Budget vacations from Seattle: Bainbridge Island

by Brenda Yun on


I arrived in Seattle on my birthday last week, which just happened to be the city’s hottest day in history. Temperatures across Puget Sound reached 106 degrees! Needless to say, I needed a break from the heat — and a break from long hours of driving up the northern California and Oregon coast. A mini-vacation on Bainbridge Island was an ideal break from both the heat, the car, and the city.

With a resident population of less than 2,000 around 24,000, Bainbridge Island is a unique weekend getaway that is just a 35-minute ferry ride from downtown Seattle. Ferries leave for the island from Seattle every hour from Pier 52, and downtown Bainbridge is a short 5-minute walk from the terminal. You can walk ($6.80 per person RT), bring your bike, or drive your car ($10 RT) onto the ferry.


Where to stay
There are three places to stay that are conveniently located close to the center of town.

  • Best Western Bainbridge Island Suites (350 High School Road NE; #206.855.9666): This pet-friendly option is nestled among forested hills and quiet harbors, yet is far enough away from the bustle of downtown Bainbridge that you’ll be able to have a little peace and quiet.
  • Island Country Inn (920 Hildebrand Lane NE; #206.842.6861): Escape the “sameness” of chain hotels and experience the casual, yet professional appeal of the island country inn, which is a perfect retreat setting.
  • The Eagle Harbor Inn (291 Madison Ave S; #206.842.1446): The Eagle Harbor Inn offers a unique “petit hotel” experience, with just five one-of-a-kind rooms and three custom town homes — all built around a garden-filled courtyard.


Where to eat
With over a dozen eateries to choose from, you will not be short on food. The most popular restaurants are all within walking distance from the ferry depot.

  • Harbour Public House (231 Parfitt Way SW; #206.842.0969): Its fish and chips are legendary and the patio seating has great views of the harbor. Only the best local brews are on tap.
  • Four Swallows Restaurant (481 Madison Ave N; #206.842.3397): This is the finest dining experience you will get on Bainbridge, but unless you splurge heartily your bill for two will still run you less than $100. The Four Swallows specializes in Northwest cuisine.
  • Town and Country Market (343 Winslow Way E; #206.842.3848): This great little market in the center of downtown Bainbridge has great coffee and other local goods for reasonable prices.

What to see and do
Whether you are walking, biking, or driving around, there is plenty to keep you occupied on Bainbridge for a full weekend.

  • Walking or biking: There’s a helpful Bainbridge Walker and Bicyclist map that you can pick up upon arrival at the ferry terminal that gives you the complete lowdown on things that are withing walking and biking distance. Nearly every month in the spring and summer there are cool walking and biking events on the island.
  • Kayaking: Bainbridge is an ideal size to explore by kayak. There are two outfitters in town that can help you rent water gear: Back of Beyond Boathouse and Exotic Aquatics Scuba & Kayak.
  • Wine tasting: There are at least three wine tasting rooms within the three block along downtown’s main strip. Tasting fees are $5 per person, and all wines are locally harvested.
  • Shopping: There are more than twenty shops and boutiques within downtown Bainbridge, and bargains are easily found!

Check out more budget summer vacations here!

Philadelphia’s oldest tavern toasts 150 years

by Katie Hammel on

The oldest continuously operated bar in Philadelphia (and one of the oldest in the country) began celebrating its sesquicentennial this week. McGillin’s Old Ale House opened in 1860, the year President Lincoln was elected, making it almost 150 years old.

While the anniversary isn’t technically until 2010, McGillin’s decided to start the party 150 days in advance, so if you find yourself in Philly, stop in and raise a glass. The bar has already started brewing and selling a special 1860 IPA and has a full schedule of anniversary events lined up, like book signings, an Oktoberfest party, and a Fall festival.

The pre-Civil-War tavern has a colorful history. When the original owner died, his wife took over the business and kept a list of troublemakers not allowed in. Among them was her own father. Locals consider the bar a Philadelphia institution and its “old-time character” has earned it spots on lists like America’s Most Authentic Irish Pubs (even though it doesn’t serve Guinness) and Coolest Bars in the U.S.

[via USA Today]

Pyongyang gets a “taste” of capitalism

by Tom Johansmeyer on

North Korea, the reclusive Communist state, is always reluctant to try something new. The government controls information tightly, as anyone who has read updates from the Korea Central News Agency can see. But, occasionally, a fissure forms in the barriers that separate the most remote country on Earth from the rest of the world. And now, the people who are slowly developing a taste for pizza and beer are taking a look at burgers and fries.

Pyongyang is now home to North Korea’s first fast food restaurant, where the locals can scarf down the same grub that’s made so many Americans overweight … though rampant poverty is unlikely to allow the nation supersize overnight. Named Samtaesong, the place pairs kimchi with burgers, fries and waffles. Beer, a local fave, is available on tap. There are plans to add croissants and hot dogs to the menu – a natural combo – and to open up other locations in the country’s capital.

The food isn’t cheap, according to the North Korean media outlet Choson Sinbo (which is based in Tokyo. A hamburger will set you back $1.70, which is more than half what the average North Korean earns in a day. Fortunately, Pyongyang is home to the country’s wealthiest citizens (so much for the Communist objective of financial equality), so they can afford to eat fast food.

There are other signs of capitalism encroaching on Kim Jong Il’s turf. He was reported to have visited a convenience store recently, though accounts stop just short of whether Apu invited him to “come again!” The Dear Leader did pick up five bottles of a Korean liquor known as “makgeolli” and other drinks.

Fast food, convenience stores … this is starting to prove something I’ve believed for quite a while. Future wars will not be won with armored divisions and air strikes. Instead, ambition, taste and style – the nuts and bolts of capitalism – will yield victory and create foundations for freedom around the world. While I hate to give Puff Daddy P. Diddy Diddy Sean John Combs his due, it really is “all about the Bejamins.”

A successful free enterprise, of course, requires that customers be willing to come back to more. Well, Samtaesong is already on the right track, having had its first satisfied customer, George Bottomley. But, that’s not such a big deal – his only reference point is the food back in Britain.

Eco-Friendly HALL Wines Earns Gold LEED Certification

by Kendra Bailey Morris on

The first time I tasted HALL Cabernet Sauvignon, I will nibbling a cheese plate bar side at Fleming’s Steakhouse and Wine Bar. After asking our bartender sommelier for his recommendation for a big, hearty red, he poured me a taste of the 2005 HALL Cab. Is that black cherry I’m getting? Or perhaps a little oak mixed with leather and currants? I’m certainly no wine expert, unless you consider drinking lots of the stuff a special skill, yet even I could tell there was something very special about this wine.

HALL wines, which has two wineries, one in St. Helena, California and the other in Rutherford, has not only received exceptional scoring for many of its wines, including 97 points from Wine Enthusiast for the 2006 HALL “Exzellenz” Cabernet Sauvignon, but has just received the prestigious LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification for its Napa St. Helena location making HALL the first winery in California to earn this designation.

With state-of-the-art facilities, including many sustainable design elements such as radiant flooring, solar energy, as well as usage of recycled and local building materials, HALL is leading the industry when it comes to working to solve environmental challenges. Owner Kathryn Hall, whose family has been growing grapes in California since 1972, along with her husband Craig, have made it their personal mission to leave minimal carbon footprints when it comes to the art of great winemaking, establishing them as leaders in environmental preservation.

As Kathryn herself puts it, “At HALL wines, we grow our own grapes and craft our wines, and so we are obligated to ensure the health of the land, as well as that of the greater Napa Valley ecosystem.” Keeping in mind that HALL’s grapes encompass over 500 acres, this is both a great commitment and an accomplishment.

Visitors to the winery can get an up-close-and-personal look at the winery’s dedication to the environment with complimentary LEED® tours being offered each day through the end of August. For those who are unable to make a trip to the winery, visiting HALL online offers a firsthand glimpse (with videos) into the LEED® certification process led by owner Kathryn Hall along with President Mike Reynolds and architect Jarrod Denton.

Yet, for a true taste of what HALL has to offer, both for sustainable wine growing practices as well as the palate, I encourage you to get a bottle for yourself (which can be purchased on HALL’s website or at a variety of wine shops). And, don’t worry, you don’t need to be an expert in order to properly enjoy a glass of their award-winning wines, but it would behoove you to join Kathryn in her vision of an environment supported by earth-friendly wine production.

–Kendra

Roadside attractions along the Pacific Coast Highway

by Brenda Yun on


I just completed a whirlwind tour of the Pacific coastline this past week and within a few days I got a taste of some pretty eye-popping roadside attractions along Route 101. While most of the sights I discovered were pretty kitschy, there were other natural wonders that inspired at least one or two ooo’s and ahh’s. While I’d like to say I drove the whole thing, I have to admit that I was only able to run the stretch between San Francisco, CA through Aberdeen, WA. Here’s a little taste of the roadside wonders waiting for you along the Pacific coastline:

Northern California

  • Golden Gate Bridge: A trip to NorCal wouldn’t be complete without seeing San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge. While the building of the bridge itself is enough to place it firmly in national lore, many are sadly inspired to jump from the bridge to their death into the frigid bay waters below.
  • Redwood National Park: The towering redwood trees in Humboldt county along California’s “Lost Coast” are truly a sight to behold. At one point, the cars along 101 weave amid the trees.
  • Bigfoot country: While my friend may claim Bigfoot lives in her small town of Ada, Oklahoma, northern California also claims Bigfoot lives here, and the locals immortalize him by making lots of wooden statues of him.
  • Trees of Mystery: If you’re into tall tales like stories about Paul Bunyan (that giant lumberjack of a man), the audio tour along the “Tall Tales Trail” in the Trees of Mystery park should inform you of all you need to know about big country legends. Enjoy a ride on the Sky Trail gondola if you want to travel amid the big trees in the park.



Oregon

  • Oregon Dunes: The sci-fi saga, Dune, was inspired by these sandy dunes in southern Oregon. The beach along this stretch of coast seems to go on forever. Sandy tumbling down a rolling dune is a must.
  • Prehistoric Gardens: A popular tourist trap right off the 101 is the dinosaur-filled park better known as the Prehistoric Gardens. Apparently, someone thought it was a great idea to create life-sized dinosaurs and place them throughout a forested park for tourists to stumble upon as they strolled amid the trees. A little scary, if you ask me, but the Gardens draw quite the crowd.
  • Tillamook Cheese Factory: The famous cheddar cheese company has a large amusement park-like factory complete with an ice cream shop that features over 30 original flavors. This place tops even Ben and Jerry’s as a must-see.

Southern Washington

  • The world’s largest frying pan: Once you cross the state border into Washington, the roadside pickings get a bit slim. Take a slight detour along the Long Beach Peninsula and you will find the world’s largest frying pan, which is a 10-foot tall specimen of shiny iron.
  • Oysters: The Willapa Bay just north of the peninsula is home to lots of oysters. As you drive into South Bend, you’ll see a sign declaring it’s the “Oyster Capital of the World.”