(Photo) Public Market Sign at Pike Place.

Piece 1: Pike Place Market. Located in downtown Seattle WA near the Elliott Bay waterfront is Pike Place Market (85 Pike Street), perhaps the most well-known “point of interest” in the city.

Established in 1907, Pike Place is one of the oldest operating public markets in the United States. Its famous “Public Market Center” sign and clock is the subject of countless pictures, and the background of even more tourist selfies. Another good photo opportunity is sitting atop Rachel the Piggy Bank, a 550-pound bronze “charitable gift” repository located right under the market sign.

Pike Place is spread over nine acres, includes hundreds of shops to explore, and hosts a large number of farmers and craftspeople selling their wares. There are also many street performers (called “buskers”) around the place, adding to the festive atmosphere.

Strolling through the fresh food vendors, we had to stop and watch the action at the Pike Place Fish Market. Preserving a tradition that started in the mid-1980’s, fishmongers help customers choose their seafood, loudly announce the selection (starting a chain of entertaining banter), and then throw it to the counter staff to be weighed and wrapped. This long-standing ritual has helped draw international attention to Pike Place Fish Market, and made it a tourist destination.

Another fun thing to look for at the market is a 14-foot wooden statue of Sasquatch, the ape-like creature reputedly seen loping through the forests of the Pacific Northwest (among other places). Bigfoot stands in the corner of one of the dining spaces, so we grabbed some lunch and spent a little quality time with him.

We finished our market trip in some of the gift shops, which feature a lot of beautiful northwest tribal art pieces.

One last thing…for coffee lovers, the original Starbucks was established at Pike Place Market in 1971 and is still serving customers a half century later. Just look for the modest block-letter Starbucks sign at 1912 Pike Place, and the line of people waiting to get in.

Space Needle in Uptown Seattle WA

Piece 2: Uptown Neighborhood. This area of the city includes the most distinctive part of the Seattle skyline, the Space Needle.

A vestige of the 1962 World’s Fair, this 600+ foot high spire with an observation deck and rotating lounge remains a popular tourist destination. We really enjoyed the 360 degree viewing platform, which offers spectacular scenes of downtown Seattle, Puget Sound, and Mount Rainier.

Also in this area is the headquarters of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the philanthropic vehicle of the Microsoft Founder and his now ex-wife. The Space Needle observation deck provides a bird’s eye look at the Foundation’s 12-acre uptown campus, which features two enormous boomerang-shaped buildings with floor-to-ceiling glass curtain walls (to maximize natural light in chronically overcast Seattle) and some beautiful landscaping.

There is a lot to explore in uptown, and the city’s monorail (another vestige of the 1962 World’s Fair) provides a convenient connector between the neighborhood and downtown.

Snoqualmie Falls in Washington State

Piece 3: Snoqualmie Falls. About a half hour drive east from Seattle along Interstate 90 is Snoqualmie WA, and just a little north of this small city is the most visited natural landmark in the state of Washington after Mt. Rainier, Snoqualmie Falls.

An observation deck is just a short walk from the lower parking lot (37439 SE Fish Hatchery Road – Fall City, WA) where we got a clear view of the Snoqualmie River spilling over a 268-foot granite cliff (almost twice as high as Niagara Falls).

The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe has a deep cultural and spiritual connection to the Falls, and have suggested that the mist rising from its base serves to connect Heaven and Earth.

The Falls were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. An extraordinary environmental creation, Snoqualmie Falls is a priority destination when visiting the Seattle Area.

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