spirobulldog

I am planning two trips to Seattle. These are long weekend trips. One will be with my wife and the other with my 18 year old daughter. We can't go together due to scheduling conflicts.

Both want to see Pikes Markets. Is there a best day to see it or is one day as good as any other? I was planning a Saturday with my wife and a Monday with my daughter-based on other activities and sightes that we plan on doing.

I am doing Olympic with my wife. With my daughter, Cascade Pass hike in North Cascades, San Juan whale watching, and a couple of days at Mount Rainier.

suze

Any day is good for visiting the Pike Place Market (no 's' on Pike). But it does close up early, like by 5-6pm, so don't wait until too late in the day.
What month are your trips? I ask because in the summer time there are extra vendors set up along the street from the local and regional farms on certain days of the week. The Market has a good website you can read all about things. www.pikeplacemarket.org
welcome to seattle, suze

lennyba

Weekends can be wall to wall bodies, especially in the summertime, especially in the afternoons. Have a great trip!

spirobulldog

Last week of July and then again 2nd week August 2012. I was planning on going for 2 or 3 hours in the morning and then going to Salumni(I know it won't be open on the monday though). I was planning on arriving there fairly early in the morning. I assume that some vendors would be open, but perhaps things don't really crank up until 9:00 or so.

Is parking an issue that I need to plan ahead something?

suze

They start setting up around 6am. By 9am everything is in full swing (maybe some of the stores aren't opened yet, but the vendors, bakery, etc. all will be).

Since you'll be here in summer you'll get to see all the 'extra' seasonal vendors (the central part of the Market operates year round, but to the north and out in the street lots more are added in the summer-time).

Parking is not an issue as long as you're willing to pay. The Market itself operates several lots and a parking garage nearby (to the north and the west). Along with lots of other options (surface lots) nearby along 1st Avenue.

spirobulldog

Thanks for the info

Digbydog

Since you are going to be there in the morning, there is a place near the fish market that sells incredible fresh doughnuts. We wolfed down a bag and wished we had gotten more!

curiousgeo

If your plans happen to change and you end up there around lunchtime, Emmett Watson's is a great place for chowder and a brew. A bit hidden away, it has a classic old time atmosphere. I liked it a lot more than the well known and visible Pike Place Chowder.

roundthebend

Parking nearby is almost impossible and incredibly expensive. Also, be prepared to squeeze your car into a tiny little space in the pay lots, and then try to squeeze yourself out of your car. I've started parking near the Seattle Center and hopping on the monorail to downtown Seattle. Unless there's a big event at the Center, parking will cost you about $5 and the monorail is cheap. The Pike Place Market is 3 short blocks from the downtown monorail station. Monorail trip time is about 2 minutes.

suze

I disagree with the post above. It is not "almost impossible" to find parking in the area, I live here and do it all the time... although I agree it is not cheap. That said, no way would I advise a tourist to park all the way up on Queen Anne to go to the Pike Place Market. The monotrail stop is 5 blocks from the Market (on 5th, the Market on 1st).

Bobmrg

I would park in the Market's parking garage off of Alaskan Way and take the elevator up to the Market. Suze is right about the idea of going up QA hill.

Nelson

spiro, my $0.02 based on a recent 6 days as a visitor in Seattle is go to the market hungry. There is so much good food to taste, you'll want to try all kinds of stuff. Fish, cheese, fruit, deli food, ethnic food, it's all great! My wife and I didn't have a bad meal anywhere in the area.

If you have to walk because you parked far away, then so much the better.

Destination_360

Depending on when you visit, the Market can be very crowded on weekends. But as it gets out of the peak tourist season, it's still doable if that's what suits your schedule best. On Sundays, street parking is free, so if you get to the area early enough to get a space, that can be a money saver.

I agree with Nelson -- come hungry. There is great food to try here. A few favorites include the Mee Sum Pastry (Chinese bakery), and Beecher's Artisan Cheese, which as terrific mac & cheese and cheese sandwiches grilled to order. These are both on Pike Place, across the street from the main market. Post Alley has a number of good sandwich places, and I recommend The Tasting Room, which has good snack food and a selection of local wines to try.

spirobulldog

This will be next year (2012). The 3rd week of July and then again on the 2nd week of August. And will be two long weekend trips. Thanks for the info.

Travel_Gato

We took a very enjoyable tour of the market with Savor Seattle. The tour takes 2 hours, and you get some history of the market and tastings at various places in the market. You see the fish guys tossing around the latest catch & receive a discount card to use afterwards at the places you sampled. Also, unlike other tours I've been on, this one includes a headset that allows you to hear everything even if you are at the back of the group (although our group was not large). Cost is $39 (more for other, longer food tours of Seattle). http://www.savorseattletours.com/tours/pikeplacemarket/

suze

I see the Savor Seattle tours around downtown quite often. They look VERY good. Small groups, interesting places included, engaging guides. Thanks for the post about them.

TC

Just spent a long weekend in SEA. The parking garage behind (down the hill from) PPM seemed large and available even on a Saturday. I walked through it and took the (thank God) elevator up to the market after spending a morning at the aquarium. Yes, Saturday is crowded, but it wasn't any more so than any other farmers market. There are plenty of opportunities to skirt around people if need be.

Lunch of Beechers Mac and Cheese was wonderful. You can take your mac next door to the "Local Artists" coffee shop where they sell decent glasses of wine for $5. With a purchase you may sit at their nice tables for as long as you like. The people watching was good fun. Much more civilized than sitting in the crowd at Beechers. (BTW: nice clean RR there too)

enzian

Cascade Passs is one of our favorite hikes---good choice!

Is Rainier in the August trip? I hope so because the past few years Paradise has still been covered with snow at mid-July. We still hike, but come prepared to hike on the snow. By 2d week of August the wildflowers should be prime, unless we get another weird year like this one.

Are you planning on staying up there? Paradise Inn is not among my favorite historic national park inns, but you can't beat the location.

spirobulldog

Olympic is the 3rd weekend of July with my wife. The plan is to have Breakfast/Coffee somewhere on Friday Morning-Probably Cafe Vivace. Get lunch at Salumi at 11:00 when it opens. We'll be in line by 10:30. Then drive to Quinault that night. We will spend Sat around Kaloch, Hoh Rain Forest and then that night at Sol Duc. Sunday will be around Lake Crescent and Hurricane Ridge. Monday we will ferry back across and checkout Pikes Market. We have all our rooms booked, but haven't made air yet. We will fly out late Monday night or early Tues.

Then with my daughter on the 2nd weekend of August.
Fri Morning-Top Pot Doughnuts early then ferry to San Juan Islands and do the Zodiac Raft Whale tour. Then overnight @ Marblemount.
Sat Morning-Cascade Pass afternoon Drive to Rainier and overnight there
Sun-Rainier and overnight there
Mon-More Rainier or Pikes Market with her
I have my Rainier Lodging Booked

We might fly back on the Redeye flights. I will have to use up my old Southwest Flights on one of these trips. Then I have enough on their new system for 1 of us to fly free on the other trip. But I might save those points. Haven't made up my mind yet as to the flights.

I know both trips are short, but I can only be gone on FRI, SAT, SUN, and MON. unless tues falls on a Holiday. then I get an extra day, but then places are always crowded.

suze

The name is The Pike Place Market (it's named after Pike Street, not after a person). Usually called either Pike Place or just "the Market".