Wow! Two years of dreaming and planning and hoping has come to fruition. Accidentalbavarian.com is live! Scotte and I have been working on this website for many months. Thanks to Scotte’s programming skills and persistence and with friendly encouragement from The Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce we’re all set to help other unsuspecting travelers to become Accidental Bavarians themselves. Check out our hard work. And let us know what you’d like to see on the website in the future. In the meantime, Wilkommen in Leavenworth!
Wishin’ and Hopin’
September 20th, 2009Aahhhhh!
May 28th, 2009Finally. After 18 months absence we got to Leavenworth for 3 days. It was glorious. It truly feels like home for us. We saw all our old favorite places; ate German cuisine, yum; and we stayed at our favorite hotel, Enzian Inn.
As the months passed by the yearning for Leavenworth grew. We took the opportunity of holes in our schedules to make a quick trip, first to Seattle to visit our son and daughter-in-law, then to Leavenworth for some much needed relaxation time.
The Enzian Inn was running a delightful off-season special for April and May. Buy a regularly priced room and get an upgrade to a suite for no extra charge. This special came to us via email. Visit Enzian Inn to view the website and send an email to: info@enzianinn.com to sign up for their email list. Next spring perhaps you could be lucky enough to take advantage of a similar off-season special.
Our room was wonderful! I cannot express how grateful we were to see this room after hiking the hills of downtown Seattle all afternoon. We love staying at Enzian Inn. The room was elegant, comfortable and clean.The suite had a fireplace, large elegant bathroom, a bed made up in the European fashion with feather beds (down comforters) and a jetted hot tub. With a room like this who needs to leave?
But leave the room we did when our hunger got the better of us. The daily complimentary breakfast, served in the bright and sunny 4th floor Continental Room, was so yummy and a great way to start the day. I have a particular fondness for Bavarian style brown bread, dense and fragrant and slightly sweet. So good. I also enjoyed a made-to-order mushroom and cheese omelet. Scotte enjoyed house made homefries with cheese.
Breakfast was accompanied by lots of Starbucks coffee and juice. The sunny room and large tables were just the place to lay out our guide books and brochures and plan our day in Leavenworth. Large windows on three sides give outstanding views of the surrounding mountains. It’s easy to forget you’re in the Cascade Mountains rather than the Bavarian Alps.
Breakfast concluded with the second of two daily Alphorn concerts. There’s not another sound like it. Father and son owners, Bob and Rob Johnson take turns donning their lederhosen to awaken the sleepy village each morning. 
As always, the service at breakfast was super. What better way to start a fantastic spring day rediscovering Leavenworth than waking up in a beautiful suite at the Enzian Inn and filling up on good food and great company in the Continental Room.
Be sure to visit Enzian Inn to find out much more about Leavenworth’s Enzian Inn, its history, and more importantly the fantastic accommodations.
March 4th, 2009
The ceaseless susurration of the sea thrums in my heart and mind.
Ormond Beach, Florida 2009
A Family Celebration
March 3rd, 2009Scotte and I find ourselves dreaming about what it would be like to have a vacation home in Leavenworth. Now before all the real estate agents start contacting me, let me say that we are in no position in our lives to be buying a second home. We have a lot of other bill paying, financial planning, and saving, not to mention kids and grandkid to visit and a daughter to finish raising, to do before that dream becomes anything else.
In the meantime I just traveled with my daughter and sister to Ormond Beach, Florida, to celebrate my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary. We had a wonderful time. My son and his family joined us. My sister Leanne and her husband, Mike and their family hosted the weekend. We were joined by several aunts, uncles and cousins. It was a beautiful weekend. My parents felt very blessed. 
In addition to the anniversary Kaarin and I also enjoyed a day in Walt Disney World. What a blast! Kaarin (20) had never visited a Disney park (I know: terrible, deprived childhood.) It was such a pleasure watching her enchantment. We even waited in line for 30 minutes for a meet and greet with the Disney Princesses.
Just before we got to the head of the queue Kaarin asked, “Is this dumb that I want to meet the Princesses?” I told her that she couldn’t think about that, she just had to do it. Everyone deserves to be a kid once in awhile. I even let myself scream on Space Mountain.
Watching the fireworks with Mark, Bridget, Kaarin and little Gabriel was a delight.
It was a wonderful family vacation. The only things missing were Scotte and our other son and daughter-in-law. I missed them all terribly.
February 9th, 2009
Thanks for the fun game, Hilary at The Smitten Image. A game of TV trivia, Hilary posted names for supporting character and recurring characters from some of our favorite TV shows both recent and in the distant past. I can’t resist a contest.
The Smitten Image’s mention of me and my blog has given me the impetus I needed to post on this blog again. Thank you, Hilary.
It’s been a very full year. I’ll give you a quick list of what’s gone on in my life since my last post. 
In March our first grandchild was born. I had the immense privilege of, not only traveling to Norfolk to be there at the time of Gabriel William’s birth, but of actually being present in the delivery room. I’ll be forever grateful to my lovely daughter-in-law, Bridget, for allowing me to be there. Our son, Mark, and Bridget and Gabe have traveled several times back home here to Spokane in the ensuing year.
In May my husband, Scotte, and daughter, Kaarin, and took a road trip through Idaho, Montana, Utah and Colorado. 
Our eventual destination was Buena Vista, Colorado where we welcomed another addition to our family. Patricia became a member of the clan when she married our oldest son, Andrew. 
We had a wonderful time. Patricia’s parents, Dean and Sue, are phenomenal hosts at the Bible camp where they serve. I’ll write more about our time there in a later post.
Kaarin flew home from Colorado. Scotte and I drove home north, through Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. We had a lovely time with friends in Fort Collins and enjoyed a few days in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.
Both of these incredible places rank high on our list of favorite places.
Other major events this past year included: new jobs for both my husband, our daughter and myself; the passing of a favorite uncle; medical tests and procedures; visits by our east coast kids; and a move to Seattle by the newlyweds. It’s amazing at how rapidly the months flew by. It’s been a rewarding year.
The upcoming months should prove to be just as rewarding, and just as full. In the next few weeks Kaarin and I will travel to Florida to celebrate my parents’ Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary. We’ll be in the Daytona Beach area and Kaarin will get her first look at a Disney Theme Park. Mark, Bridget and Gabe will be joining us from Norfolk. We’re very excited.
I’m holding out hope that Scotte and I will make it to Leavenworth, WA in the coming few months. It truly is our favorite place. My only regret of the past year is that with job changes, the birth of our grandson, and a wedding with its required travel, we were unable to make it. Memories of past visits are fresh in my mind. Can’t wait to drive Highway 2 into the mountains above Wenatchee, through Cashmere and over the gentle rise that marks the last few hundred yards into Leavenworth.
