Seattle lived up to its reputation this weekend; my husband and I explored the Emerald City through a steady drumbeat of drizzle and unusually chilly temperatures. Despite the gray clouds, we enjoyed ourselves, with one of our favorite stops being the Pike Place Market.

Ok, ok, I know it’s touristy. But I love visiting markets no matter where I am (and hey, I live in one), so it was a necessary stop. Plus while I had been to Seattle once before (under perfectly clear skies, I might add), my husband had never been. Even with the spotty weather, the Market was packed with tourists and the locals showing them around, all bundled up in their best chill-preventing REI and Patagonia gear. And newsboy hats – is it just me, or does every male in the Northwest under the age of 50 wear one?

The lack of color outside somehow made the locally grown tulips and elaborate bouquets that much more vibrant. If I lived here, I’d buy flowers all the time as the prices were reasonable – only $15 for a large arrangement! I’ve been told that the tulip fields are only about an hour out of town.

Of course, flowers aren’t the main thing that the market is known for. We stopped by Pike Place Fish and watched the guys in orange overalls throw some salmon around. They were also giving out samples, interacting with the crowd and in general, putting on a great free show (of course, if you want to order some salmon to bring home, they’ll filet and pack it for you right there).

It’s highly entertaining, especially for kids, who get special treatment from the vendors. The little guy below looked terrified when the vendor first handed him a fish, but he quickly warmed up.

We ate lunch at Lowell’s, where we ordered a monster cinnamon bun, as well as a smoked salmon omelet and enough coffee to fuel a Teamster driving cross-country. Seattle is the country’s coffee capital for a reason, I think – you need all that caffeine to power through the gloomy weather.

Our meander through the Market easily took up three hours. Be sure to go to some of the shops on the surrounding streets outside the Market such as Beecher’s Cheese or Three Girls’ Bakery.

And then, of course, there’s the original Starbucks, with its scrubby sign and bare-breasted mermaid.  The line was out the door so we didn’t go in, choosing instead to listen to the folk band picking outside. And after all, there are ton of other coffee places to try within a few feet!

All in all, a great stop if you are in Seattle, even if you consider yourself above the tourist fray. The Market is open all week, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays (individual vendors may have different hours). There’s a parking garage right behind the Market with rates that can add up; we paid $14 for 3 hours.

For info on another market, check out my report from Barcelona last summer.

Do you have a favorite market elsewhere in the world? Tell me about it in the comments!