diff --git a/themes/intotheeast/css/style.css b/themes/intotheeast/css/style.css
index 732c2ec..7045866 100644
--- a/themes/intotheeast/css/style.css
+++ b/themes/intotheeast/css/style.css
@@ -1772,3 +1772,139 @@ body::after {
     color: var(--color-ink-muted);
     font-style: italic;
 }
+
+/* ── Between-trips highlights grid ──────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+.home-highlights-header {
+    margin-bottom: var(--space-8);
+    padding-bottom: var(--space-6);
+    border-bottom: 1px solid var(--color-border);
+}
+
+.home-highlights-title {
+    font-family: var(--font-display);
+    font-size: var(--text-2xl);
+    font-weight: 400;
+    color: var(--color-ink);
+    margin-bottom: var(--space-2);
+}
+
+.home-highlights-subtitle {
+    font-size: var(--text-sm);
+    color: var(--color-ink-muted);
+}
+
+.home-highlights-grid {
+    display: grid;
+    grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 1fr);
+    gap: var(--space-6);
+    margin-bottom: var(--space-10);
+}
+
+@media (max-width: 900px) {
+    .home-highlights-grid { grid-template-columns: repeat(2, 1fr); }
+}
+
+@media (max-width: 600px) {
+    .home-highlights-grid { grid-template-columns: 1fr; }
+}
+
+.home-highlight-card {
+    border: 1px solid var(--color-border);
+    border-radius: var(--radius-md);
+    background: var(--color-canvas);
+    overflow: hidden;
+    display: flex;
+    flex-direction: column;
+}
+
+.home-highlight-image {
+    aspect-ratio: 16 / 9;
+    overflow: hidden;
+}
+
+.home-highlight-image img {
+    width: 100%;
+    height: 100%;
+    object-fit: cover;
+    display: block;
+}
+
+.home-highlight-body {
+    padding: var(--space-4);
+    display: flex;
+    flex-direction: column;
+    gap: var(--space-2);
+    flex: 1;
+}
+
+.home-highlight-badge {
+    font-size: var(--text-xs);
+    font-weight: 600;
+    font-variant: small-caps;
+    letter-spacing: 0.08em;
+    color: var(--color-accent);
+}
+
+.home-highlight-badge--journal {
+    color: var(--color-ink-muted);
+}
+
+.home-highlight-title {
+    font-family: var(--font-display);
+    font-size: var(--text-lg);
+    font-weight: 400;
+    color: var(--color-ink);
+    text-decoration: none;
+    line-height: 1.3;
+}
+
+.home-highlight-title:hover { color: var(--color-accent); }
+
+.home-highlight-trip {
+    margin-top: auto;
+    padding-top: var(--space-3);
+    border-top: 1px solid var(--color-border);
+    font-size: var(--text-xs);
+    color: var(--color-ink-muted);
+    display: flex;
+    flex-direction: column;
+    gap: var(--space-1);
+}
+
+.home-highlight-trip-name {
+    font-weight: 600;
+    color: var(--color-ink-2);
+}
+
+.home-highlight-tagline { font-style: italic; }
+
+.home-highlight-trip-link {
+    color: var(--color-accent);
+    text-decoration: none;
+    font-weight: 500;
+}
+
+.home-highlight-trip-link:hover { text-decoration: underline; }
+
+.home-highlights-cta-wrap {
+    text-align: center;
+    padding-top: var(--space-4);
+    border-top: 1px solid var(--color-border);
+}
+
+.home-highlights-cta {
+    display: inline-block;
+    color: var(--color-accent);
+    font-size: var(--text-sm);
+    font-weight: 500;
+    text-decoration: none;
+    padding: var(--space-3) var(--space-6);
+    border: 1px solid var(--color-accent);
+    border-radius: var(--radius-sm);
+}
+
+.home-highlights-cta:hover {
+    background: var(--color-accent);
+    color: var(--color-canvas);
+}
diff --git a/themes/intotheeast/templates/home.html.twig b/themes/intotheeast/templates/home.html.twig
index 944b57a..1c2137f 100644
--- a/themes/intotheeast/templates/home.html.twig
+++ b/themes/intotheeast/templates/home.html.twig
@@ -225,8 +225,155 @@ homeMap.on('load', function () {
 {% endif %}
 
 {% else %}
-{# ════════════════════════════════════════════════ BETWEEN-TRIPS MODE (Task 3) #}
-<p class="feed-empty" style="padding: 2rem;">Off season — highlights coming in Task 3.</p>
+{# ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════ BETWEEN-TRIPS MODE #}
+
+{# ── Highlight selection ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── #}
+{% set trips_page = grav.pages.find('/trips') %}
+{% set pool = [] %}
+{% if trips_page %}
+    {% for trip_item in trips_page.children.published() %}
+        {% set t_dailies = grav.pages.find(trip_item.route ~ '/dailies') %}
+        {% set t_stories = grav.pages.find(trip_item.route ~ '/stories') %}
+        {% set candidates = [] %}
+        {% if t_dailies %}
+            {% for e in t_dailies.children.published() %}
+                {% if e.header.featured %}
+                    {% set candidates = candidates|merge([{'type': 'journal', 'page': e, 'trip': trip_item}]) %}
+                {% endif %}
+            {% endfor %}
+        {% endif %}
+        {% if t_stories %}
+            {% for s in t_stories.children.published() %}
+                {% if s.header.featured %}
+                    {% set candidates = candidates|merge([{'type': 'story', 'page': s, 'trip': trip_item}]) %}
+                {% endif %}
+            {% endfor %}
+        {% endif %}
+        {% if candidates|length > 0 %}
+            {% set pool = pool|merge([random(candidates)]) %}
+        {% endif %}
+    {% endfor %}
+{% endif %}
+{% set pool = pool|shuffle %}
+{% set highlights = pool|slice(0, 6) %}
+
+{# ── Map entries (entries with coordinates) ──────────────────────────────── #}
+{% set highlights_map_entries = [] %}
+{% for item in highlights %}
+    {% if item.page.header.lat is not empty and item.page.header.lng is not empty %}
+        {% set highlights_map_entries = highlights_map_entries|merge([{
+            'lat': item.page.header.lat|number_format(6, '.', ''),
+            'lng': item.page.header.lng|number_format(6, '.', ''),
+            'slug': item.page.slug,
+            'title': item.page.title,
+            'url': item.page.url
+        }]) %}
+    {% endif %}
+{% endfor %}
+
+<div class="home-layout">
+    <div class="home-map-col">
+        <div class="home-map" id="home-map"></div>
+    </div>
+
+    <div class="home-feed-col">
+        <div class="home-highlights-header">
+            <h1 class="home-highlights-title">Into the East</h1>
+            <p class="home-highlights-subtitle">A few moments from past journeys</p>
+        </div>
+
+        {% if highlights|length > 0 %}
+        <div class="home-highlights-grid">
+            {% for item in highlights %}
+            {% set entry = item.page %}
+            {% set hero = null %}
+            {% if entry.header.hero_image and entry.media[entry.header.hero_image] is defined %}
+                {% set hero = entry.media[entry.header.hero_image] %}
+            {% elseif entry.media.images|length > 0 %}
+                {% set hero = entry.media.images|first %}
+            {% endif %}
+            <div class="home-highlight-card" id="highlight-{{ entry.slug }}">
+                {% if hero %}
+                <div class="home-highlight-image">
+                    <img src="{{ hero.cropResize(720, 405).url }}" alt="{{ entry.title }}" loading="lazy">
+                </div>
+                {% endif %}
+                <div class="home-highlight-body">
+                    {% if item.type == 'story' %}
+                    <span class="home-highlight-badge">✦ Story</span>
+                    {% else %}
+                    <span class="home-highlight-badge home-highlight-badge--journal">▸ Journal</span>
+                    {% endif %}
+                    <a class="home-highlight-title" href="{{ entry.url }}">{{ entry.title }}</a>
+                    <div class="home-highlight-trip">
+                        <span class="home-highlight-trip-name">{{ item.trip.title }}</span>
+                        {% if item.trip.header.tagline %}
+                        <span class="home-highlight-tagline">{{ item.trip.header.tagline }}</span>
+                        {% endif %}
+                        <a class="home-highlight-trip-link" href="{{ item.trip.url }}">→ View trip</a>
+                    </div>
+                </div>
+            </div>
+            {% endfor %}
+        </div>
+        {% else %}
+        <p class="feed-empty">No highlights yet — mark entries as featured to show them here.</p>
+        {% endif %}
+
+        <div class="home-highlights-cta-wrap">
+            <a class="home-highlights-cta" href="/trips">Explore all past trips →</a>
+        </div>
+    </div>
+</div>
+
+{% if highlights_map_entries|length > 0 %}
+<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/maplibre-gl@4/dist/maplibre-gl.css">
+<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/maplibre-gl@4/dist/maplibre-gl.js"></script>
+<script src="{{ url('theme://js/maplibre-utils.js') }}"></script>
+<script>
+var HIGHLIGHTS_ENTRIES = {{ highlights_map_entries|json_encode|raw }};
+
+var homeMap = new maplibregl.Map({
+    container: 'home-map',
+    style: MapUtils.MAP_STYLE,
+    center: [20, 20],
+    zoom: 2
+});
+
+homeMap.on('load', function () {
+    if (HIGHLIGHTS_ENTRIES.length === 0) return;
+
+    var bounds = new maplibregl.LngLatBounds();
+
+    HIGHLIGHTS_ENTRIES.forEach(function (entry) {
+        var lngLat = [parseFloat(entry.lng), parseFloat(entry.lat)];
+        bounds.extend(lngLat);
+
+        var el = MapUtils.createDotMarker(false);
+        var popup = new maplibregl.Popup({ offset: 12, closeButton: false, closeOnClick: false, className: 'map-tip-popup' })
+            .setLngLat(lngLat)
+            .setHTML('<span class="map-tip">' + entry.title + '</span>');
+        el.addEventListener('mouseenter', function () { popup.addTo(homeMap); });
+        el.addEventListener('mouseleave', function () { popup.remove(); });
+        el.addEventListener('click', function () {
+            var card = document.getElementById('highlight-' + entry.slug);
+            if (card) card.scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth', block: 'center' });
+        });
+
+        new maplibregl.Marker({ element: el }).setLngLat(lngLat).addTo(homeMap);
+    });
+
+    if (HIGHLIGHTS_ENTRIES.length === 1) {
+        homeMap.jumpTo({ center: [parseFloat(HIGHLIGHTS_ENTRIES[0].lng), parseFloat(HIGHLIGHTS_ENTRIES[0].lat)], zoom: 8 });
+    } else {
+        homeMap.fitBounds(bounds, { padding: 60, maxZoom: 8 });
+    }
+
+    setTimeout(function () { homeMap.resize(); }, 100);
+});
+</script>
+{% endif %}
+
 {% endif %}
 
 {% endblock %}