Chronicle News Editor Rose Cisneros traveled to Seattle, Washington recently on her way to Oahu, Hawaii. She spent a full day soaking up the experiences Seattle has to offer. This is the first in a series.

My adventures in Seattle, Washington started off very smoothly. Until I left the airport.

As I attempted to purchase my ticket to the Light-Rail – the train that would take me to my AirBnb – I realized I didn’t have exact change for the ticket machine. I had only a $20 bill to pay for my $3 ticket.

The coin counter clinked as I received what I thought were 17 train tokens as my change.

I wouldn’t be taking the LightRail again, so I offered the tokens to the ladies in line behind me.

They politely declined, and I’m glad they did. Turns out those “train tokens” were actually $1 gold coins. I almost handed those ladies free money!

My AirBnb was only a 5-minute ride from downtown Seattle. I planned on getting settled into my room then walking to a near-by music venue to see some live music.

I laid down while my phone was charging and woke up 12 hours later. I had missed my night out, but I slept off my jet lag and was able to get an early start to my day.

The weather was perfect – 65 and sunny, very atypical for Seattle in the winter.

First on my agenda was visiting Pike Place Market.

The market opened August 17, 1907, and is one of the oldest continuously operated public farmers’ markets in the United States.

The Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority was created by the city to run the market. The PDA has strict rules vendors and farmers must follow.

The over 10 million annual visitors make the market Seattle’s most important tourist destination.

I arrived before most of the booth vendors did. I was on a mission to meet a real fishmonger.

I’d always heard about the fresh fish suppliers tossing fish and wrapping them in newspaper for their customers. I wanted to see it for myself.

I met Mike the fishmonger at the first fish stand I saw – City Fish Co. They’ve been around since 1917.

Mike graciously obliged to letting me take photos of him and his fish market.

With no customers around to buy fish yet, I continued my pursuit to find those flying fish.

I found them at Pike Place Fish Co. The guys there sang songs as they launched huge fish a good 10 feet across their market, catching and wrapping them in one smooth motion.

There I tasted heaven – salmon belly jerky. It was smoky and rich. I could live on that alone.

I joined my food tour group shortly after and was able to sample even more delicious food from the market.

I tasted locally caught smoked salmon from Pike Place Fish Co., truffle mushrooms from Truffle Queen, freshly prepared cheese from Beechers, dehydrated fruits and vegetables from Simply the Best, and chocolate covered Washington cherries from Chukar Cherries. My favorite was Ellenos Yogurt with Marion berry topping. It was just the right amount of sweet, tart and savory.

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment I spent in the market. It was a great place to sample all kinds of different foods and to see so many people enjoying the same experiences.

Next: Peering down 500 feet from the Space Needle