24 Hours at Pike Place Market

If we added up all the hours we have spent at Pike Place Market, it would probably amount to years of time. But what do you do if you don't have unlimited hours to explore this epic hub of shopping, dining, and entertainment? Well, the answer is you cram in as much stuff as possible – especially eating – because this is a place you don’t want to just skim through. It's the heart of Seattle, and it has a crazy amount to offer to tourists and locals. Here are our recommendations for absolutely slaying your way through 24 hours at Pike Place Market.

8:00 AM – Get Going with Storyville Coffee

Storyville Coffee is located on the upper level of the Corner Market Building and has one of the best views of the iconic red “Public Market” sign hanging over the main entrance to Pike Place Market. Their coffee shop is comfy and inviting, full of great lighting and warm décor, a perfect place to ramp up for the day with one of their many delicious coffees.

9:00 AM – Roll Call

Venders milling around at roll call

Roll Call is a market tradition that is open to the public. Every day you can watch the day stall vendors gather to claim their spot for the day. Stall vendors are called upon based on seniority and then they can select their stall location for that day. Because of this tradition, some vendors consistently sit in the same spot, while others have a need to move around. It’s not the most exciting process, but it can give you an insider look into how the market gets set up everyday!

9:30 AM – Breakfast at The Crumpet Shop

Tomato and pesto crumpet at The Crumpet Shop

The Crumpet Shop is a place that looks and probably sounds unassuming, but this place happens to have some of the most delicious breakfast pastries on the planet (that's right, the planet we said). They make their crumpets fresh every day and customers can top them with a variety of goodies like nutella, honey, pesto, tomato, jams, eggs, and ham, etc. The line can get long in the mornings, especially on weekends, so plan for a little time there, but we promise these little guys are worth the wait!

10:00 AM – Shop the Main Arcade

All Things Lavender in the Main Arcade

The Main Arcade is the most well known shopping area at Pike Place Market. It stretches from Pike Place Fish Market all the way down to the day stall vendors. It’s where you will find the beautiful flower vendors, a few fish markets, veggie stands, and tons of unique crafts and goodies. One stall could be selling custom leather goods and the next will be selling lavender products. Further down you might find ceramics or art. The options are endless and ready for you to explore. Some of our favorites in the Main Arcade are All Things Lavender, Ravel and Unravel, and of course all the bright and beautiful flower stands. 

12:00 PM Lunch at El Borracho

El Borracho is the perfect spot for someone with a hungry belly. They serve up great casual Mexican food at a good price and they usually don’t have a wait. We basically love the whole menu, but if we had to call out our favorites they would be the Coca-Cola braised pork burrito (it is the size of a small child, so order the taco version if you aren’t super hungry) and the Tacos de Hongos (mushroom tacos). Pair it all with some chips and guacamole and an ice cold Pacifico and you’ll be full and happy in no time! They also have plenty of vegan options as the owner, Kitty, doesn't eat meat!

Amazing alternatives if you aren't feeling Mexican: Honest Biscuit for some good ole fashioned fried chicken and biscuits, DeLaurenti for some great italian sandwiches, or Pike Place Chowder for a traditional bowl of clam chowder in a giant bread bowl. 

1:00 PM – Explore the Lower Levels and Perimeter Buildings

Most visitors don’t make it past the Main Arcade when it comes to exploring the shops at Pike Place Market. These visitors are missing out on a huge amount of great places though. We recommend setting aside some time to go into the “Lower Levels” and the various other areas with great shops like the Atrium, Marketfront Expansion, First Avenue, and Post Alley.

We wrote a blog on our favorite spots in the Lower Levels and you can also check out all the fun details of the Marketfront Expansion here -- it was the first addition to Pike Place Market in over 40 years! 

3:45 PM – Experience the famous fish toss at Pike Place Fish Market

Fish tossing at Pike Place Fish

This is a no-brainer. Obviously every visitor to The Market has to watch the crazy lads at Pike Place Fish Market toss that big ole salmon. It’s perfectly done every time and makes for a great boomerang. They toss all day, no schedule needed, just show up and wait for the magic to happen!

4:00 PM – Pike Place Urban Garden with a snack

A chalkboard pig for decorating at Pike Place Market's Urban Garden

The Market is a busy place. They have 10 million visitors every year (seriously, it gets REALLY busy) and it can feel a little overwhelming at times. We like to have an escape route planned to the wonderful Urban Garden behind Maximilian. This little space overlooks the Puget Sound and offers a quiet getaway from the chaos of the Main Arcade. The garden is cared for by the Pike Place Market Senior Center and all the produce goes to the Pike Place Market Food Bank. It is full of fun art and unique items to discover. Grab a snack from one of our favorite spots and enjoy it here.

Huckleberry ice cream from Shug's - purple, creamy, mouthwatering goodness. 

Our favorite snack spots in no particular order are Ellenos Greek Yogurt (Passionfruit or Pumpkin Pie flavor), Shug's ice cream cones (Coconut or Chocolate...or both together), or Piroshky Piroshky pastries (smoked salmon pate).

4:30 PM – Happy Hour at The Athenian

Cold brews await you at The Athenian

The Athenian is not only featured in the romantic and life-changing film, Sleepless in Seattle, it is also home to the coldest mugs in Seattle. It’s our favorite spot to grab a cheap, cold beer, along with some cheap, delicious appetizers. When you arrive let the attendant know you’d like to sit in the bar and then head to the back left. You’ll be greeted with an old bar, filled with wooden booths and great views of Puget Sound! Watch the ferries take off, the ferris wheel spin, and take in the views of the Olympic Mountains as you sip your ice cold brew!

6:00 PM – Dinner at The Pink Door

The amazing lasagna at The Pink Door, perfect for Italian food traditionalists. 

The Pink Door serves up amazing Italian food in an incredible space. It’s a bit hard to find, with no sign marking their entrance, but if you head to Post Alley with their address plugged into GPS you should be able to locate their salmon-colored door. Enter into a world of amazing cocktails and unbelievable delicious Italian dishes. We love their risottos and lasagna, you can't go wrong with either option. They also have entertainment certain nights, check out their schedule here to see what they have going on!

8:30 PM – Catch a show at Unexpected Productions

Improv hilarity at Unexpected Productions

Unexpected Productions is the oldest improv group in Seattle and a great place to end your night. They have 10 different options for shows throughout the week, all of them equally hilarious and full of amazing talent. They have a small bar to help get those laughs a little louder and their location is full of history. You can thank them for the massive wall of gum located directly outside their front door!

10:30 PM – Grab a nightcap

Endless wine options at JarrBar

Obviously you aren’t done yet! There are still so many bars to try! We love Radiator Whiskey and Jarr Bar for our late night drinks. They both offer housemade cocktails that are to die for and have friendly staff and cool vibes (we wrote about some of them here). Be careful though, they make their drinks stiff!

Ok, now it’s time for bed. Go home and crash hard – you’ve just crammed nine acres of Pike Place Market into one day!

Seattle's KEXP: Where the Music Matters

There is probably no radio station more loved in this country than KEXP (90.3 FM), which just happens to have its home base in Seattle, WA. And even though its home is here, it's live-streamed across the country and loved by people from coast to coast, because who knows good music better than Seattle?

The KEXP studio, which is open to the public, is a MUST-visit for any Seattle local or visitor! Yes - it sounds weird for us to tell you to visit a radio station, but this really is an institution and a big piece of Seattle music history, dating back to 1972 when they first went on-air from the UW campus.

What really makes this radio station so special? For starters, it's a not-for-profit public radio station funded by sponsors and donations. And what that really means is that the KEXP DJs can play whatever it is they want, whenever they want...from Wilco, to local musicians, to obscure indie artists you have never heard of. You won't find Taylor Swift's latest hit played every 30 minutes on this station. They also don't have advertisements, so no more annoying plumbing jingles or cheesy jewelry commercials interrupting your jam session.

In addition to the wide range of indie rock artists you'll hear, there are also weekly programs dedicated to music genres (our favorite is Positive Vibrations on Saturday mornings, which plays reggae music from 9 AM - noon PST). There are also in-studio sessions where artists (visiting and local) play right in the KEXP space and the best news is, it's open to the public FOR FREE. Tickets to the in-studio sessions become available around 90 minutes before air time, and it's first come, first serve. The more well known artists will fill up fast, so make sure you are there early. They let 75 people into the standing room only space where you can listen to the artist's performance and interview on air. Sessions last around 30 minutes. Check the entire line-up on their webpage. 

The beautiful La Marzocco

If you aren't interested in an in-studio session or if you are waiting for your session to start, the KEXP studio is a wonderful place to work and hang out. The beautiful La Marzocco coffee shop fills the space and serves amazing coffee from a list of rotating coffee roasters around the world, which changes monthly. The space is large and filled with light and there is seating for everyone, ranging from tables to couches and armchairs. All this plus the free wifi makes it an easy place to get some work done. KEXP plays overhead (obviously), and there is even a record store for shopping and a rotating art gallery. You can even watch the current DJ on air through a large window. The whole set-up is chill, laid back, and very, very cool.

KEXP's colorful floor

If you are already a fan of KEXP, consider donating! In addition to supporting a wonderful station, there are also a ton of member perks. Check them all out here. KEXP is located in the Seattle Center. If you want other ideas about things to do in this area, check out this post. 

Seattle's Wishing Tree

We here at Rain or Shine Guides don't consider ourselves particularly superstitious although we also don't make it a habit of walking under ladders or opening umbrellas indoors. And while deep down we do know it's all a bit silly, we'll go out of our way if it means a little extra luck and good fortune. So when we heard about a wishing tree in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, we figured we should take our chances and go check it out. And boy is this wishing tree done right!

For those of you who aren't familiar with the concept, it's basically what is sounds like: a tree that grants wishes. People tie their hopes and dreams in some format onto the tree and BAM the tree God grants it. Or the tree fairy? Or maybe it's a Grandma like in Disney's version of Pocahontas? We aren't exactly sure.

Capitol Hill home owner, Jane Hamel, has created her very own adorable wishing tree for Seattle to enjoy, complete with seats made out of tree stumps, a bench and table, and a jar of markers and cards for writing your wishes. After creating your wish, place your card in the gold jar and she will take the card and laminate it and add it to the tree. This keeps all of the wishes protected from Seattle's rainy weather. The tree has thousands of cards hanging on it in six different languages. Some wishes are funny, some are sad. As for our wish, we can't tell you..but it might have been food related.

Wishing trees tend to spring up all around Seattle, but the Capitol Hill location is the only one that seems to stick. We heard about a wishing tree at Carkeek Park. It was painted red, and while we did find the red tree (above the salmon slide), there were no wishes tied to it. We also heard about one on the Ship Canal Trail, but, sadly, we were unable to locate it. If you know about any other wishing trees around town, please leave a note in the comments! You can find the Capitol Hill tree at 1251 21st Ave. E. (cross street is Galer), and if you want to make an afternoon out of it, the tree is located very close to Volunteer Park. We encourage you to go, write down your heart's desire, and see your wish come true*.

* Rain or Shines Guides is not responsible for failed wishes, including, but not limited to winning lottery numbers, new Teslas, and weird family members skipping out on Christmas. 

Seattle Neighborhood Guide: Greenlake

Sitting about 10 minutes north of downtown Seattle is one of the best (and most popular) urban parks the city has: Greenlake. The lake and its surrounding 2.8 mile track provide a plethora of things to do year round. Now, most of our neighborhood guides tend to focus on places to eat and drink (because let's be honest, we really like to eat and drink), but we have to admit the dining around Greenlake is a little lack-luster. While we do mention a few choice spots, we go to this neighborhood mostly for all the fun activities the lake has to offer! It does get fairly crowded, but that just means the people (and dog) watching gets even better. You never know when you'll run into a Corgi meet-up (yes, they really happen), see someone unicycle by your picnic, or run into the family of turtles that live at the lake. In addition, there are always fun events to keep an eye out for, and we have mentioned our favorites below.

Thing to Do 

Boat rentals from the Boathouse

Greenlake Boathouse 

Open from around Memorial Day - Labor Day, the Boathouse has you covered for all your water rental needs. They offer everything from paddle boards, pedal boats, kayaks, and canoes (among other things). There is also a cafe that serves coffee and snacks for a picnic or to enjoy while laying in a water hammock (they rent those too). All rentals are first come, first serve.

Seattle Public Theater at the Bathhouse

The bathhouse is a cute little theater that bring together the community for year-round plays and musicals (check their calendar for events). 

Greenlake Pitch 'N Putt

Greenlake Pitch 'N Putt

 Let's say your golf game isn't strong, but you want something more challenging than mini-golf (oh who are we kidding, mini-golf is hard!), enter Greenlake Pitch 'N Putt, a perfect 3-par course on the lake for practicing your swing.

Wading Pool

We don't have kids, but if we did, we would take them to the wading pool at Greenlake because nothing is more fun than a pool when you're a kid and this one is pretty cool. It also happens to be conveniently located next to the playground equipment. Get that child an ice cream cone, and you're officially parent of the year. Score!

Hangin' around

Exercise

The lake offers two paths for your running pleasure. The inner loop is 2.8 miles around while the outer loop is 3.2 miles. There are even running clubs you can join if you need inspiration. As you run, you will also come across some exercise equipment with bars and hoops where you can stop over and stretch, hang, flip, twirl and do whatever else it is you do on this stuff (see Kristina's uncoordinated-adult-ring-swinging in photo). 

Fishing

We can not recommend eating any of the fish you catch at Greenlake (for real, we are very unclear about this...we are guessing no), however it IS stocked fully with trout, which makes it a great place for recreational fishing. There are lots of spots to fish along the lake, but we like the dock located close to the Aqua Theater. It makes us feel like we aren't in the city, and it's a great place to set up a chair, pop a cold beer, and wait for the fish to bite. It's a popular spot, so you'll most likely have to share or go early to set-up camp.

Geocaching

This fun, international, hide-and-seek game is HQ'd in Seattle, and Greenlake is definitely a popular spot for hiding these treasures. Download the app and go to town! It's a great way to walk around the lake with a destination in mind. Check out our post on Geocaching 101 if you don't know how to play.

Where to Eat

Bongos

This Cuban and Caribbean restaurant is by far THE BEST place to eat at Greenlake. We love it for its laid-back outdoor seating (complete with sand, a tiki bar, and a fire pit -- you'll forget you're on Aurora Ave), delicious food, and colorful building. It's impossible to pick one dish on the menu to recommend as we love them all, but if you are forcing us, start with the The Desi... or Bucco chicken (sorry we can't pick just one, you'll understand once you go).

Kitanda

Located a little off the lake in the Greenlake Village, this is the only place up north we know of where you can get acai bowls. It's a Brazilian coffee shop that also offers special products from Brazil like chocolates and cheese. You can even get acai in bulk to take home.

The light filled space of Shelter

Shelter

The food at Shelter is fine, but what we can't get over is the beautiful building with ceiling to floors windows and natural light. It's a beautiful space whether you are there on a sunny day or a rainy day. We recommend going for a cocktail and enjoying the lovely vibe. 

Urban Bakery

Every neighborhood needs a classic sandwich shop, and the Urban Bakery is it for Greenlake. It's your go-to place for coffee, pastries, sandwiches, and soups, and is a perfect place to stop in for lunch after walking the lake.

Zoe Yogurt

Hot days at the lake call for a sweet treat! We love all those yogurt places with the toppings bars because customizing your treat is the best. Zoe yogurt has a bunch of different yogurt flavors available (you can sample them all!) with a wide selection of candy and toppings to choose from. If you're more of a Menchie's fan, there is one of those too in Greenlake Village. Or, if you think yogurt is the worst, you can go classic Ben and Jerry's and stop in at their scoop shop. 

Teddy's Bigger Burgers

This burger shop is a Hawaiian based chain, which obviously makes it legit. The burgers are, in fact, bigger and they have a wide range of flavors such as the Volcano Burger (jalapenos, pepper jack, BBQ) or the Kaneohe Burger (garlic burger with bacon, cheddar, avocado). Not a beef eater? No worries! There is also chicken, fish, pork, and veggie options available.

Green Lake Alehouse or Greenlake Bar & Grill

Neither of these places will blow your socks off, but they get the job done when you need an easy, no-fuss spot to grab food at the lake. Either place is a great spot to grab brunch or your standard pub food and both have a small, but well curated, local beer selection. 

Festivals & Events

Luminata (September)

The Fremont Arts Council (who put on our favorite Summer Solstice Parade) also do a festival to celebrate the Autumn Equinox. The celebration includes a parade around Greenlake complete with music and lighted lanterns. Lanterns are available for sale, and it's a wonderful way to say goodbye to the summer and start embracing the shorter days. 

Hiroshima to Hope (August)

This festival also includes lanterns, but this time they are lit and floated on the lake as a way to honor the victims of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and all victims of war. It's a beautiful, annual tradition with thousands of participants, music, and hope.

The Pathway of Lights (Photo Source)

Pathway of Lights (December)

A Christmas tradition! People come to light the pathway around the lake and share in holiday cheer with music, food, and warm drinks. Bring your own light and lantern to add to the ambiance. 

Greenlake Gobble & Mashed Potato Munch-off (November)

Sure, sure. The 5k around the lake is all fine and dandy. We understand the importance of working off your turkey dinner. BUT we really go for the mashed potato eating contest. You can buy raffle tickets for the opportunity to participate, and trust us, it's harder than it looks (we have known people who have participated), but the amusement is priceless! 

Donut Dash (April)

An annual 5k that ends with eating donuts? No further details needed. SIGN US UP.

Photo Source

Corgi Meet-up (every second Saturday)

Is there a dog cuter than a Corgi? We think not. We LOVE that there is a meet-up for these pups every month at the lake. If you own a Corgi, you should definitely go and participate, and if you're like us and don't, you just go to squeeze them! 

What do you love at Greenlake? It's such a vibrant urban park and there is so much to do!