Pike Place Market, Seattle
Pike Place Market in Seattle far exceeded my expectations. It is one of the country’s oldest farmers markets and opened in nineteen hundred and seven. I knew I would enjoy beautiful flowers, fresh food and local vendors but really had no idea what I was in store for.
We went earlier in the day which I would recommend, I’m not sure I would have enjoyed it as much as I did if we went later in the day. I cannot put into words how gorgeous all of the flowers were and there were so many, I paired down the flower photos as much as I could. They were stunning! And they were very inexpensive. We were only in Seattle for three nights but still bought a bouquet with dahlias for five dollars, we couldn’t resist.
Not only should you buy some of the stunning flowers, I also recommend buying your groceries or any food you want to eat while visiting Seattle at the market so make this your first attraction. The food is fresh, reasonably priced and local. We were able to get all the makings of a fantastic picnic dinner: a baguette, cheese, an apple, a pear, a plumcot, grapes, apricot jam, macaroni and cheese and yogurt for desert. It was delicious!
The original Starbucks is at Pike Place Market which opened in nineteen seventy one. I would recommend taking a picture or two. We did not wait in the line but it was cool to see where it all began.
While I find it to be very odd, we walked through the gum wall alley. Truthfully, I think it is gross and don’t really understand it. It has been around for over twenty years and was cleaned once in two thousand and fifteen only to be recreated. It is under the Pike Place Market so it makes sense to stop by since it is oddly famous. We took a couple of pics and went on our way.
Anytime I visit Seattle, I will make sure to stop by the Pike Place Market. The experience itself is worth the visit, even if you don’t buy anything.
I obviously did not try every single place or thing at the market but here were my favorites of what I did try on this visit.
Ellenos Yogurt
Before I left for Seattle a co-worker mentioned that I needed to eat the yogurt at Pike Place Market. I thought, how good could yogurt really be. The little stand is set up like a gelato stand. I would eat this yogurt over gelato or ice cream any day. It was the best yogurt I have ever had. They have a lot of different flavors such as muesli, mango, latte, marionberry, pumpkin, plus many more. We purchased a small container of muesli, mango and marionberry and ate some every day of our trip. If you tried nothing else at the market, try this. It would be my number one pick. They also sell their yogurt in coffee shops and grocery stores throughout Seattle, in other areas of Washington, Oregon and California.
Beecher’s Handmade Cheese
This was also recommendation to me. They make the cheese in house and it was delicious! We got a small mac and cheese and then visited the large cheese case. As we were only in Seattle for a short time, we chose two. Dutch Hollow Dulcet and Flagship were our cheeses of choice and both were amazing. I’m sure all of the cheeses were fantastic but there is only so much time in the day to eat cheese.
Le Panier
I am drawn to all things French, so when looking for a baguette you look for something French. As luck would have it, near to Beecher’s was Le Panier. A very cute little French bakery, or boulangerie if you will. We got a baguette, a palmier, two macrons and coffee for our apartment. All were scrumptious!
Sweet Things Honey Farm
This was a cute little honey stand that we came across. She had large containers of honey and also travel size friendly jars, very smart! We both got a travel size honey and were on our way. The honey is great and I love bringing home things that will prolong the joys of traveling.
Chukar Cherries
We ran across Chukar cherries, which seem to be very famous. They have been around since the nineteen eighties and use local cherries grown in Washington. They have a lot of options and all that I sampled were delicious. I brought some home for some co-workers and my dad, they all loved them.
Crepe de France
As I am always in search of all things French, we stopped by Crepe de France for lunch after many hours perusing the market. They were really good! It was a cute little spot for some easy, no frills, quick crepes.
Knuckle Kiss Jewelry
I stumbled upon this cute little jewelry booth and purchased some hexagon hoop earrings that I love. The prices were reasonable, and her jewelry was very pretty! I would recommend stopping by if you happen upon her stand.
For more information on my recommendations see below (I have not been solicited for my opinion on any of these businesses).
Ellenos Yogurt: http://www.ellenos.com/
Beecher’s Handmade Cheese: http://beechershandmadecheese.com/
Le Panier: http://www.lepanier.com/
Sweet Things Honey Farm: I could not find information for this company online.
Chukar Cherries: https://www.chukar.com/
Crepe de France: http://www.crepedefrance.com/
Knuckle Kiss Jewelry: https://knucklekiss.com/
