Leavenworth, WA

Sing with me: “Dashing through the snow, in a one (two?) horse open sleigh, o’re the fields we go, laughing all the way!” 

Have you ever flown across the snow on a sleigh ride? My family and I took our very first sleigh ride on our winter trip to Leavenworth, Washington. It left us giddy and exhilarated.

We rang in the 2019 New Year in Leavenworth. The whole experience screamed picture perfect Hallmark movie.  The entire downtown glowed with Christmas lights. Quaint little shops offered unique treats and outdoor opportunities in the glistening snow abounded.

Army folks don’t confuse Leavenworth, Washington with Leavenworth, Kansas. This Leavenworth, nestled in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State, offers oodles of Bavarian charm and hospitality.

A Spectacular Detour 

Prior to our New Year trip, I’d gotten a little taste of Leavenworth.  At my request, my family took me to this quaint alpine town for Mother’s Day.  Technically we stopped on “the way” to a family member’s home in Yakima.  No, it is not really on the way, but it was worth the detour.  

That day we walked the little trails next to the Wenatchee River where we enjoyed the quiet rush of the water and the lush green growth of spring. We road our bikes and enjoyed Enchantment Park’s pump park for the boys who were six and eight at the time. This gem burned steam for my active boys who probably didn’t share my enthusiasm for more time in the car just so we could picnic in a gazebo in the middle of the town.  After spending a few hours walking around town and the Waterfront Park, we had a mini picnic.  Shortly after we sat down alphorn musicians came to the gazebo to practice. We got a free concert! Hearing the alphorn was a new experience for all of the family.  That experience made our pb&js the best ever.

Have RV, Will Travel

After this little foretaste of Leavenworth, Tim and I vowed to return one day. Nearly two years later we realized our time in Washington State would be coming to an end soon.

We bought an RV about a month before the new year, so we were excited to pull it into the Cascade Mountain range. We picked the Okanogan – Wenatchee National Forest for our inaugural trip. 

In Washington State, there is a wet side of the mountain and a dry side. We lived on the wet side--nine months of clouds and drippiness. Winter can feel long, especially to this heliotrope! 

In the winter, the dry side of the mountain gets snow or beautiful, life-giving sunshine that warms the skin and gives a lovely glow to the soul. I like the dry (east) side of the mountain, so that’s where we headed.

As we ascended the Cascades from the dank, gray west side, the tall fir trees started to resemble old men with fuzzy, white beards. At the ridge the trees opened up revealing mountains completely covered in powdery, fluffy snow. It looked like a white, welcoming blanket covered the peaks.  

Once we arrived at the Alpine View RV Park, the boys threw themselves into sledding down a little hill adjacent to our RV. Later we strolled into the village (an easy walk). Christmas lights blazed on every store front, roof top and even the town square. 

The hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping was finished, but all of the cute shops remained open for browsing.  We saw everything from a Christmas store to a music box store.  We found plenty of food too from a chocolatier to a specialty cheese business.

Our favorite winery shop offered tasting. The boys were given chalk to draw on the floor while we sampled wine. We purchased a bottle to drink with our dinner that night as we celebrated the New Year back at the RV. But there were plenty of pubs and restaurants in the village we could have chosen for our celebration. 

Dashing Through the Snow

We saved money on meals by eating in the RV so we could spend a little more on a bucket list experience --a sleigh ride! 

I loved this part of our adventure. We drove about 20 minutes from town to Red Tail Canyon, arriving late in the afternoon.  From our spot in the lodge next to the wood-burning stove, we watched the group ahead of us on their ride.

Once it was our turn, we climbed into the sleigh and huddled under cozy blankets. Within minutes we were off on our sleigh ride. There is a reason the song says “laughing all the way” – the joy from speeding along on a quiet of a blanket of snow and listening to sleigh bells ring made us all giddy. Once we finished our 30-minute ride, we thawed out in the lodge at the near stove with hot cocoa. It was truly a heartwarming experience. 

We returned to the village and discovered the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum just in time before it closed. While a little rushed, we enjoyed seeing all of the different sizes and types of Nutcrackers. Bonus! It was free to military families.

New Year’s Day Snowshoeing

We do New Year’s Eve pretty low key, so we turned in at 2100.  But that was a good idea.  The next morning, we took a Ranger-guided snowshoeing hike near Lake Wenatchee.

We had been snowshoeing before, so I knew that if I just kept moving, I’d stay warm. For better or worse, New Year’s Day 2019 was abnormally warm (as in, not freezing). While I was warm, the conditions didn’t make for the best snowshoeing. We mostly “ice”shoed, but the sunshine and wintry wonder of the mountain lake overshadowed the weather. The lake perfectly reflected the mountains as if it were a mirror. 

The rangers peppered our tour with information about the natural wonders of the area.  They gave us fascinating tidbits about the wildlife and land: what it means when the woodpeckers hammer on only one side of a tree, what animals follow which paths and the history of the area as a recreation site. 

We kept a pleasant pace: fast enough to stay warm and slow enough to investigate our surroundings.  For the first time I looked at ice crystals close up. Those trees really did grow fuzzy beards! 

Our snowshoe hike wrapped up our time in Leavenworth.  Real life called us back to the wet side of the mountains. We took with us fun memories of this winter wonderland along with four tired bodies.

As we left we may have sung, “Dashing through the snow, in a jeep pulling an RV, o’re the mount’s we go, tired all are we!”

Closest Military Installations

MWR Locations Nearby

If You Go:

• We liked Alpine View RV park in Leavenworth. There are plenty of RV parks to choose from. We wanted one that was in walking distance to town. We made reservations in October, which was almost too late. Make your plans as soon as possible.

• There are many hotels and inns in the town. The Bavarian Lodge is the centerpiece of the town.

• If you want to go for a sleigh ride, Red Tail Canyon is where we went. There are several places in the area that provide horse-drawn sleigh rides. 

• We experienced Leavenworth during the winter. But leavenworth.org provides great information about the other seasons during the year.

• Rangers at the Wenatchee River Ranger Station provide great information about seasonal outdoor activities.  Contact them at  509-548-2550 or stop by 600 Sherbourne St., Leavenworth, WA 98826

• In case you are picking family up from the airport on your way, SEA-TAC is 2.5 hr from Leavenworth.

• Sadly, Covid mitigations are in full swing in Washington State. Please call ahead to find out what businesses are still open.