Seattle's Pike Place Market

We got into Seattle really early this morning (well according to Hawaii time). After getting our van back and making it to Shauna's- we crashed for a few hours. We were exhausted!!! Shauna had taken the day off to show us around Seattle. We saw sooo many things! We almost saw more things today than we did the entire week in Hawaii. LOL Thanks Shauna for showing us around!
First, Shauna took us on a little adventure down to Pike Place Market. It was awesome!!!



Welcome to Pike Place Market, Seattle's epicenter of fresh produce, specialty foods and independent businesses. Established in 1907 to connect citizens and farmers, the Market continues its “Meet the Producer” tradition with a year-round farmers market, owner-operated bakeries, fish markets, butcher shops, produce stands and specialty food stores.
Within the nine-acre historic district you'll discover dozens of farmers, a bustling crafts market, and more than 200 unique owner-operated shops. There are more than 80 restaurants to temp you, from take-out counters specializing in donuts to fine dining establishments. Bring your appetite and enjoy exploring Pike Place Market.

The little shops were so fun! We meet a local artist and bought some magnets of some of  his paintings of Pike's Place. There were hundreds of bouquets of flowers. I sooooooooooo wanted some but they'd probably be dead before we got home tomorrow. So sad! They were amazing! The amount and size of the fresh fish was overwhelming. We watched them throw fish at each other at one shop. {You can see the man catching the fish on the left} And the kids freaked out when that humongous Monkfish moved. LOL It's connected to a chain and they move it when kids take a closer look. You could spend the whole day just wandering around checking out all the cool stuff.

We decided that for lunch, we would just check out a few of the fun things at the Market. We were able to buy some delicious fruit at one of the stands. We got to try cotton candy grapes, peaches, blackberries, fruit logs, and rambutan. Yum! We picked us up some Donut holes and a big huge bagel. Justice got some fried chicken and some coconut shrimp. There was a donut as big as his head as well! We all tried some delectable Greek Yogurt. Amazing! And even picked up some pastries for later.

We took the opportunity to sit on Rachel the Piggy Bank. The girls never wanted to get off her. ;)
Rachel the Piggy Bank is the mascot of Pike Place Market and one of our best public fundraisers. She has been “bringing home the bacon” for The Pike Place Market Foundation since 1986, (raising more than $200,000 and counting!) to support our low-income neighbors who live in and around the Market. Legend has it that if you rub Rachel’s snout and make a donation, you’ll have good luck.

We also really enjoyed the Pike Place Buskers. Street performers have long entertained shoppers and added to the Market's ambiance. Make sure to offer them a tip! There were tons of musicians along the street. One was singing in front of the original Starbuck's Coffee Shop. But our favorite was a soldier from the Continental Army. The kids told Glory to go poke the "statue". When he moved suddenly, he scared the crap out of her. LOL He never opened his eyes but he sure seemed like he knew where people were. Justice even got to shake his hand. He was super cool!

Brett left us to go get the tire changed on the van before we head back to Montana tomorrow. It took him almost 3 hours between driving and waiting in the shop. Bummer! But so glad that he takes care of our family's safety. Thanks, Honey!