The Accidental Bavarian Leavenworthy Blog

A Taste of Bavarian Spring

March 6th, 2012

The Gazebo in springtime

It’s March already and spring is only a few short days away. (Don’t forget to “Spring Forward” this coming Saturday night!) You know what they say, in spring a young girl’s heart turns to…Leavenworth! The snow will soon be melting, the river ice will break up and the wildflowers will begin to bloom again. Spring is a wonderful time to visit Leavenworth, and the village has a new festival to say goodbye to Old Man Winter and welcome the beautiful new season. April is now the month to celebrate Springtime with A Taste of Spring. Begin with a March 31 Front Street Festival filled with complimentary tastings such as locally grown pears, Bavarian taste treats, pear-infused olive oil, artisan chocolate, locally crafted beer and cured meats and gourmet cheese. There will also be street performances and an international marketplace.

For more information on this festival and activities throughout the month of April (including lodging and restaurant promotions) visit the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce website and our own front page. We publish an ever-growing and ever-changing list of events and activities right on our front page.

Traditional Folk Dancers

Also in April look for Leavenworth Choral Festival and the Ale-Fest. Check our Festivals page for dates and links.

In May visit Leavenworth for Maifest, May 11-13. There will be all sorts of family-oriented activities, a parade featuring horse-drawn wagons and Bernese Mountain Dogs, folk dancers and the traditional Maipole. The beautiful Riverfront Park is a wonderful place for a quiet walk with your family. Leavenworth in May is a wonderful way to celebrate the arrival of spring and Mother’s Day.

The weekend after Maifest visit Leavenworth for the 10th annual Spring Bird Fest, where you’re invited to “Celebrate Birdsong and Explore the Natural World.” Events include guided birding field trips, guided wildflower viewing, art events and family activities. Birders of all skill levels are invited. Visit the Bird Fest website to pre-register for activities.

Whichever weekend you make your visit to Leavenworth this spring, make sure you plan plenty of free time to Shop, Eat and Play in the beautiful Bavarian style village. For lodging options and links to hotels, cabins and bed and breakfast inns, visit our Stay page.

Wildflowers on Blackbird Island

The Wenatchee River from Blackbird Island

Posted in Leavenworth, Maifest | 2 Comments »

Leavenworthy Leavenworth

January 21st, 2012

Flags flying in Leavenworth

We love Leavenworth! Sorry if you think we’re beating a dead horse over here, but them’s the facts, ma’am. We’ve had loads of people ask us, “Why do you love Leavenworth so much?” That question can be answered in so many ways. Here are just a few:

We love the mountains. We live on the edge of the mountainous region of Eastern Washington. We love our home in the Spokane area, but when we travel west we feel truly at home as we pass through the sage land of the Columbia Basin and then up Highway 2 to the Eastern Slope of the Cascade Mountains. Leavenworth is nestled in those mountains. We breathe easier and relax the longer we’re there.

December sunset in the Cascade Mountains

Leavenworth is familiar to us. Having visited many times over three decades we know it, and we’re homebodies at heart. And yet, for all its familiarity, we never cease to discover new places and experiences that often become new favorites. This past Christmas season we “discovered” the Living Nativity program at Leavenworth Church of the Nazarene. It was an impressive program and the church folks hosting it were warm and friendly. We’ll make sure we go again. You can read all about it in a previous post.

We enjoy the people of Leavenworth. There are many people we have made the acquaintance of, and enjoy visiting with. The fine folk at the Chamber of Commerce are always friendly and a wealth of information about what’s happening in Leavenworth. They man the visitor center seven days a week. Stop in for a cup of coffee and find out what’s happening and what’s new in town. And for more of what’s really happening in Leavenworth, we stop at the Black Swan T-shirt and novelty shop. We talk with Karen Folden if she’s in (and she usually is.) She’s such a trove of information that her business cards bill her as “Miss Information.” And we always stop at the Fudge Hut for fudge.

We like shopping in Leavenworth, supporting their local economy. There are shops we would never dream of missing in Leavenworth. The Cheesemongers Shop is one. The Cheesemongers Shop moved in 2008 to a much bigger shop and now offers many more cheeses and meats that ever before. But what brings us back to the shop is the friendly and knowledgable service. The shop is always staffed with bright and enthusiastic young people who never fail to greet each and every customer and offer samples right off the bat. We have favorite cheeses we buy every visit, like Vintage Gouda, smoked Gouda, horseradish cheddar and fruit studded Stiltons. We enjoy trying new cheeses and perusing the shop filled with cheese related products, imported and local wine and beer, and picnic accoutrements. A new place we love stopping at is the Oil & Vinegar Cellar in The Cheesemonger’s old digs. This year we shipped some of Taelor’s flavor infused oils and vinegars for Christmas gifts. They’re delicious.

With all these things to love about Leavenworth how do we pick who or what deserves our designation of Leavenworthy? To see what we’ve named Leavenworthy in the past click here. We look for businesses, individuals, organizations or events that are extra cool, provide outstanding and friendly customer service or go above and beyond in representing the best of Leavenworth. This time around, we’re naming The Cheesemonger’s Shop “Leavenworthy. We’ve been shopping there for many years and wouldn’t dream of traveling to or through Leavenworth without stopping. If we’re having a a picnic we stop for sliced meats and cheeses and refreshing drinks. But most of all they’re Leavenworthy because they’re a locally owned business, providing world-class gourmet product, with fantastic small-town service. Shop at The Cheesemonger’s Shop for imported and domestic cheese, cured meat and Bavarian products like stollen, sauerkraut, cookies and mustard.

The Cheesemonger's Shop on Front Street

What do you love about Leavenworth? Got any recommendations for a future designation of “Leavenworthy”? We’re always looking for input from our readers and fans of Leavenworth.

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Romantic Leavenworth

January 14th, 2012

The lights in Leavenworth add to the romantic atmosphere all through February

A year ago we published this post reminding you all to book your Valentine’s Day Romantic weekend. It’s that time of year once again. Valentine’s Day is one month away. Check out last year’s post for lots of ideas. Valentine’s Day falls on Tuesday in 2012. All of the recommendations we made last year are still valid, but we have a few more to add. As of today there’s a lot of open availability. Book a romance package and wow your sweetheart.

Romance is an everyday affair for us whenever we visit Leavenworth. Winter months are especially lovely. The Christmas lights are still up in the village. Evenings are a wonderful time to stroll Front Street. Leavenworth is full of couples celebrating their love.

A new bed and breakfast in Leavenworth, Wenatchee River Lodge, is a supremely romantic place to stay. The bed we slept in was the most comfortable bed I think I’ve ever slept in in an inn anywhere. Our room, the Aspen, had a fireplace and a jetted tub. It’s off the beaten path, only a mile from town, but at the end of a dead end road, so very quiet except for the sound of the river rushing by only feet away. Read all about our stay there.

Make reservations at Viscontis Italian Restaurant for a romantic dinner. We enjoyed our lunch there, sitting at a window table, with snow falling.

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Favorite food in Leavenworth

January 4th, 2012

Rouladen with Spaetzle and Rotkraut at King Ludwig’s

One of our favorite things to do in Leavenworth is eat. We start talking about our favorite places to eat long before we go and about new places we want to try before we arrive. Of course we have several old favorites, so trying new places is always a challenge. On our most recent trip we tried several new places. Here are some of our favorites. Perhaps we’ll inspire you to try something new or revisit an old favorite.

We love German food in Leavenworth. You can get sausage samplers in almost any restaurants. The sausage bites at Rudloofs Pizza are good, made with locally made sausages and housemade sauerkraut. This trip we tried two German entrees at King Ludwig’s.

King Ludwig’s Kassler Rippchen-Smoked Pork chop with seasoned potatoes, rotkraut and sauerkraut

We especially enjoy the German food and Bavarian atmosphere of Andreas Keller. The sausage sampler is very good here. You’ll find them downstairs. There is an elevator for accessibility.

Andreas Keller-German Food

Prime Rib special at JJ Hills Fresh Grill

We spent Christmas Eve dining at JJ Hills Fresh Grill.

London Broil with creamy garlic mashed potatoes at JJ Hills

Our Christmas Day dinner was at Kingfisher Lodge at Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort where the very friendly and attentive staff served up extensive salad and dessert bars, wild mushroom soup, mushroom ravioli, tender sliced steak with onions and au jus, and poached fish.

Olive bar at Kingfisher Lodge, Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort

Dessert Buffet at Kingfisher Lodge

We always stop at SOUTH. Its great fresh Mexican menu is a nice break from brats and kraut.

SOUTH Fresh Mexican

Tortilla Chips with Salsas: Mole, Fresca, Guacamole

Enchilada Mole at SOUTH

SOUTH has delicious salsas and guacamole

Tacos al Pastor at SOUTH is Renae’s favorite taco

For fresh fudge and yummy baked treats we always stop in at Fudge Hut. Our favorite fudge flavors include amaretto, pistachio, maple, rum raisin, and peanut butter and chocolate. You can also get your espresso fix there, too.

Twice baked almond croissant from Bakery Creations

Posted in Eat, German food | 1 Comment »

Bed and Breakfast Experience

December 31st, 2011

Welcome to Wenatchee River Lodge

Our recent trip to Leavenworth was filled with many first-time experiences. Our first Christmas in Leavenworth; first time eating at King Ludwig’s, Viscontis Italian Restaurant, or Sleeping Lady Resort; and first time staying at a bed and breakfast inn.

UPDATE: The Wenatchee River Lodge was recently purchased, updated and shined up (it was looking pretty good before!) and relaunched as The Grand River Lodge.

We met Don and Mary Morse earlier this year at a Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce meeting. We sat at their table and they welcomed us to our first meeting, asking all about our website. In the months that followed they told us about the lodge that they were converting to a bed and breakfast inn and asked us to come stay with them on our next visit to Leavenworth. When we decided to spend our Christmas weekend in our favorite place, it was natural to ask if the offer to visit was still in effect, and it was. The Morses offered us a discounted price, allowing us to stay more nights than we otherwise might have been able to afford.

The Wenatchee River Lodge is so beautiful! It’s a full log home sitting right above the river. It’s on a bend and the lodge is situated so that it feels really isolated. It’s also at the end of a long gravel lane, so traffic noises never reached us.

Don greeted us on our arrival and proudly showed us all around the lodge. From the largest suite, The Ponderosa, to the smaller suites, dining area, great room and game room, the lodge is elegantly rustic. There is a hot tub on the deck and jetted baths in several rooms. Our room, the Aspen Room, had a gas fireplace, a jetted tub, walk-in closet/dressing area, a king-sized bed and french doors opening onto the deck which looks out on the river.

We arrived pretty early in the day on Friday so we unpacked and headed just 2 miles to Leavenworth. We were eager to see the Christmas decorations and have lunch. After some shopping and saying high to some of our friends in town we went back to the lodge to relax for the evening. We brought a new game with us, Scotte shot a few tables of pool and threw some darts, then it was back to the room to enjoy a fabulous whirlpool bath.

Our Christmas Getaway

The next morning Mary and Don greeted us with a breakfast of quiche, waffles, fruit and bacon. We also observed an interesting phenomenon on the river. Don and Mary said they’d never seen it before. We all called them ice lily pads. In the river a whirlpool eddy seemed to be capturing pieces of ice and the circling action was forming them into circular ice shapes with raised edges, just like lily pads. They were fascinating to watch. I’m including some of the still photos I took of them along with some video which gives a better account than I can describe. After two mornings there the weather warmed and they were gone. I’m so glad we were there to see them.

The ice lilies formed in the Wenatchee River

We really enjoyed getting to know Don and Mary and the guests that came and went while we visited. The lodge was beautifully decorated for Christmas throughout and than made our romantic Christmas getaway even better (imagine if you will an elegantly appointed Christmas tree that YOU don’t have to put up, or put away!) We had tasty breakfasts each day served where we could look out at the river. The lodge is quiet and away from everything. My descriptions can’t do it justice, so take a look at the slide show below.

I can’t imagine a better way for us to celebrate a romantic Christmas (and our 31st anniversary) than this stay at Wenatchee River Lodge. It’s perfectly situated on the river and a little way out of the hustle and bustle of the village. If it had been warmer, we would have been tempted to sleep with our door to the deck ajar and gone to sleep lulled by the music of the river, just steps away.