Tourist Information for Leavenworth, WA

The new publication from Washington tourism, Scenic Byways & Road Trips, is a a full color, full-sized travel guide, now available from ExperienceWA. Washington State is unique in its diversity. Travel from the Mountains to the Sound or take any of the mountain pass greenways and byways. Travel a coastal byway or be mesmerized by the rolling hills of the Palouse Scenic Byway.

The travel guide includes State Scenic Byways, National Scenic Byways and All American Roads. To be designated a National Scenic Byway by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, a route must not only have natural beauty and breathtaking vistas, but also must demonstrate varied historical, cultural, archeological and recreational qualities. Beyond the designation of National Scenic Byway (of which there are five in Washington State) a byway can be further set apart as an All American Road.

An All American Road is named such when it’s determined that no other road exists like it and it is scenic enough to be a destination in and of itself. Two of the 31 designated All American Roads are in Washington State. These are: Chinook Pass Scenic Byway and the International Selkirk Loop.

The Stevens Pass Greenway is a designated National Scenic Byway and is a part of the Cascade Loop Scenic Byway. Leavenworth is at the heart of both routes. We have traveled the Cascade Loop and use the Stevens Pass Greenway often. The Stevens Pass Greenway follows the route of the old Great Northern Railway. It follows closely the routes of the Skykomish and Wenatchee rivers. Along the route you’ll find small communities, waterfalls, and day hike trails. The planner lists the drive-time for the greenway as 2 hours for a 90 mile stretch. There are a number of roadside produce stands, orchards and wineries and vineyards along the drive. You can also download a pdf of a Leavenworth itinerary at Savor Washington, the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s Culinary AgriTourism program.

The 440 mile Cascade Loop is described as, “a love letter to Washington.” It follows the Columbia River to Lake Chelan, treks through Winthrop and the Methow Valley. You’ll find amazing mountain views and journey right down to the Puget Sound at Whidbey Island. Our choice would be to start and end in Leavenworth. Visit the Cascade Loop Association for more information on the communities along the route.

The Cascade Loop is also home to a series of electric-car fast-charging stations. Read more about the Plug-in Stations and the first of the stations installed at Stevens Pass.

Washington State Scenic Byways & Road Trips is a great resource. Send for the free publication, or download the pdf if you’re not into the paper thing, and get all kinds of ideas for road trips and weekend getaways. Make Leavenworth your home base and explore Washington State and all of its beauty and diversity.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 24th, 2011 at 10:00 am and is filed under road trip. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.