Our second full day in Seattle was our “tourist” day. The boys had been out late the night before and it was rainy, so we figured walking around seeing some sites would be a good thing to do. Katie had to work that day, so she left us with her car. I tell you what, going to visit a friend in a different city that loans you their car for a couple of days is the best way to vacation. I need more friends to move out of state (just kidding).
John, Melanie and I headed to Zoka for some coffee, and then across the street to Aura Bakery for some breakfast pastries. I introduced Mel to macarons at this time…I’m pretty sure it changed her life. Or least it should have 😉
We finally got Tim off the couch (and the floor haha) and headed into downtown. First stop: Pike Place Market! The open air market is so neat. Touristy, but neat nonetheless. There certainly isn’t anything like it in St. Louis! It has food stalls (fresh fish, bakery items, produce, treats, etc), countless flower stands, and every kind of craft table you could image. The main fish stand was busy—the workers would yell “fresh fish! we catch them, you buy them” and then throw fish at you. Maybe it’s just me, but I wouldn’t want to catch fish like that. Ew. Almost all food stands would have samples for you to try—including the fish stand. The boys bought mini doughnuts…and then decided they wanted to buy a machine so they could do their own doughnut business. Haha, oh boys…
We couldn’t leave the market without finding the gum wall. I had to text a friend to find out where it was because I couldn’t find it. We had to go down the main ramp/stairs (by the fish stall) and back into an alley. Half of the walls were covered in graffiti art and posters, while the other half  was covered in chewed gum. The gum has actually spread onto the ground and the opposite wall. I didn’t touch anything or add any gum—it’s actually really gross!
On the way back to our car, Melanie and I got coffee #2 of the day from Biscuit Bitch. I think every menu item had the word “bitch” incorporated in some way. I liked the cafe…it had a punk rock attitude about it. Plus, our goal was to not go to a Starbucks while in Seattle.
We arrived at the Space Needle and got the combo tickets for the Needle and the Chihuly gardens. It only takes about 40 seconds to ride to the top of the Needle. It was rainy and overcast this day, so we didn’t get to see much past the city, but we were told on a clear day you can see Mount Rainier.
The Chihuly gardens ended up being one of my favorite things about the whole trip. The guy is just so talented! My cellphone pictures don’t do the work any justice.
Dan and Katie said that one place we HAD to get food from while in town was Paseo. The one in the Fremont is closed on Sundays, so we drove to their Ballard location. It’s a walk-up stand on the side of the road with no signs. We knew to expect a line and the most amazing sandwich ever. The line was shorter than anticipated, and the sandwich was excellent. I opted for a chicken one rather than pork. The Paseo marinade is what makes the sandwich—it’s like a garlic-mayo aioli. I got mine without jalapeños because I’m a wimp with spice. John and Mel raved about their Caribbean Roast sandwich!
We ended the night with low-key dinner and a few drinks at The Lodge back in Kirkland. We had big plans for our final day in Seattle!
—m.