If you can spend another $100, Nikon Monarchs, Eagle Optics Rangers, and Vanguard Endeavors are all solid and you can often find them for around $200 - $250. I've used all three and been pleased -- I think the Nikons have better optics, but I love the feel of the focus ring on the Vanguards.

I also owned a pair of Nikon Trailblazer 8x42s as my first pair, and I enjoyed them plenty. They are very cost-effective, I think, but you can definitely notice the better optics in the Monarchs. It looks like they sell some 25mm objective Trailblazers which look completely different (I've never used them, but they look pretty crappy). I can vouch for the 42mm ones though.