Several years ago I had the opportunity to spend a couple of
days in Leavenworth, not the prison, but a small resort town in central
Washington. At one time Leavenworth was a declining lumber town, and as the end
neared, the residents got together and came up with a creative plan. The tuned
the place into a Bavarian Village look a like. After a while the tourists came
to the town, which is ringed, by beautiful mountains. The Wenatchee River runs
through the town.
When I first saw the town, I wasn’t drawn to it. Leavenworth
reminded me of a poor man’s Vail, itself a want to be place. I walked down the
main street and heard Christmas music booming from loudspeakers. Children
plummeted on their sleds down hills in the middle of town. Was this the home of
the Stepford wives I wondered? Walt Disney himself couldn’t have done better!
Over time I noticed that everyone in town seemed to be
friendly. The restaurants were good, and the prices were more than reasonable.
The natural scenery was magnificent. I found a great bookstore, and my wife and
I had some terrific river walks. Our hotel room was a third of what it would
have cost in Vail, and the staff couldn’t have been nicer.
Leavenworth offers hiking, rafting, skiing, and
cross-country skiing possibilities. There are several good German restaurants
in the town, and antique shops are abundant. The area is also known for its
orchards and vineyards.
As I drove out of town, I had to reconsider my initial
snobby point of view about resort towns which had been honed from years of
living the good life in Colorado’s five star I-70 ski resorts. I had to admit I
liked Leavenworth. I felt comfortable there. I would go back should the
opportunity present itself.
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