Leavenworth "Washington's Bavarian Village"

We took our first Washington road trip yesterday. We headed 2 1/2 hours east to the Cascade Mountain region to a little town called Leavenworth. The town was originally settled by pioneers in search of gold, furs and fertile farmland. In the early 1900's the town began to blossom with the arrival of the Great Northern Railway. This brought great opportunity for work, commerce and a new economy. Eventually, a sawmill and a healthy logging industry fell apart and for more than 30 years, Leavenworth was on the brink of extinction. In the 1960's, the leaders of the community decided to change Leavenworth's appearance, hoping to bring tourism into the area. So the community rallied and created the illusion of Bavaria in the middle of Washington. Today, more than a million visitors come to Leavenworth every year.


The drive up to Leavenworth was very scenic. The mountains are all around you and the road slowly winds up and down the mountains. There were many overlooks and views of the river.



Our first stop was the Leavenworth Wine Tasting Festival at Sleeping Lady Mountain Retreat. The grounds of the retreat were very pretty, nestled in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains and an area called Icicle Canyon. It was a beautiul day and we all enjoyed the wine, music and the surroundings.






After the wine festival, we headed to the town to take in "Bavaria". The girls noticed the horse and carriage rides so off we went.


Our fun day ended with a good German meal and ice cream and then off we went for the scenic ride home!