Just a few miles west of smack-dab center Washington lies perhaps the most unusual stop of my month-long road trip from Pennsylvania to the Pacific.  A significant part of the wonder of Leavenworth, however, is directly connected to the otherworldly three-hour drive to get there.

The Silent Wonder of Central Washington

In the fairly early hours of a warm July morning, I left the relaxing comfort of my best friend’s ranch in Eastern Washington and turned the car west.  (Missed my High-Mileage Friendship post?  Here it is!) 

The landscape quickly changed to some of the most desolate land I would encounter on my entire trip.  Smoky skies from semi-close forest fires lowered the ceiling on my endless views of flat miles upon miles of hay and wheat, occasionally broken up by mesmerizing swirls of dust.  It all morphed together to mingle into gray at the horizon. The day was otherwise still and warm, though the skies gave the impression of much hotter temperatures.

I have learned much on this adventure, including daily confirmation that America the Beautiful is covered infinitely more by forests and fields than buildings and people.  This day proved that in spades.  Yes, the occasional dot-on-the-map town, always with an interestingly themed stand-alone drive-through coffee stand. (I dare you to find a Pacific Northwest town without one.) But for the vast majority of the drive, the silent world of hay and wheat fields rolled on endlessly in front of me, eventually evolving into bluffs before finally giving way to the flowing waters of the Columbia River, making its way steadily to the Pacific.

The Farmer Community Hall gives “middle of nowhere” new perspective.

Not My Neighbor’s Cherry Orchards!

Growing up in the mountains of Central PA, cherry orchards were an ever-present part of the landscape.  In late June and early July, the branches of the old trees hang low with their sweet and sour goodness, layered on the greenest hillsides and valley I know.

As I drove along the Columbia River, I was suddenly struck by vast and lush cherry orchards sprawling out in the flats beside me, not on the slopes.  The desolate hills of the earlier part of my drive clung to the scenery, though, and provided an odd backdrop to the greens of the orchard.  Further along, snow-capped peaks framed the scene, adding yet another layer of bizarre to something which initially seemed familiar.

While not at all the focus of this day, the drive to my destination revealed plenty of wonder all on its own.  Get off the highways, people.  There is much to love about the secondary and back roads of America.

But . . . the destination!  I had been looking forward to this for a long while.  Let me tell you about Leavenworth, Washington.  This town claims one of the most dramatic revitalization ventures in US history.

How it Started – 19th Century Leavenworth

“Leavenworth, originally called Icicle Flats, was first settled in about 1885 as a trading post. The first white settlers came to trade with the Wenatchi, Chinook and Yakima tribes. The native tribes had long used the confluence of the Wenatchee River and Icicle Creek as a salmon fishery and hunting ground.”  Accidental Bavarian

The gold rush brought hunters and traders to the area in the 1860s, and settlers established a trading post a few years later.  In 1893, the railway was completed and the town, no longer Icicle Flats but Leavenworth, became a vaunted timber center, boasting one of the largest sawmills in the country.

The town thrived and grew to 700 residents until the Great Northern Railway redirected its tracks through safer and less snow-covered terrain, forcing lumber yards out of business .  The town quickly converted from boom to ghost town by the end of the 1920s.

How it’s Going – Leavenworth’s Miraculous Comeback

To avoid permanent extinction, in 1965 a group of town leaders (few as they may have been!) determined to rebrand Leavenworth and transform it into a destination for vacationers.  Their inspiration?  The gorgeous mountains that provided an Alpine-like backdrop to the little town.

The result?  A proposal to turn the dead lumber and rail town into a Bavarian village, complete with year-round festivals and lederhosen.  Their idea proved brilliant, and modern visitors all benefit by an idea initially scoffed at over half a century ago.  It’s a fascinating story and well-documented if you’d like to know more. 

Leavenworth’s Modern Wonders

For my part, I enjoyed my two days in town, which I could have happily stretched to three or four.  In the summer, the town is vibrant in every way.  Each colorful façade proudly displays magnificent flower boxes, entertaining murals and smells that beckon you in with all things Bavarian.  Pretzels, beer, schnitzel, sausage, dumplings – it’s all there.  And wine!  While wine-tasting with Lexi the Golden wasn’t a real possibility, I wouldn’t mind at all heading back for their annual September Wine Walk.  The colorful downtown boasts tasting rooms galore.

Somehow Leavenworth manages to fall just short of Disney-esque.  It very well may have to do with the 9,000+ foot peaks of the Wenatchee and Stuart Mountain ranges that watch over the town.  Or the sheer clear beauty of the Wenatchee River running along the edge of the Waterfront Park.  Both were on full display during my July visit.

In winter, the town transforms into a Christmas wonderland, with wonderful skiing and other winter sports in plentiful supply.  Friends who have visited claim winter provides a completely different vibe, though no fewer numbers of beer gardens to enjoy!  I especially loved München Haus.  Very quaint, with a fun garden atmosphere, and super tasty pretzels.  I’m not a beer girl, but I had a pretty good glass of chardonnay!

And the flowers!  Everything grows bigger in the Pacific Northwest.  Hydrangea blooms as big as my head, and brightly colored hanging baskets seeming as large as a small planet.   All of this proved a cheerful contrast to the hours of driving through the bleak terrain of the drive here.

LOGE Camps = Super Cool Lodgings

I’d love to brag a bit on my lodgings in Leavenworth.  I stumbled on a pretty wonderful little hotel chain with a unique business plan.  LOGE Camps Downtown Leavenworth definitely got my attention.  While I spent many a night camping on this trip, I decided early in the planning stages that Leavenworth would be a place to spoil myself a bit.  I found LOGE on hotels.com but didn’t appreciate the concept until I settled into my room.  One of six total properties across the Pacific Northwest (2 actually in Leavenworth!), the downtown location was a clean, sleek whitewashed 2-story building perched on the heights between the Wenatchee River and the rest of downtown.  And not a “camp” at all!

LOGE is extremely dog-friendly (their onsite brewery is called the “Doghaus”), and check-in was all via phone.  Need a real person?  The hip “Iconoclast Café” served as a pseudo front desk if you needed anything.  My room was COOL.  Hammock hanging from the ceiling, cooler in the corner next to the ski boot warmers.  On the wall – tumblers, hats, headlamps, and koozies, and so much more.  On the bed – a Rumpl blanket and phone chargers.  The hook?  Use any of it at your leisure during your stay.  If you want to keep anything, go for it!  They’ll bill you.  Brilliant business model.  Great branding on everything as well.

Downstairs I found enough LOGE logo’ed shirts, jackets, vests and quarter-zips for all the cool kids to buy, and plenty of space to spread out and get work done.  After we checked out, I spent a few hours working in the common area, Lexi the Golden lounging at my feet.  We could’ve stayed longer.  I’ll be writing a full piece on LOGE down the road a bit.  Can’t wait to share more about them!

The Best of the Rest of Leavenworth

One of the marks of a great experience in a small town is when I struggle to pare down the stories I could tell.  And I do have stories!  Too many for this space, sadly.  Another gauge is the people.  I found the people of Leavenworth to be friendly, and genuinely happy to engage with visitors.

A favorite moment was meeting Linda Harvey, proprietor of Simply Just 4 U, a lovely little shop full of especially cute clothes, hats, candles and the like.  She was darling, we hit it off quickly, and Lexi was happy to be invited in to visit as well.  Linda clearly loved her shop, people, and Jesus, and was eager to talk about all three.  A native of the northwest town of Lynden, she bubbled over with interesting ideas and tales of people to meet and places to visit.  By the time I walked out the door with my new hat and candles, I had made a friend and added Lynden to my itinerary.  A productive morning!

Sad as I was to leave, Lexi and I would move on to spend the afternoon hiking along magnificent Icicle Creek.  No room for now to chat about our amazing outdoor adventures in and around town.  Wow.  I’ll do my best next post to do it justice, and help you truly “see” it along with me. 

For now, Leavenworth, I’ll be back!

Come Along!

To stay up-to-date with our adventure, head over to Facebook and like Just Being Bing. I’ll post each update there as well as on my website.

As you can imagine, traveling for an extended period of time takes a lot of planning and preparation, and I love the planning!  Once we’re on the road though, there’s room for all kinds of twists and turns in our travel.  I love so many of the unexpected moments of our trips.

There’s also a ton of prayer involved – both as part of the planning, and when we are on the road.  If you’d like to pray for me (and Lexi!) while we are adventuring, we would be grateful.  I’ll share a few specifics in my updates.  Thank you!

Maybe we will see you Around the Bend!