Weather wise Tuesday & Wednesday were a perfect 10 from start to finish. Long post tonight with lots of pictures.
Tuesday
We drove from Richland to Yakima for a stop at Costco for gas and wine. Then on to Ellenburg with a stop along I-84 to view the Cascades in the distance from a viewpoint on I-82.
We stopped in Ellenburg mainly to grab some lunch. So as we were driving donw the main street, Elaine noticed something and told me to circle back down a side street. There at the corner of 1st and Pearl streets we found Dick and Jayne’s Spot. Wow. They actually live here. You cannot go in, but the outside is a fantastic . . . . something. Dick & Jane’s Spot is dedicated to the philosophy that “one hearty laugh is worth ten trips to the doctor.” Pictures may not do it justice, but here they are: Lunch was fantastic – a Taco Truck where we both had Super Burritos (mine with carne asada anbd Elaine’s with carne adovada; And Mexican Coca Cola made with real cane sugar)
Click on the galleries below to bring up scrollable windows with full size pictures – the gallery previews show just thumbnails of the pictures
In Leavenworth we checked into the Bavarian Lodge form our two-night stay. It’a a lovely hotel right in the center of town. Our room is large with both a fireplace (gas) and balcony.
Leavenworth is an inspiring story about a town that reinvented itself. When it lost its railway and timber industries, Leavenworth became a town in decline. In the 1980’s it took the plunge to dedicate itself to tourism for the future. With mountainous countryside resembling Bavaria in Germany, it remodeled itself as a Bavarian alpine village (think Garmisch or Berchesgaden) Atter lots of research, changing building codes, and reconstruction, Leavenworth now looks the part. Both businesses and residents have totally embraced the concept. Houses look Bavarian. Starbucks looks Bavarian. McDonald’s looks Bavarian. It’s now an upscale shopping and eating and drinking mecca. Population is about 2,200. It’s a very enjoyable place for a two-day visit. And it has a nutcracker museum!
We stopped at an outdoor beer garden for some refreshments.
Dinner was at a good German restaurant, Andreas Keller, one of dozens in town, but this one is clearly the most popular. Elaine had a delicious schnitzel with potato salad and I had a schnitzel cordon blue with spätzle. All very yummy and authentic. Oddly the house red wine, which we had, was from Bordeaux. After dinner we had ice cream cones at Cold Stone Creamery (which, yes, looked Bavarian).
Wednesday
An Early Morning Walk Around Leavenworth
A Drive to Tumwater Dam and Lake Wenatchee
The Nutcracker Museum
Thought you’d seen everything. Here are over 7,000 nutcrackers and a 17 minute video on their history, all presided over by the mid-90’s collector and founder. Their web page is here.
This post took forever to upload. Great hotel but slooooooow wi fi. Tomorrow morning we leave for five nights in Couer d”Alene, Idaho. Next post from there.
Well, you guys are on a Pacific northwest adventure. Thought you were going to confine yourselves to Oregon. Should have known better. This post is a cornucopia of gorgeous views of the area – spectacular, and so glad to see you Both in many of the shots. Quite a mishmash of Bavarian Kitch mixed in! Now you know what the CA developers’ idea of a Swiss village in the McDowell Mountains might have looked like- OY! Really enjoying looking at all these photos.
What great pictures and stories. I had to have a third cup of coffee to get it all in.
As for the Nutcracker Museum, noch ein bier bitte. Although I loved the Red Sox nutcracker.