History and Beauty of Leavenworth

We ventured out in the city; to explore, to shop, to eat, to enjoy, and to take advantage of everything it offered.

Something we loved right off the bat was the German. The majority of the signs were in German. I guessed what this one meant - but also pulled out Google for the official translation: "Welcome to Leavenworth." Yep, my guess was spot on! ;)

They had some cute older gentlemen at a wagon downtown, they were all dressed in the traditional German Lederhosen attire (like in this photo from here).

I felt silly asking for a picture with them but they volunteered to take one of us.

After taking the picture the guy started telling us about the history of Leavenworth and everything the area had to offer. A synopsis of his history lesson is:

After World War II, two soldiers who had spent time in Austria came back to Washington. They discovered that the setting of Leavenworth, a city within the mountains, reminded them of Austria, a place they had grown to love. They began building homes and shops with the Bavarian feel that they had discovered in Austria. Since then, the city has continued to grow, and the Bavarian motif has remained.

The maypole in the center of the city:

And now, for picture overload, here are some photos of the buildings along the main street where we went shopping. It was only approximately half a mile long, but so full of character!

Beautiful city correct? I love the Bavarian character of the building's architecture and decor.

Leavenworth: Checking In

We left Coeur d' Alene, Idaho and headed for Leavenworth, Washington. We were so excited to get there and finally see the city that we had learned so much about. 

First stop - checking into the condo and showering after that oober long car ride! We were super impressed with the accommodations. We got a one bedroom condo and we are pretty sure that it is bigger than our apartment. We loved it. It has everything that all condos offer: washer/dryer, complete kitchen with pots/pans/dishes/silverware etc., a fireplace, a dining area, a walk-in closet, and a spacious bathroom. We pretty much knew that we weren't going to want to leave as soon as we got there. 

Our bedroom. 

The living room.

Looking at the front door and kitchen with the dining area on the left.

Looking into the bathroom.

This is the deal that we got:

*It included 12 day passes for unlimited miniature golf and 50 arcade tokens per person each day (600 token total for us). 

*4 movie tickets

*Single use camera

*Gift bag with goodies (for kids)

States here that the condo package with all that stuff is $1069.00 + tax for 3 nights, 4 days. We stayed for the 3 nights, 4 days - go ahead and ask me how much we spent! Balla'!

We walked around the condominiums and checked out the Bavarian inspired architecture and accents that were added to the grounds and the buildings. 

 Literally every building was painted. The paintings were gorgeous.

On the agenda of optional things to do was a music night at a local winery. Now, just because we don't drink wine doesn't mean we shouldn't go partake of water and more importantly, yummy cheese & crackers (not to mention the perfect weather and beautiful setting). 

We ended the night by renting some movies and relaxing. But first, we grocery shopped. I just had to take pictures of this Safeway because look at it - even the grocery store is decked out with Bavarian style. With painting all over the outside and the inside of the store, fake windows with shutters and balconies. We loved this city right from the get-go.