Icons of Seattle Tourism

We took advantage of today's lack of rain and got out to visit two of Seattle's more touristy spots: The Pike Place Market and the Space Needle. Both were fun, and neither gave off that annoying tourist trap vibe.

We went to the Market after breakfast; it's only a few blocks down the street from our hotel. There was more to it than I expected; it's not just the guys throwing the fish (though we did see the guys, and, yes, they threw the fish). There are also beautiful fruit and vegetable stands, vendors selling fresh flowers, and a whole bunch of tiny places that sell amazing-looking food from all around the world. We sighed at the freshly-made bao and promised Wynn we'd go back later to get cinnamon twists at the bakery. Wynn picked out some lovely raspberries and strawberries at one of the fruit stands, and we all snacked on them as we continued our tour.

We paused briefly to visit Starbuck's #1 (or, as we call it "The Mother Ship Calling Us Home"). Scott has been snapping a picture every time we pass a Starbuck's, and it's starting to get a bit ridiculous. Seriously, we've passed about ten of them within a mile of our hotel.

Starbuck's One

The way to the Space Needle is via the Monorail, so we got to ride on that this morning. Wynn thought it was pretty cool that we were riding on a train through the trees, but she did pitch a bit of a fit when we sat in the "wrong" seats. We made it up to her by letting her choose our seats for the return ride. The Monorail itself is, shall we say, of a certain vintage, so it has old vinyl seats and feels a bit like riding a city bus in Eau Claire; still, it was a quick, fun ride and a way to see a bit more of the city.

No Idea Who That Guy Behind Us Is,

But He Sure Seems Friendly

Speaking of seeing the city - the Space Needle rocks! Sure, it's a big ol' tourist site, but it's also really nice. The whole "architecture of the future" thing is subtle enough to be fun - not tacky, and the view from the top is gorgeous. I can't think of many other postcard places I've been to and bought the t-shirt that were so calm and beautiful. We have a deal with the City Pass we bought where we can go back to the Needle again tomorrow for free, and I'm thinking we may end up doing that in the evening to see the city lights.

Looking Up