For my last birthday, MG and I ditched L.A. and flew up to Seattle for our very first visit. We had three days to cram in a lot of sight-seeing, but we managed to hit everything on our lists, including the top of the Space Needle, the aquarium, a harbor cruise, and yes… a gay piano bar, an insect museum and a bad-ass Henry the VIII puppet show featuring bloody beheadings, puppet blowjobs, and talking vaginas… in case you were wondering.

And of course, we spent a large chunk of a day exploring the Pike Place Market.  It’s probably the biggest tourist attraction in the city, but one that’s actually worth every bit of accidental elbowing you may encounter.  It’s been in operation since 1907 and sits on the corner of a very steep hill facing out to the Elliot Bay waterfront.  Built into the Market are several lower levels with antique dealers, toy shops and eateries, but the star attraction is the street level itself.  Endless food!  Beautiful, aromatic, enticing food!  I could have easily wandered around there from sun up to sun down.  Plus, the day brought us just enough drizzle and ominous cloud cover to enhance the vibe without washing it away completely.

Here are some of the highlights from the day.