People believe that it rains much in Washington State. But that only applies to the western part of the state. The eastern part gets much more snow than rain.

One day I missed the snow, so we went to Leavenworth, a Quaint German Village located in central Washington, known for much snow in the winter time. We went there with high expectations since I heard that Leavenworth was especially beautiful at night during winter.  

As a matter of fact, I used to visit Leavenworth several times in seasons other than winter, and this was the first time to visit there in winter. When I visited Leavenworth the first time, I had real high expectations for it, but I ended up really disappointed when I arrived there.

I wondered if Leavenworth was popular because of the different weather from western Washington State. I also heard that many people come here during the summer for fresh fruits at a low price from nearby orchards. Anyway, even if I was disappointed at Leavenworth so far, I was curious what it would be like during the winter, since I’ve never seen it in winter.

The town of Leavenworth is easily accessible from the west coast via US-2. The drive through the Cascades has been voted as one of the most scenic drives in America.

Leavenworth

Leavenworth has snow-capped mountains as a backdrop and offers adventures for visitors during all 4 seasons. The wide surrounding area provides outdoor enthusiasts with a wilderness ready for hiking, biking, rock climbing, and other activities.

During the summer, escape the heat on a river-rafting day trip or take a wine-tasting tour. In July, the Leavenworth Summer Theater offers two outdoor and one indoor summer productions. Visitors can watch the sun set against the mountain peaks as theater performers entertain.

During the winter, the romantic snowy wonderland invites visitors of all ages with sleigh rides, dog sledding, alpine skiing, cross country skiing, and snow shoeing. Those looking to stay warm can sip hot chocolate and wander around downtown shops while enjoying specialty cheeses, chocolates, and wines.

During the spring, new flowers and a fresh harvest come to this lovely area. Leavenworth has several rivers, creeks, and lakes, offering some of the state’s best fly fishing for sockeye salmon, bass, yellow perch, kokanee, and several species of trout. Other activities include hiking and rafting.

I heard that Leavenworth is so crowded around the Christmas season that visitors will have a hard time to even find a parking spot. Since we were visiting during a weekday, we hoped that there would not be too many people. But to my surprise, Leavenworth was filled with people and snow. It looked like many people came as a whole family trip and they were busy riding sleds on the snow covered hills. 

Since I heard that the night scene is pretty here, we decided to stay longer. So we went to have dinner. Dinner was not too bad even though there was nothing special about it, just like the meals that I can get where I live. I regret that I did not get to taste German beer though.

When the lights went on, things looked better, so I hurried to take some pictures to leave before encountering too much snow.

It snowed much on the way to home, but we arrived without any issue. It was a difficult trip with the snow, but traveling always provides energy in life for us.

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*This posting was translated from a Korean post. Click here to read the original version.