Visiting Leavenworth Washington

                            My time at dinner looking out at the tree lighting in Leavenworth

                                             Downtown Leavenworth during the tree lighting

 

Look at the shops in downtown Leavenworth   

 

 

 

So many places to visit in Washington state that are somewhat unique and Leavenworth is one of them. It is located in south-east area of the North Cascade Mountains. Not too far from Wenatchee. Leavenworth is a small town around the population of two thousand people. You may find on a lot occasions where there is that many people visiting on a given day.

I have known friends that visit Leavenworth any time of the year the most popular time is October through the New Year’s. What makes Leavenworth special is that the downtown area looks Bavarian so Oktoberfest is very popular along with going in early December when the trees are decorated. Besides driving by car you can get there by train or bus as well. Several years ago I went with a group of friends where we took the train from Tacoma to Leavenworth for the decorating and lighting of the tree. I found taking the train a really good way to see the area. I have driven through the area on several occasions however it is nice to go another way and get a different perspective. We spent about five hours in Leavenworth before heading back to Tacoma. I was all dressed up in my winter gear since it snowed all day. I would say the snow on the ground was about ten inches deep. Since there were twenty of us on this trip we split up into groups of four to see the sites and go Christmas shopping. They have a lot of small shops that you can get gifts that you may not get anywhere else in Washington State. During the lighting of the trees I had dinner in one of the small restaurants that looked out where we could see what was going on. I had a traditional German dinner that you can find very little anywhere else in Washington. After the dinner we walked around the downtown area to see what was going on with the festivities. The people of Leavenworth really make it a grand time including wearing Bavarian costumes.

We took the late train back to Tacoma and I arrived home in the early morning. I found it an experience that I look forward to repeating in the future. Although I went shopping in the gift shops I only brought home a few gifts but still a great place to see things.

An early experience my family and my brother-in-law family we decided to spend Christmas in Leavenworth. Most years we went to his parents’ home for Christmas while they came for Thanksgiving however that year we decided that we wanted to do something different. It actually was my first visit to Leavenworth. On that occasion we drove to Leavenworth. We spent a couple days in Leavenworth exploring the area. I enjoyed the experience because it is one of the few times I got to have a white Christmas. In Gig Harbor we never have a white Christmas though we have had snow some days after.

I believe any visitor coming to the Seattle area they should visit Mt. Rainier they need to take a day and visit Leavenworth as well. There are hotels that you can stay over in as well. Most likely you will find fellow visitors from all over the world just like in Seattle. Be sure to come this time of the year especially during the holiday season.