Visit To Leavenworth

My summers are really busy with bees, garden, etc...which means I don't have time to go on a vacation during those months. Now that the summer season is winding down I have a chance to get away and relax. The husbeast and I decided to make a day trip to Leavenworth, WA.

This has long been one of our family's favorite places to visit. When the kids were small they loved to get an ice cream at one of the shops and then visit the toy store where they could each pick out a souvenir. For me, a visit to Leavenworth reminds me of Deutschland, a place where I lived for nearly 3 years in my late teens. Leavenworth is located on the eastern side of the Cascade Range, the mountains that separate western and eastern Washington. We often plan our trips for the early fall so we can enjoy viewing the colorful foliage during the drive. Unfortunately our state has been experiencing a severe drought this summer and there is currently a wildfire, caused by lightening strikes, burning not too far from our destination. We decided to head up anyway, and take advantage of the diminished crowds. There is always some type of festival happening and the town can be incredibly crowded. This time it was worth inhaling a bit of smoke to have the place to ourselves. When we arrived there was an art show taking place. I purchased this print of honey bees on apple blossoms.

We wandered over to 'A Matter of Taste' to pick up some legendary Champagne Honey Mustard. This shop is easy to find as it is located directly under the clock.

This plaque caught my eye and drew me into another of the many shops that line the sidewalks. I "need" this to hang above my computer.

As I was paying for this I commented on the awesome hoodie jacket the shop owner was wearing. Of course she also had those for sale and I bought one which I will wear to the October pipe club meeting. All of this shopping was making us thirsty so we made our way over to a beer garden for an IPA and a snack. This is the view from our perch.

Then the husbeast found a quiet spot to enjoy a pipe.

We wandered (and I shopped) some more. Leavenworth has plenty of touristy buying opportunities. Something for absolutely everyone. I found a necklace for my rear view mirror.

And the husbeast bought me a lovely peace sign necklace for my own neck, with inlaid abalone shell. Here is some of the scenery we enjoyed on our walk.

Soon it was time for dinner. We decided on Cafe Mozart, a place we had not yet tried. We were pleasantly surprised. It is one of the nicer looking restaurants on Leavenworth.

The food was better than the other places, too. My sauerbraten was a tad on the dry side but Rick's snitzel with wild mushroom sauce was amazing. They also poured a very generous glass of wine which is always much appreciated by yours truly. Once we were finished eating, and ventured back outside, we noticed that the smokey haze was increasing.

It did not photograph well but the sun in this picture was actually a bright salmon orange. We felt it was time to high tail it out of there. As we were leaving we noticed this sign for the Salmon Festival (happening this weekend) which gave us a giggle.

The artwork is adorable but read the fine print.

Someone neglected their proofreading duties. I doubt there is a National Fish Hatery in Leavenwoth. LOL!