Pike Place Market, what a wonderful experience to have. There are so many things to see and places to explore. On that early Saturday morning of May, I found myself walking up the street toward Pike Place Market with no idea of what to expect. Would it be crowded already? Would they be throwing fish everywhere? What exactly would this place look like? As I walked up the street with my mom from our weekend apartment rental I felt anticipation of seeing this place I'd long wished to visit.
The cool humidity of the morning was neither peaceful nor calm. Traffic whooshed overhead on the freeway, the road we were on, already filled with cars in a hurry to get to their destination. The noise and hurried atmosphere didn't sink in to affect me though, I was calm but excited, ready to explore Seattle. We had a full schedule ahead, time to explore Pike Place Market, followed by the Seattle Aquarium, a harbor cruise. To finish the day we had a dinner reservation over by the Space Needle. That morning though, the goal was to wander through the market and grab some breakfast until the aquarium opened.
When I'd planned the trip, I'd expected we would visit the market that first morning and then after the aquarium we would go back and visit anything we hadn't made it to in the morning. Little did I know just how many times we would go through the market. When people asked about my trip to Seattle they would ask if I saw Pike Place Market and I always reply "Yes, several times." We went for breakfast, and walked through the market to get to the place we wanted. Heading to the aquarium, back through the market, heading to lunch, through the market, heading home, through the market. This theme continued throughout the entire weekend trip. It was never intentional but just happened that way.
Each trip through the market was unique and interesting. We passed through the market when the shops were at their peak of business. People packed in tightly all exploring the wares of the different fruit, vegetable, and fish vendors. The bakeries and restaurants all had enticing scents of food wafting out into the main walkway to draw in the passersby. Another visit we saw the end of the day, vendors trying to grab the attention of the last few customers with a goal of selling off the last bit of fruit or some flowers that, while currently at the pinnacle of freshness, might not make it through another day.
The best part of my trips through Pike Place Market had to be in the early morning,
just like that first visit. Vendors were still loading their displays. The fish mongers were shoveling ice onto their displays and piling on the fish. Fruit and vegetable vendors were pulling crates and artfully displaying their wares. The bakeries were already in full force, cranking out morning breakfast treats of croissants and muffins. It was awesome to see the Pike Place Fish Market already in full swing shouting out their chants and throwing the fish. This rowdy little place already drew a small crowd, even in the calm quiet of the early morning.
The best though, were the flowers. Long lines of flowers all piled in Home Depot buckets waiting to be made into bouquets. Walking along the rows of flowers in the early morning light while waiting for stores to open I felt like I was in the opening scenes for My Fair Lady. There were buckets of just about every flower I could think of. Bright pink roses, cheerful yellow and white daisies, elegant peonies, and rich purple irises all graced the shelves of the flower shop.
Visiting Pike Place Market was an experience not to miss. Try the fresh fruit, it is amazing! Get some fresh fish from a fish monger, they can pack it to ship and stay fresh. Hit the decadent chocolate shop or browse the racks of the corner magazine stand. Explore it all, you won't regret it.
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