Pike and Pic

Of course you cant go to Seattle and not stop in Pikes Place Market.  You just have to do it.  You get more F words here than anywhere else in the States I think: fish, farmers, food, flowers fun, frenzy, and freaks you can enjoy your time spent there!  First off is fish food and fun all at the same time.  Arent fish fun to play with....until it jumps out at you (compliments of the workers not pictured).

 Fun and food just is always true as Grandma JA stand at the more famous and more busy fish markets there. They yell out orders and throw the fish around to each other.  Not sure if the fish is already gutted or not watch your head, wear a hat or clear a path or you will smell fishy too.

 The flower markets are AMAZING you would not believe the size and aroma of these flowers.  One whole bundle of flowers is $5 bucks at one vendor.  It is a steal of a deal since cheapy big box mart and others dont even sell em that cheap and these and tons better quality and local....WHAT? (Gus from Psych just gotta ad it)!

 In the words of Orcs from Lord of the Rings "Yeah, why cant we have some meats".  Well apparently Loback is a place to get it.  Just loved the sign but the pic didnt turn out how I hoped.

 I didnt get pictures of the food farmers in here though it was vast and extensive the selection they had and amazing the quality of it!  Took me back to wishing I was back in Cali for a second but gave me hope that for just 30 minute drive I can connect to the best produce and pasta in the entire state perhaps.

Now that you had flowers, food, fun, fish and farmers you know what time it is.  Time to bring on the freaks.  Yes you find them there.  Sorry to say but most of them appear to you in the form of musicians.  Thank you Kurt, Eddie, Chris and others for your wonderful examples.  No you wont see Alice bound up with chains here but you do get a Christian band screaming out the name of our Savior and then calmly asking people to join with them in fellowship like it was a sermon and then going straight back to their death rock screams of our Saviors name.  Just leave you wondering if He really wants them to do it that way.

Sometimes the freaks are quite cool.  Some are carnies who have found the profitability in becoming musicians as well.  Or at least have thought about purchasing change case...I mean guitar case.  Here is an example.  This dude here had such a raspy voice from singing so much he couldnt hit the higher notes.  Watch the progression of pictures.

 Wasnt that freaking and cool at the same time.  My daughter turns to me and says "daddy you should do that".  Wouldnt that be cool.  I wont quit my day job though.

Next up is Starbucks which was started in a store on Pike Place Market many years ago.  The store started with 2 teachers who probably were sick of nasty coffee at schools.  Made their own brew started selling the beans and the grinders to people.  The ground it up initially for them, taught them how to do it and even gave them recipies.  Well as you can imaging not really the best business model but it worked for a lot of growth.  Business consultant is asked to come in.  See that hey add in more "fast food" type of element and mass market it and you have yourself a chain and max profits.  Well the 2 owners didnt like it but they started it.  Eventually the very consultant bought them out and Starbucks is what it is today.  There you go.  So how do you feel about the S-Bucks now?

 That is what I thought!  Thanks baby girl!

 At the north end of the market there is a town square with a few nice views looking back on financial district.

 Walking back down to a cruise tour of Elliot bay we hit up the famous sign we missed before.

 Here is the famous hotel/motel thing that sits right on the water.  That would be kind of fun to stay in.  Apparently it was in some movie but I didnt catch what it was in.

 Thank you MTV for making this place off limits.  After a filming of "the Real World" they closed this off permenantly and made Pier 70 a 24 hour filming location.  Wait I thought we were in Seattle not L.A.

 Sure which I had a head squashing program so this would be a more awesome picture.  It was very sunny and quite hot hence the expression.

 Reflecting on the future is always a good thing espeically when it involves space and needles for various technological, medical and research...ical things.

 The picture again had too much light due to sun and yours truly forgot to adjust the camera so hence my fantastic idea of Mt. Rainier through a different view ends up just mediocre.

 Another picture of an iconic building here, the Smith Tower with some skyline.  Taken from the bay

Thats it for now.  I think I will have more but even with my own dry boring humor I am falling asleep typing so there you have it for now.  Lots of pictures and two posts.