Keeping Up With the Locals When Visiting Seattle, Washington

People in Seattle are remembering the joys of playing a tourist in their own town.

Seattle is a survivor. It is built on the backs of hearty stock…and not the plummeting kind. While no longer the boomtown of recent years past, it looks a little more familiar these days.

Now the pressure is off. Seattle does not need to behave like a metropolitan princess to impress out-of-towners and new-to-towners. Seattle can put away the latest heels and handbag. It eschews trends faster than LA and NYC can come up with them. It can finally dig out the mud boots and parka and wear both with pride.

Fortunately, you can too.

Local tourism is in style. It is couple-friendly, single friendly and family friendly. If it was considered passé by the in crowd only a year or two ago, it is hot again now. This is a list of what the locals are rediscovering. And if the locals like it, you know it has to be good.

Pike Place Market

85 Pike Street (First and Pine): Go window-shopping for veggies. There is a reason why locals shop here for the best produce in all of Seattle. Go find out for yourself. It is free, time consuming and entertaining. Yes, they still throw fish. Open 7 days a week, 10AM-6PM M-S and 11AM to 5PM on Sundays.

Say hello to Rachel, the bronze piggy bank. Slip her a dollar or two. Rachel collects donations for the Market Foundation and was created by artist Georgia Gerber. Don’t get dizzy reading all the tiles on the floor.

Make sure you save time to explore the lower levels of the market. You can lose yourself amongst dusty treasures or stare in bewilderment at a pair of shoes that once belonged to the tallest known man.

The best view in the market is at Lowell’s of Sleepless in Seattle fame. The food is decent. The view is breathtaking at dusk. 206-622-2036

A trip to the market is not complete without mini-doughnuts (cinnamon sugar) and roasted cashews. Facing the pig from inside the market go right – past the flying fish – and take a left down the hallway. Follow your nose.

Seattle Aquarium