“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.”
Romans 12:9
When you think of Seattle, what are some of the first things you think of? If you are a coffee lover like me, maybe you think of the original Starbucks and Seattle’s Best. Or maybe you think rain. These were two of my ideas of Seattle up until last week. Butch and I just returned on Tuesday from a week’s stay in this lovely Pacific Northwest city, and Seattle proved to be a whole lot more than coffee and rain! It was a business trip mixed with pleasure and sightseeing. But, we didn’t limit ourselves to Seattle! We also took day trips to Victoria, British Columbia, Mount Ranier National Park, and drove about a hundred miles down the rugged Oregon Coast! Contrary to what I had always thought of Seattle, I didn’t need an umbrella once, and it is a great walking city with fabulous sights, museums, and food!
Our first stop today is the lovely Pike Place Market. It is the most visited attraction in Seattle and I understand why! The most gorgeous flowers cut fresh daily, fruit and vegetables straight from the vine, and fish that has just been pulled from the sea are just a few things you will see as we stroll through! I hope you have on your good walking shoes today!
The market opened with only eight farmers in August of 1907, making it one of the oldest continuously operated farmers’ markets in the U.S. It boasts over ten million visitors per year (and it was so crowded, it felt like they had all come at the same time as me!) The market sprawls over nine acres with approximately 500 shops, restaurants, and vendor stalls.
The Pike Place Fish Market is a crowd favorite as the “fish guys” wearing colorful waders and rubber boots toss shovelfuls of ice over rows of fresh fish!
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I could hardly inch my way in to watch the “flying fish”, a major attraction. When a customer orders a fish, an employee at the fish market’s ice-covered fish table picks up the fish and hurls it over the countertop to another employee who catches it and preps it for sale. Fish were definitely flying!
Colorful rainbow carrots!
Any kind of mushroom you wanted could be found!
Many of the fruit vendors offered a free sample!
I had to buy a small container of these sweet Rainier cherries!
Have you ever seen a donut peach?!
Every time I passed the original Starbucks, there was a line outside the door. I decided not to wait, but at least I can say that I’ve been!
The inside scoop is the coffee giant originally opened its first store a block away in 1971 and moved to this spot in 1975!
If there is a French bakery anywhere near, I will sniff it out. The croissants with their buttery, flaky layers were to die for!
I indulged in chocolate, amandine, apricot, and raspberry on four different mornings. A couple of mornings, I included a puff pastry of spinach, bacon, and goat cheese! Le Panier is pastry heaven!
The main arcade was full of the most glorious flowers, including peonies, one of my personal favorites!
Flower vendors were working feverishly designing bouquets that were wrapped in market paper.
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Love the mix of pink, purple, and coral!
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Every bouquet I saw was only $20!
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A view before the market opens and the crowds arrive! You can see the sign to the Inn at the Market, a lovely boutique hotel where we stayed!
Modern and chic lobby!
The courtyard entrance to the hotel with shops and restaurants. The hotel has a roof-top deck that offered unobstructed views of Seattle’s waterfront!
This photo of the popular attraction, Seattle Great Wheel, was taken from the hotel’s roof top deck.
Only a short walk from the market, this is the view where we were standing at the base trying to decide whether to ride or not! Looking up at the 175 feet tall Ferris wheel, my fear of heights almost kept me from climbing into one of the 42 fully enclosed gondolas!
Adventure won out as we enjoyed beautiful Seattle skyline views and also Elliott Bay views, as the wheel extends nearly forty feet beyond the pier!
Being a self-proclaimed foodie, no trip would be complete without food photos. This amazing meal was at Loulay, a French bistro! My appetizer was crab beignets with harissa aioli!
Butch’s entrée was a pork chop with asparagus risotto, demi glacé, and blueberry mustard!
An amazing entrée for me…seared sea scallops with fresh peas, morel mushrooms, ramp, pea shoots, and argan oil!
For dessert, we shared spiced sugar beignets with vanilla creme and valrhona chocolate sauce!
I hope you enjoyed touring the market with me. Could you smell the salt air and the heavenly fragrance of the peonies? I hope you could taste the fresh baked pastries and the just-picked cherries! And what about the music wafting through the air? Wasn’t it all so enjoyable? Pike Place Market has something to satisfy all of the senses! There were many artisans that did not allow photos of their work, but trust me…there were so many beautiful crafts! Stay tuned for more from our trip!
Linking with Pieced Pastimes, Silver Pennies, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Thoughts From Alice, Coastal Charm, Dwellings-Heart of Your Home, Savvy Southern Style, French Country Cottage, Stone Gable, Confessions of a Plate Addict, Worthing Court, Between Naps on the Porch, Cedar Hill Farmhouse, A Stroll Thru Life, The Charm of Home, Imparting Grace, Posed Perfection, Katherines Corner, Rooted In Thyme, Share Your Cup, 21 Rosemary Lane, Cozy Little House, Rattlebridge Farm, Rustic & Refined, Poofing The Pillows, What Meegan Makes, Celebrate & Decorate
I grew up in the pacific northwest so I think of many things and use to live a block from the pike place market. There use to be a Taco stand on the corner of pike and it was my favorite place to grab a burrito for lunch to go. They were amazing! My dad was a fisherman further north so growing up with seafood was just part of life – He specialized in Dungeness crab. In photo 28 there is a blue building – that was my apartment complex where I lived on the third floor. Now the coffee craze began with Seattle Best and Starbucks actually started the whole outdoor coffee stand craze. I’m going to guess you didn’t see many of those as they slowly disappeared by 2000. What I miss most probably is all the variety of coffee that was once offered up there. Back in the 90’s uif you were from the WA you didn’t drink Starbucks because it was considered the ick of all coffee. They won though on presentation and marketing and why they rose to the top. This was great and brought back some neat memories. The Pacific Northwest is beautiful when the sun is shinning but living there is a whole different ball game. Glad you enjoyed your visit your pictures were simply fantastic and they are a wonderful presentation of the market.
Carole, I so enjoyed your comments. I always hope to present a good representation of places that we travel. That is interesting that you lived right there at the market. I guess I was most overwhelmed with the flowers at the market, just breathtaking! I am going to share several posts about Seattle, we really enjoyed our week-long visit!
Wow! I had no idea! I don’t think of seafood when I think of Seattle so I was surprised to see all the great catches. Your pictures are so beautiful and really capture the feel. I visited Seattle one evening about 30 years ago and obviously didn’t get to see enough! I have relatives that live close to there. I think I need to drop in on them! Thanks so much for such a detailed tour. I’m so glad you had such a lovely time!
love and blessings~
Lynda @ Gates of Crystal
Thanks so much, Lynda! It was a great trip!
My pocket book and my tummy would be hurting from eating and spending! I don’t blame ya one bit for not waiting in the line at starbucks. That’s a heck of a wait, even for the first one! Seeing all those gorgeous flowers too, is making want to hop on a plane and go see this place.
Christine, the market is really amazing, but we enjoyed everything we saw!
Your trip looked like so much fun. Your pictures are gorgeous. I felt like I was there! Thanks so much for sharing and have a great weekend!!!
Shannon, thanks…it was a wonderful trip! Happy weekend to you!
We love Pike Place Market! I’ve only been once but it’s the kind of special place you do not forget. Your photos are all so pretty and I’m happy to see that you were there when the sun was shining. Pinning this to TOHOT and my summertime board.
Happy Thoughts of HOme!
Thanks sweet, Stacey! We had amazing weather!
Oh Pam! What a great trip, and I would love to follow your itinerary when we journey to the Pacific NW (and I’ll have an order of that glorious weather too!). Talk about desserts…those beignets and croissants look amazing, as did the rest of the food fare and flowers. I’m not crazy for Starbucks, but I would certainly want to see the starship location if there. Thanks for sharing this, and I’m looking forward to seeing the additional posts of the area. How blessed you are to be able to tie this into a work trip!
Rita, it was a wonderful trip with perfect weather! There was so much to see and do! The French bakery had the best espressos, which I love!
When you said you were in Seattle I knew we were in for a treat. Yes, all my senses were rewarded viewing your post and thinking about the sights, sounds, smells and tastes! I know you enjoyed the food,sights and the beautiful flowers. Wouldn’t we love to buy $20 bouquets with peonies! That is a great price and the flower arrangements were artfully designed.
Looking forward to more of your trip.
Sweet, Bonnie, the market was so much more than I anticipated, the flowers just stopped me in my tracks! Stay cool and happy weekend!
Thank you for this! SO lovely.. I love markets of fresh produce and flowers, but then throw in wild and fresh seafood catches TOO, wow!!!
What a treat! I always drink Pike’s Place from Starbucks but never knew it was a real place!
Looking fwd to more of your trip! …and I CAN smell the peonies! 😉
My sweet Jill, you would love Pike Place Market and yes, the peonies smelled heavenly! Happy weekend and try to stay cool!
Pam, what a wonderful place to go! WOW! I loved all the pictures. All that wonderful seafood and fresh produce had to be a sight. Felt like I was there for just a minute….but then reality hit! LOL! Hugs and blessings, Cindy
Cindy, the market was truly incredible, sensory overload for sure! Have a wonderfully blessed weekend!
Pam, you shared one of my favorite places. I love Pike Place Market and the surrounding area. So much to see. The flowers are amazing (and cheap). Wonderful! Thanks for the memories!
We certainly enjoyed Seattle and all it had to offer…the market was loads of fun! Happy weekend!
It looks like you had a wonderful time.
I attended a teacher training once based on the employee model of attitudes at Pike Place Market.
Laura, it was a wonderful trip! Happy weekend!
Wow the flowers are beautiful and reasonable! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!
Sherry, I love sharing at Home Sweet Home!
Love, love, love the market! What can you not find there?
The market is a perfect place to spend a day, or maybe two!
Visiting this beautiful area is definitely on my list….fabulous dinners!….
Shirley, you would love Seattle and surrounding areas! And the food was amazing!
When someone mentions Seattle, I think fo the movie “Sleepless in Seattle”. And rain. What beautiful views you had from your hotel rooftop. we like staying in boutique hotels when we visit large cities. I don’t know if we’ll ever make it to Seattle, but if we do, I’m going to that market
Kim, the boutique hotels are much more personal, you would love Seattle! Stay cool!
Oh, my! Pike’s Place looks delightful! I’ll take one of those croissants and a Starbucks coffee, please. Then, I’ll find a corner somewhere to sit and people watch! Thank you for taking us for a tour!
Maria, thanks for touring with me. Wish I had a croissant right now!
What a trip Pam! You realize I am drooling over the food and flowers, everything you did sounds like heaven! I’m so glad you braved the ferris wheel! I went to college in Northern California, only 1 hour from the Oregon border, but never ventured north. I have always wanted to visit Seattle and Vancouver, thank you for the virtual trip! Love the peach donuts, did you taste one?
Jenna
Thanks, Jenna…I forget that you are a transplanted Southerner! We had never been to Washington or Oregon…loved them both! I don’t know why I didn’t try the donut peach, I should have!
My son works for Alaska Airlines, so as part of his benefits, my husband and I (as well as son) get free travel on that airline. We live in Boise, and Alaska offers several flights from there to Seattle every day. So, last summer, my son and I took a day trip to Seattle, just to hang out at the Pike Place Market. We had such a fantastic time, and we came home with a huge bag full of goodies. We are hoping to head over this summer for another day at the market.
Blessings,
Patti @ Embracing Home
Patti, how nice that you can travel with your son! I hope you get to return to Pike Place Market this summer! We loved it!
Seattle is on my short list of places I’d love to visit. Everything looks so beautiful. I could spend an entire day in that market!
Leslie Anne, you would love Seattle!
Querida Pam, un magnífico reportaje de esas tierras del noroeste.
He disfrutado viendo todas las imágenes que me han dado una visión de lo que allí destaca: buen marisco, buena mesa, flores…también la peonías son para mí las flores preferidas. En uno de mis blogs tengo un video dedicado a esta flores y su historia.
No te puedes hacer una idea de lo que te agradezco tus reportajes. Te mandé un correo a “pam@everydayliving.me” contando un poco las cosas que no van bien, y todo esto me da optimismo y me hace pasar unos minutos muy agradables.
Dolores
Dear Pam, a magnificent story of these lands northwest.
I enjoyed seeing all the images that have given me a vision of what stands there: good seafood, good food, flowers … Peonies are also the favorite flowers for me. In one of my blogs I have a video dedicated to this flower and its history.
You can not get an idea of what you appreciate your reports. I sent an email to “pam@everydayliving.me” counting some things that are not going well, and all this gives me optimism and makes me spend a few pleasant minutes.
Dolores
Seattle has long been somewhere we’d love to visit Pam so really enjoyed your post – it has definitely made me even more keen. We love food markets on our travels too, this one sounds incredible and how much fun to order fish and see them flying over the counter!!
You certainly captured the magic of that area and then have my stomach growling at the end. Years ago my oldest was there working for Microsoft, and I flew out for a few days of sightseeing and we were lucky ; no rain when I was there,either. But due to the rain that they do get I still recall being amazed at how lovely the landscaping was in the neighborhoods that we visited; everything was so lush.
Deb, I could not believe the lushness of everything…their hanging baskets were amazing!
thanks for the walk down memory lane I miss wa hope to move back soon have a lovely week
Wow, Lorraine! Loved Seattle and the surrounding area! When will you be moving back?
Very nice photos. Love the place. I was stationed across the Sound at PSNS and loved it. Been back a couple of times since.What a wonderful place.
Thanks so much, Patrick! Seattle and Pike Place are great places to visit!
Oh, you made me want to fill up the gas tank and head to Seattle. I love that town! Haven’t been there since they built the Great Wheel. Thanks for the lovely tour 🙂
Connie, hopefully you can return to Seattle soon…we loved it!
I’ve been to Pike’s Place twice and loved it both times!! Definitely entertaining. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Jann, the flowers are worth the visit!
I’ve always wanted to visit Seattle and I enjoyed these beautiful pictures!
Sandra, Seattle is a fun city!
I was there once a few years ago and I loved it. The tea room I went to is not there any more.
I got to see the flying fish. I do think it’s a lot bigger now than when I was there about 10 years ago
I have 2 grown children who lives in Portland and they take me to the coast most of the time now
Thanks for sharing this with us
Janice, the flying fish are definitely fun to watch! We enjoyed our ride down the Oregon Coast…so beautiful! Thanks and Happy Tuesday!
Wow – those flowers were stunning and I had no idea that the first Starbucks is there! No wonder there was a huge line. Whenever they show Seattle on TV, they always have someone throwing a fish. That thought always comes to mind when I think of that city. I have always wanted to visit there but we are on the east coast so it’s not the quickest trip. Thanks for joining us again at the Take Me Away party!
Shelley
Seattle is a great city, business took us there so we enjoyed making a vacation out of it!
I live very near Seattle and have all my life. You did a great job capturing the essence of the Market area! I can’t wait to see your photos of Victoria as it is one of my favorite places to visit. They also have beautiful flowers and wonderful food. I personally don’t think it rains here as much as everyone thinks but then again I am probably just so used to it that I don’t notice. I am headed to the Washington coast for the 4th of July weekend. That is another beautiful area similar to the Oregon coast. It will probably be foggy and maybe even some rain but we will have fun anyway.
Happy 4th!
Looks like we were in the Pacific Northwest around the same time! My family just returned from a 10 day trip around the area, including Seattle, Mt. Rainier, Olympic National Park, and Victoria. Looking forward to checking out all your photos!