Wrapping Up the Day

The stalls are empty and the gawking tourists have all headed back to their hotel rooms. The fish has been put away and there is no longer salmon flying from one end of Pike Place Fish Market to the other. Considering this is one of Seattle's most famous tourist attractions, it is eerily silent and abandoned. We had driven straight here from Oregon, but had not arrived early enough to see the daily festivities. So we took our time and looked around before getting back on the road and heading north.

One of the only guys left was on the other side of a gate which notified us to the off-limits areas of the market. I assume he was a security guard, most likely recovering from a day of watching for shoplifters and answering pesky directional questions of lost tourists. For the first time all day long, he wasn't surrounded by people and was able to simply look out at the water. The allure of the market had faded a long time ago, becoming a regular part of his day as opposed to fun stop during vacation. Sure there are thousands of people who travel to visit his workplace every year, but to him it is good to know his shift is about over and his tourism filled day is about to be over.

Wrapping Up the Day, Seattle, WA