Like a lot of families, especially in and around Washington State, we really enjoy family trips to Leavenworth and the surrounding area. It serves as both a summer and winter playground. Leavenworth – a family fun spot – offers a range of activities for a broad range of interests in a beautiful and unique environment that’s geared toward families.
History
Leavenworth is a small Bavarian-themed town nestled alongside the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains in Washington State. Initially, a coal and logging town, as the local timber industry waned in the early 1960s the town council decided to develop the town into a four-season tourist destination with a Bavarian theme based on its pristine alpine location and, to some extent, on a similar model to the Danish-themed town of Solvang, California. The attraction hit a cord and the popularity of the town and its surroundings have grown ever since.
Town Center
Leavenworth’s town center looks like something out of the Alps, filled with many Bavarian-themed restaurants, a Nutcracker Museum, and traditional festivals throughout the year – including MaiFest in spring, Kinderfest in summer, and, of course, a robust Ocktoberfest and Christmas holiday season complete with a Christmas tree lighting ceremony that lights up the whole town.
Geo Location
Due to its location on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains, Leavenworth has a much different climate than western Washington – with typically hot, dry summers and cold, snowy winters. You can get to Leavenworth easily by car via several routes, or if you prefer there is an Amtrak Station in town with access from Seattle.
Activities
A great resource is actually the website operated by the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce – https://leavenworth.org/. You can find up-to-date news, event calendars, live webcams, and all sorts of information and recommendations for every occasion. Aside from the Bavarian-style architecture and theme, there’s sausage and beer, candy and ice cream shops galore, putt-putt golf, carriage and sleigh rides, hiking, biking, rafting, sledding and tubing, orchard tours, petting farms, and a fish hatchery.
Leavenworth is tucked against the eastern slopes of the spectacular northern Cascade Mountains in Washington and provides an excellent home base for all varieties of mountain adventures, from family-friendly trails, day hikes, trail running, rock climbing, overnight backcountry camping adventures, mountain biking, and during the winter, sledding hills and nearby ski areas.
You might also be interested in my article Top River Adventures in Leavenworth.