Oh the epitome of Seattle tourism, but of course a place we had to visit, both during the day when…read moreall the vendors were present, and in the evening for photos.
It was the end of August on a Wednesday when we visited during the day, but it was still crazy busy. Quite frankly, we only went to take a brief stroll and to enjoy a small meal plus drinks at Rachel's Ginger Beer and Pike Place Chowder.
Parking prices are insane, but there is a hack to get around having to pay for parking, so long as you only stay for an hour. Playing tourist is fun sometimes, but having to scooch your way through crowds oohing and ahhing at the sights does get old quickly. As I have been to Seattle, albeit years ago, it was nothing too new for me, but I did want to show my husband around, since it was his first time visiting.
The gum wall was as disgusting as I remember, but you can't go to Pike Place without seeing it. The fishmongers throwing fish were just as awesome as I remember as well. Walking past the original Starbucks and seeing the people wait in line was amusing. Beecher's Handmade Cheese with their now semi-automated machines is always mesmerizing to witness in person. Overall, it was cool looking at the various vendors and purchasing a few mementos (such as a box of Chukar cherries), but we very quickly got over it.
Now, what a difference it is when you visit Pike Place at night! Mind you, we went on a Saturday evening around 21:00 and it was substantially less busy. After hours parking at their designated parking garage is also so much more worth it. Keep in mind that the restrooms do close as well, and I made that mistake assuming they would be open. I had to ask one of the security guards about the restroom situation, and he pointed me to one of the restaurants open late. It seemed like the staff knew about folks needing to use the bathroom at night, and I was graciously granted access.
If you want to get cool pics like what I envisioned and made tangible, go at night. While there may be a small line of folks, it's nothing compared to all the tourists vying for the right spots during the day, and nothing screams tourists like people trying to take photos in bright sunlight with a ton of people in the background.
Newt, my well-behaved and well-trained Siberian, and I were quite the spectacle that evening. We enjoy performing our piggyback trick every place we visit, and I had the vision to have my husband capture THE shot of us in front of the iconic Pike Place Market sign at night. And of course, we made it happen. I got some solo shots of my boy as well, and they turned out beautifully. A local tour guide and her group were mesmerized by Newt and I, and it seemed to be a highlight of their evening.
It was so nice visiting in the evening, and everyone was a lot more chill. I even helped capture a few shots for several couples in front of the iconic sign. After getting our own shots, we quickly went on our way, and explored the rest of the waterfront before heading out.
I'm glad we were able to experience Pike Place both in the daytime and evening, and if we wanted to return for some specific vendors and shops, we will, but overall it's not worth how much time we spent circling around (during the daytime) for.
