Travel : Pikes Place (Seattle)

After eating at the Agua Verde Mexican Restaurant and enjoying their excellent fish tacos, my wife and I decided it was time to pay a visit to Seattle’s world renown farmers market called Pike’s Place. We were told by friends to visit the market during a weekday to avoid the huge crowds, and we were very glad we did. We found it much easier to navigate through the narrow passageways near the Fish Market, and although it was late in the afternoon when we arrived, were able to visit many of the small vendors with relative ease.

Although we arrived in Seattle in early June, it was surprisingly quite cold for the beginning of the summer. Being a islander from Guam, it was essential that I wore a warm sweater and pair of jeans. My wife and I actually found it quite amusing to see so many of the local population wearing shorts and flip flops, but I guess that’s why we were the tourists and they are the locals right? haha.

Immediately upon entering the market, you will instantly understand why its such a great place to visit as a tourist. The sights, smells, and sounds of the place are pretty amazing for a first timer, and you will definitely find something you have to buy. The market boasts some of the very best produce Seattle has to offer, beautiful freshly cut flowers, a huge variety of seafood, and three or four floors of mini shops which seemed to have an endless supply of little nick knacks and gadgets which you probably wouldn’t find anywhere else.

If your not a huge fan of window shopping, you must at the very least visit the very first Starbucks and grab a cup of Joe, then hang out along the streets to listen to a few of the entertaining street performers which litter the streets. We heard a great rendition of The Still of the Night, and there was this saxophone player whom I swore sounded exactly like Kenny G.

My final word of advice. If you’ve never been to Seattle you must experience the sights, smells, and sounds of Pike’s Place at least once. Visit during the early hours of the morning if you decide to go on a weekend, or casually stop by on a weekday. I also recommend visiting the Starbucks for a cup of coffee, and buy at least a few small bags of fresh fruits, flavored chips and almonds, or chocolate covered cherries! They were simply wonderful!

How to get there:

Websites: pikesplace.org
Pikesplacefish.com
Pikes Place Market
(206) 624-4029
1508 Pike Pl
Seattle, WA 98101