Yesterday Was My Birthday

Today I am older, and I'm feeling it, but yesterday I had fun.

Since it has been a while since we had played tourist in our own city, and since there was a new addition to The Market just opened, and since the construction on the sea wall was cleared after several years, leaving the waterfront put back together and accessible, we decided to spend the day in Seattle, our fair city. 

With no advance planning, we tried for tickets to the Terracotta Warriors exhibit at the Pacific Science Center, but couldn't even access a way to buy tickets, so be bagged that idea. Then we checked to see what was at the Seattle Art Museum and figured if we were there about 10:00, at opening, we could get walk-up tickets. 

We found parking at the Link station and were on our way. We arrived at the SAM and found our way to where we get tickets. 
 This exhibit has been on for a while, so we thought "Easy -peasy". Nope. The line wound forever through the hallways. We chose not to spend hours of our day waiting in line. We moved on.

 We did spend some time in the museum gift shop, always a fun place, and then sauntered down 1st Avenue toward the Pike Place Farmers Market. We stopped at several shops along the way, including a NW Native American shop we love. 

 In the market stalls, first up is the famous fish market where fish are tossed when purchased. It always draws a crowd. 

 Because we were in no hurry whatsoever, we poked around corners we don't usually explore, and found a hidden treasure, The Market Urban Garden! It's on a roof top, of course. 

We took advantage of our first opportunity to sit and rest. 

Back at the shops, we wandered into the spice shop. 

How cute are these teapots!

 It is the height of tourist season, and the corner of 1st and Pike is the center of it all. 

 Flower stalls are abundant in the market. 

 Sweet peas and peonies.

 Luscious baked goods. 

 Wonderful displays of produce. 

 Crafts of all kinds.

The new Market extension has a viewing plaza and will eventually provide waterfront access when the viaduct comes down in the next few years. 

 The fence raining is hung with medallions of contributors. 

 Overlooking Victor Steinbreuck Park. 

 There is room for more vendors in the new pavilion. 

 Billy is the name of the new market pig. 

 Businesses are just getting established on the lower level. 

 We watched the biscuit baker at Honest Biscuit. 

Because they looked good, and because we could escape the crowds, we came back here an hour later for lunch. Here's my bacon, egg and cheese biscuit. Yum. 

I love it when the 1% for the arts program creates something I like. These mosaic/tile/enamel works (not sure which) on the stairway wall are wonderful!

 We had more shops and stalls to explore along Pike Place. The Original Starbucks ( actually the second) is quite the tourist draw. 

 Tom loves to study cheese. We did by a small wedge of aged Swiss from my homeland in Appenzell, Switzerland. 

 Then it was time for another rest, and I went to claim my free birthday latte at my favorite Starbucks, right there at 1st and Pike. 

We checked our phones - I had Facebook greetings coming in all day long - and we people watched as we enjoyed our coffee and rested our legs.  

Then we proceeded down the hill climb steps to the waterfront. 

 Miners Landing has been reconfigured, so we explored all it had to offer. 

 And we discovered ourselves almost right under the Great Wheel. 

 The Olde Curiosity Shop has been relocated, but still features the same oddities of nature as always, including Sylvester, the mummy. 

 Time for another rest, with Cokes from Ivar's while we watched kids have fun feeding french fries to the gulls. 

 I even had a chat with Old Ivar myself. 

We had dinner at Red Robin on the waterfront, where I claimed my free birthday burger, and was surprised by serenading of the birthday song and a complimentary sundae!

Then be boarded the 7:20 ferry, almost next door, for a round trip ride to Bainbridge Island and back.

 That twin topped peak in the Olympics, called The Brothers, is where Jill and her brother Jake were camping and hopefully successfully climbed today. 

 We returned to the city at the golden hour. 

 

 A sun dog formed to the north. 

A perfect ending to a wonderful day. We climbed back up the hill climb steps and back to the Link station to make our way back home.

I have appreciated all of the comments about the garden and quilt tour. I have many more photos and I promise to get back to them soon.