One of the first things we always do on a home exchange is go to the grocery store. I never write about it, although I always find it interesting since it’s an insight into the local culture and you get to rub elbows with the natives (you rarely find tourists in grocery stores). But, I have to say that I’ve never been inside a grocery store like the one we visited on our first day here in Ballard, the Central Market.

It’s like a high-end Home Depot for food. The place is huge and their selection of foodstuffs is unsurpassed in my experience. We could have spent hours wandering the aisles. The produce section alone is nearly half the size of our neighborhood Winn-Dixie and Publix.

And since our kids and their significant others are mostly “foodies,” I had to post these photos for them. Mmmm, Asian Pears.

Displaying vegetables and fruits here in Ballard has reached the level of art form.

After dropping off our provisions back at the house, we spent the afternoon reconnoitering along the eastern shore of Puget Sound, north of Ballard, turning around at Everett, then skirting the foothills of the Cascade Range on our return. There’s lots to do and see in these parts.