and waited for my room to open at the adjoining restaurant, Fabisch. Alongside heaping spreads of German wurst, cheeses, eggs, and breads, its 9-euro breakfast buffet offered nine kinds of hearty cereals, like “choco muesli” and rye “roggen flocken,” lined up neatly, waiting to be spooned into bowls. Lodging rates across the street, at the similarly named Circus Hostel, dip even lower (from about $21 per night for a shared dorm room, from about $62 per night for a private room, circus-berlin.de). Generator Berlin Mitte hostel, with its hip, warm, wood-heavy décor is close by too (from about $21 for a shared room, from about $58 for a private room, generatorhostels.com).  Shop local, drink cheap, take a throwback selfie. When I ventured out that first morning, the streets were abandoned until about noon, when Berliners began to stream past wearing understated parkas, dark skinny jeans, and delicate nose rings—and exuding an effortless cool. The city is a night owl.  “Where should I go out tonight?” I had asked the hotel’s front-desk clerk. His buddy next to him, exuberant with a half-shaved head and ponytail, grabbed a red Post-It note and scrawled the best places to go clubbing: “Berghain, Tresor, Kater Blau, Watergate.” “Go early,” he urged me. “Go before 2 a.m., because from 2 to 6 a.m. it gets really crazy. Also, people might be having intercourse next to you, but it’s normal.”  After living in a sanitized New York City for years, sanctioned public intercourse seemed like a breath of fresh air. I was disappointed when, after my redeye, I couldn’t stay awake past midnight. But before the clock struck 12, I found the perfect bar. A smoky, red-lit dive with psychedelic toile wallpaper, Muschi Obermaier has vintage memorabilia shellacked to the walls: print advertisements from the 1960s, band posters, photos of nude models, and film stills (muschiobermaier.de). A giant bottle of Augustiner Lagerbier Hell cost less than $4; a small glass of Berliner Luft peppermint schnapps was under $3. Reclining on overstuffed leather couches or standing three deep at the bar, the men resembled Sting or Jack Antonoff; the women were petite, brunette versions of Brigitte Bardot, touseled bangs included. I lingered as long as I could. The next day, it was pouring rain when I reached Mauerpark, in Prenzlauer Berg near Mitte, for a Sunday-only flea market where incense and mellow German tunes filter through the air, its stalls selling kitschy T-shirts; jewelry; clothing patches for 3 euros, some depicting the German flag; and vintage finery (flohmarktimmauerpark.de). Twentysomethings haggled for chunky knit sweaters, furry coats, silk shirts, and Vanna White–style sequined shells or sat, sheltered from the rain, at picnic-style tables drinking cold beer. Afterward, I ducked into one of Berlin’s Photoautomat booths—an art project started in 2004—and dropped 2 euro coins into the slot (photoautomat.de). The light flashed four times, and I waited as the machine churned and groaned and finally spit out a strip of vintage-cool black-and-white photographs that smelled of darkroom fluid. I waved it in the wind to dry it, like an old Polaroid, later tucking it into a book for safekeeping. Prioritize the art—especially the free stuff. Art in Berlin stretches far beyond gallery walls, the city’s creativity spilling onto brick buildings, into alleyways, and coating the Berlin Wall itself. Street art rises high and bold in the up-and-coming Kreuzberg neighborhood. Richard Ash’s “Astronaut Cosmonaut” floats above Skalitzer Street. “Pink Man,” made of small, writhing wormlike humans, dangles his prey close to his mouth near Oberbaum Bridge. Back in Mitte, the alleyway next to Haus Schwarzenberg museum is covered with art, including a portrait of Anne Frank by artist Jimmy C and images of Little Lucy, a cartoon character continually finding creative ways to kill her pet cat. Intrigued? Take a free three-hour tour with Alternative Tours Berlin to see important works and hear an elegant explanation of the difference between street art, tagging, and graffiti (free, alternativeberlin.com). Outside Haus Schwarzenberg, note the “stumbling blocks” on the sidewalk, one of many clusters of gilded stones in Berlin that serve as tributes to Jewish families who were forced out of their homes during the Holocaust. Nearby, Museum Island—five museums on a stretch of land in the Spree River—is a treasure trove of ancient art and modern works. The best deal is to buy a one-day area ticket for access to all five (about $20, smb.museum). I was crunched for time but determined to see the Egyptian antiquities, including Nefertiti’s Bust, at the Neues Museum (admission about $13). An architectural wonder of old and new, the building was bombed during WWII and built up again on the ruins; inside, the brick foundation rises and collides with new, clean lines. As for Nefertiti, she was was even more regal than I had hoped: so reverentially lit she glowed, encased in glass at the center of a room all her own. I followed the Spree River south to the Berlin Wall, with the murals of the East Side Gallery painted on its side (free, eastsidegallery-berlin.com). They’re alternately jarring and dreamlike: “The Kiss” between socialist leaders Erich Honecker and Leonid Brezhnev; a Trabant car bursting through the Berlin Wall; vibrant Batman characters populating “Sonic Malade.” Between art-gazing, culture-lovers should take a mandatory spin through the ultra-modern Mitte bookstore Do You Read Me?! (doyoureadme.de). Bathed in white neon light, its streamlined shelves are stocked with mesmerizing avant-garde fashion magazines, quarterly literary 'zines. One evening, I wandered into Me Collectors Room, a combination café/gallery showcasing both a Cindy Sherman photography exhibit and a long hallway filled with ancient curiosities, such as a narwhal tusk once thought to be a unicorn horn (admission about $8, me-berlin.com). For food, think high/low. Street food like currywurst (sliced sausage the consistency of an American hot dog, doused in curry ketchup and sprinkled with curry powder) and fine dining are within reach in Berlin. Near Circus Hotel, Curry Mitte dishes out an entire currywurst meal for about $5, including French fries and a beer or soft drink, like local citrus-flavored soda Mezzo Mix (currymitte.de). I ate currywurst twice in three days: Once for lunch, sitting in the window, people-watching at the busy corner, and once after a pilsner at Z-Bar, a bar/cinema with red glitter–laquered tables and bottomless bowls of “peanut flips”—puffed corn chips with a sweet, peanut-butter-like coating (z-bar.de). The flavor was reminiscent of E.T. Cereal, sold back in the ’80s. In other words, just like heaven.  In Kreuzberg, eats are cheap and clustered together: Four pieces of baklava are about $1 at Salut Backwaren bakery (49/30-6182405). Not far away, Burgermeister, a former public restroom converted into a snack bar, grills up burgers and cheese fries doused with sauces like peanut butter and mango curry (burgers from about $5, burger-meister.de). The doner kebab was supposedly invented in Berlin, so it’s only right to grab one at Baghdad Bistro—it does brisk business after 2 a.m. (less than $4, bagdad-restaurant.de). With the money you’ve saved, treat yourself to weinerschnitzel and apple streudel at South German restaurant Alpenstueck, where a chic crowd wearing dark sweaters and black spectacles befitting an architect sit at shiny gray tables arranged in neat lines (generous entrées from about $17, alpenstueck.com). Catch a boho vibe while sipping wine and sitting on homey, tapestried pillows at farm-to-table resto Katz Orange (glasses of wine from less than $4, entrées from about $19, katzorange.com). The lavender sausages, delivered in a cocotte on a bed of greens, were the best links I’ve ever had ($7). For further savings, split a slow-roasted “candy on the bone” short rib, melted pork belly, lamb, or Duroc pork entrée for two, with second helpings and sides in little terra-cotta crocks.  Value-wise, though, it’s hard to beat the Vietnamese cuisine at Chén Chè tea house, where a heaping tray with bowls of red coconut chicken curry, fried chicken, jasmine rice, soup, and salad costs less than $12 (chenche-berlin.de).  As you leave the tea house, look up, to your right. The Fernsehturm television tower is glittering like a disco ball, and your night is just beginning.

Tucked behind an arcade of busy stores, Sam’s Tailor in Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui doesn’t look like much from the outside—a small shop crammed with customers—but photographs lining the walls belie its reputation. As I waited for my appointment, I perused photos of the shop’s most notable clients, spanning royalty (Prince Charles) to politics (the Clintons and the Bushes) to fashion (Kate Moss) to movies (Kevin Spacey) to music (David Bowie).  Hong Kong is renowned for the 24-hour suit—a marvel of British-style tailoring and Asian efficiency. Luckily, I had a few days in Hong Kong and could schedule more than one fitting. I came to Sam’s armed with ripped-out magazine pages of my ultimate fashion fantasy: a slim-cut, Le Smoking tuxedo made famous by Yves Saint Laurent in 1966.  Roshan Melwani, the original Sam’s grandson and fellow tailor, immediately knew what I was gunning for, and pulled down books of fabrics for me page through. After viewing and touching every iteration, I selected an all-weather, wrinkle-resistant black fabric and a rich burgundy paisley lining. I also ordered a tuxedo shirt with a pleated front and French cuffs. The price? $450, a steal compared to an off-the-rack designer suit, which average about $2,000. In the middle of the shop, Melwani took my measurements and told me to come back the next day for a fitting. On my second visit, I tried on pants with an unfinished waistband and a jacket with only one full sleeve. Chalk lines indicated where darts, a silk lapel or pockets would go. Already, the fit was better and more flattering than anything I’d ever worn. As I changed back into my slouchy sundress in the dressing room, a signed photograph of Hillary Clinton seemed to be looking down at me approvingly.   The next day, I picked up the finished product. The shirt was crisp; the jacket and pants were sharp but comfortable. To my surprise and delight, the shirt had my initials discreetly embroidered using white thread at the cuff, and a tag inside the jacket stated my full name and the date the suit was made. Melwani kept my measurements so I could order other items when I returned home. But I know I’ll be back in person for more. Where to go: Sam’s Tailor, K1 Burlington Arcade, 90-94C Nathan Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong (samstailor.com). Where to stay: Bishop Lei International House in the swanky Mid-Levels neighborhood is a short walk to the SoHo escalators and overlooks the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens (from $133 per night, bishopleihtl.com.hk). It operates a free shuttle to and from Central, Admiralty and the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. Ask for a room with views of Victoria Harbor.

Fact: Pizza makes everything better. Even flight delays. On Wednesday, passengers on Delta flight 802 from Atlanta to NYC's LaGuardia airport got a tasty surprise when their flight was rerouted due to bad weather: boxes upon boxes of pizza pies and bottled water waiting for them when they de-planed in Syracuse, New York. Watch the video, reported by the Weather Channel, here. This isn't the first time Delta Air Lines has bought pizza for its passengers. Back in May, the airline's crews placed orders when weather delayed more than 650 flights. Same with storms in Atlanta this past November—flight attendants passed out slices from the aisle. Delta's dough-licious behavior can be traced back several years. In 2013, station managers arranged for a cop car to pull up and deliver 60 pizzas to a plane stuck on the tarmac for hours in Boston. Not too long before that, 160 pizzas were delivered to a Delta plane delayed in Savannah. Back then, a Delta spokesman told USA TODAY, "Delta can't control the weather, but we can control how we respond to weather delays and irregular operations. In situations like these, Delta people have the decision-making power to take care of our customers — even having pizza delivered plane-side."

There's no better way to shake off a long winter than taking a spring trip. Plus, springtime is shoulder season, which means your wanderlust dreams can come true at slashed prices, some with savings of more than 50 percent. Before the crowds descend for the summer, beat the rush—and the high-season surge pricing—with these six spots during the month of May. Sea Crest Beach Hotel: Cape Cod, Massachusetts The deal: Score a room for $134 per night before the summer rates kick in, from $266, seacrestbeachhotel.com Why go: Think classic Cape: long walks on the hotel’s private Old Silver Beach, a spin on two wheels on the trails of Shining Sea Bikeway, and keeping the kids busy on rainy days at the indoor swimming pool. Nearby, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and Marine Biological Laboratory and Nobska Lighthouse make for great educational excursions. Fort Lauderdale Marriott Pompano Beach Resort and Spa: Fort Lauderdale, Florida The deal: Rates drop as much as 38 percent to just $143 per night, marriott.com Why go: The boutique-style resort calls Pompano Beach home. The up-and-coming locale boasts some of Florida’s best diving, offering prime views of sea creatures, reefs, and wrecks. The nearby South Florida Diving Headquarters offers training for beginners, so it's ideal for all levels. After a dive, chow down and kick back with a craft cocktail at the property's Prohibition era–themed McCoy’s Oceanfront. Harbor View Hotel: Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts The deal: Snag a room for $159 per night, compared with $319 in the summer, harbor-view.com Why go: Join the storied property in celebrating its 125th anniversary. You’ll feel like an insider on Martha’s Vineyard before the summer crowds set in, since that’s when you can get the best access to the top beaches, boutiques, galleries, and restaurants, including the hotel’s new eatery, Lighthouse Grill, serving contemporary New England fare. 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel: Clayton, New York The deal: Rates start at $129 per night in May, which is 24 percent off the June rate, 1000islandsharborhotel.com Why go: A boater’s dream, the hotel is in the Thousand Islands region, right next to the newly completed 49-slip Transient Dock Facility. For a nautical adventure, charter a yacht for a private cruise down the St. Lawrence, or rent a fishing charter or boat. Once you’re back on dry land, the river village offers quaint shops, museums, vineyards, and plenty of outdoor activities to keep you entertained.  Kelley House: Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts The deal: The typical $252 starting summer rate is slashed to $117 per night, kelley-house.com Why go: Location, location, location. Kelley House is tucked into an historic home right in the heart of Edgartown, one of the most elegant and charming towns in Martha’s Vineyard, and houses Wave Pool Bar, a hot spot on the island. Take a rental bike to explore, go golfing at one of the nearby clubs, or visit the Kelley House Gallery to see local artists' work. Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort and Spa: Palm Beach, Florida The deal: Prices drop up to 58 percent to $207 per night, palmbeachmarriottresort.com Why go: Private beach. Need we say more? The luxury all-suite resort features condo-style rooms with kitchens and a washer/dryer, so it’s perfect for families. While Mom and Dad are at the beach, at SiSpa, or relaxing poolside in a cabana, the little ones can have fun at the Kids Club. They also offer Parent’s Night Out on Fridays and Saturdays, with a long dinner at 3800 Ocean.