The SunBreak » Travel

One-Day Getaway: Whale-Watching in the San Juans

Michael van Baker — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 22:20:12 +0000

In its northern journey, the whale-watching boat makes its way between Camano and Whidbey islands, through Skagit Bay, and then threading the needle of Deception Pass. You'll likely see bald eagles, seals, gulls, and guillemots--all pointed out by an on-board naturalist, who also notes sites of interest.

A Field (Trip) of Dreams: 30 Baseball Stadiums in Less Than 3 Months

Jay Friedman — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 18:50:17 +0000

College student Kyle Friedman recently rolled through town with his father, taking in a Seattle Mariners game as part of a summertime tour of all 30 baseball stadiums. That's a lot of hours of baseball. I had a chance to interview him to get the inside story of his spectacular trip, and specifically about his stay in Seattle and thoughts about Safeco Field.

Passport to Pleasure: Seeking Highs in the Salt Lake City Area

Jay Friedman — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 16:47:50 +0000

Good food in the Salt Lake City area? Is romance possible in the red state of Utah? Join me as we venture to the Salt Lake City area, where we stamp this week’s Passport to Pleasure—a hedonistic quest for great food and good times for two, from nibbles to naughtiness.

Touring Kent’s World-Renowned Earthworks by Bike

Michael van Baker — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:23:48 +0000

You didn't know that Kent boasted an earthwork by a major Bauhaus artist, did you? (Graphic designers will know Herbert Bayer as the creator of the Universal typeface.) The restoration effort meant improving "drainage in the bowls, repav[ing] the pathways and reshap[ing] the double-ring pond," along with "re-sodding the double-ring pond, and restoring the view corridor along the stream."

Sojuan Serves a Classy Kaiseki Meal in Tokyo

Jay Friedman — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:30:12 +0000

Kaiseki is a traditional Japanese meal stunning in presentation and carefully composed in flavors, colors, textures, and seasonality. Serving vessels are beautiful and purposeful, with leaves and flowers connecting food to nature, and edible garnishes typically depicting fauna and flora.

Postcard from Tokyo: Signs and Other Sights, Some Sexy

Jay Friedman — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 14:20:42 +0000

My tenth trip to Tokyo came a year later than expected, as last year's March 11 earthquake and tsunami made me postpone plans. Nerves are shaky as there continue to be small earthquakes, but the Japanese are a resilient bunch, and the country remains as beautiful, delicious, and quirky as ever.

Portland: Where Rothko and Restaurants Rule the Days

Jay Friedman — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:00:29 +0000

The ever-increasing number of quality restaurants always makes Portland a culinary destination. Add in attractions like the current Rothko art exhibit at the Portland Art Museum and ease of travel, and Portland is a perfect place for a vacation from Seattle.

A Non-Gambler Looks at Vegas

Michael van Baker — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 02:33:48 +0000

For the flâneur who hopes to beat the desert heat, the Grand Canal shops provide an arcade oasis, with unending window displays, ever-changing Venetian vistas, and ceaseless people-watching. Las Vegas, it turns out, is a people-watching apotheosis: You have everyone from the bachelorettes stilting around in heels and slinky dresses, to the families in T-shirts emblazoned with place names, to packs of conventioneers feigning camaraderie, to bleary-eyed slots junkies blinking at the enormity of St. Mark's Square while they spoon their minestrone.

Wait, Boston Will Be First in U.S. to Fly 787?

Michael van Baker — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 18:08:30 +0000

All Nippon Airlines will offer direct SeaTac-to-Tokyo Narita flights by mid-2012 earliest, but Seattleites will be flying the same old boring planes to Japan on Delta and United for a while yet, despite their orders of 18 and 50 787s, respectively. A United-ordered 787 provided a photo op for President Obama recently, in his visit to Seattle, but United plans to put the new plane in service first on its routes between Houston and Auckland, New Zealand; and Houston and Lagos, Nigeria.

40th Annual “Chilly Hilly” Bike Ride More Than Delivers on Promise

Jonathan Dean — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:50:13 +0000

There are few pleasures greater than whizzing down one of Bainbridge’s empty 2-lane roads, the glimmering blue waters of Port Madison or Port Orchard beckoning at the bottom of the hill, the smell of fir and spruce in the cool breeze that’s wicking away your sweat and rustling the number-tags you’ve pinned to your jacket. Yet this precious pleasure is only bought with the great pain of climbing each of the island’s hills, a couple of which are long and steep enough to qualify for Tour de France ratings.