Seattlest reader Anne asks, "Is Seattle the new Cozumel?" Seems because of the swine flu, cruise lines are giving Mexico a wide berth. Anne notes that Carnival cruise line's Cinco de Mayo cruise to Mexican Riviera has been rerouted--Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas have been replaced with San Francisco, Seattle, and Victoria, B.C., as ports of call. (This raises the question of which port we're analogous to. Cabo? Or is Victoria more that kind of fantasy tourist haven?) Same with Princess. Consumerist has the surprise cruise story, noting that the fine print covers the reshuffling. What it doesn't cover, of course, is the fact that the flu has already made it to Seattle and San Francisco. more ›

Around 8 a.m. today, you may have noticed Lake Union looking a little more weepy than usual--and for good reason. That was when the beloved Wawona, a really old schooner, moved to the dry docks on other side of the lake in order to begin the slow death of dismantlement after some 30 years beautifying the waterfront. Decades-long efforts to raise enough money to renovate the ship finally lost steam in the march towards creating a more perfect Union. (Har, har.) All this shippy hullaballoo reminds us of the Kalakala debacle. Apparently the Kalakala is now scheduled to be restored in 2010, potentially to be converted into a future museum site; has owner Steve Rodrigues considered purchasing the Wawona as well? It could be a really cool, touristy floating bar! more ›