For a trout bum from Montana, being in the city is quite a change. While there are those who would classify Bozeman as a “city” (and truthfully, I don’t think it really qualifies as a small town anymore), out here on the west coast it’s a whole different beast. There are more people, buildings and cars within a 20 miles radius of me right now than in the entire state of Montana.
I’ve always thought Seattle was a pretty city, but I had never taken the time to go see it. So when my friend Brittany and I made plans to head into the city last Sunday, it was kind of hard to pick what we were going to do. But I knew where I wanted to go first: Pike’s Place Market.
I have spent a fair amount of time in cities over the years, but I still find myself staring upwards at the skyscrapers when I find myself amongst them. I’m sure nothing makes you stand out as a country bumpkin more than that, but I can’t help it. Surprisingly, the drive into downtown was remarkably easy and we soon found ourselves in the busy marketplace, where the smells of flowers, food, and fish all mix together.
For the next several hours, we wandered around the market stalls and stores, taking in all it had to offer. There was some remarkably creative stuff. Of course, anything fishy caught my eye, such as these cool metal salmon:
One of the most interesting things about it though was the people. I don’t think I have ever seen a more diverse group of people walking around in my life. From true dreadlocked, pot smoking hippies to guys in nice suits with body guards, we saw it all. We ate lunch at a place called the Steelhead Diner, and sitting at the bar gives you a great view of not only the sound and the mountains, but of the people walking on the street as well. The food and beer is pretty damn good too.
We ambled through the market, through all the shops and restaurants and weird, random stuff that abounds down there, listened to a bunch of pretty good street muscisians, and even found the famous Gum Wall. When you’re there, you can’t help but add a couple pieces to it. Afterwards we walked down to the waterfront, since it is just right there and all. It’s pretty cool to watch all the ferries, tour boats, fishing boats, and big container ships come and go from the busy harbor.
As the sun set and all the creepers and druggies started coming out, we decided it was time for dinner and then to head home. Even though I will always prefer starlight over city lights, there is something really pretty about looking out over the city at night. It certainly helps the scene if you’re watching it with a pretty girl too.
We didn’t see all we wanted to by any means, but we’ll be back. I’ll always be a country boy at heart, but for a while, this city stuff can be pretty cool. A nice change of pace.
