Can you imagine spending Christmas in a Bavarian village without having to leave the United States? It's a tall order, but one that the Hallmark-perfect town of Leavenworth easily fills. We've been in a Christmas mindset since we put away the Halloween decorations but we thought that might be a little early for some of you. Now that it's officially December, though, all bets are off.
We first heard about the Bavarian village that is Leavenworth before we moved to Washington, which was lucky for us as hotels and excursions sell out up to a year before the actual date. For last year's December visit, we had to book a hotel by August to get within 30 minutes of the actual town. This year, we booked in March and managed to get a hotel in Leavenworth proper, within walking distance of the town square. We're so excited to be able to walk to just about everything and to get to stay inside the magic that is Leavenworth rather than coming and going.
Word to the wise... if you have a particular property and/or weekend in mind, most hotels open their holiday bookings for the next year in early December of the year prior (so book now if you can!) Note that if you're in the Seattle area and open to long-ish drives, Leavenworth is also doable as a day trip (it's 2.5-3 hours from Seattle depending on route).
Before you go...be sure you have good tires and bring a sled if you have little ones in tow (more on that under "favorite places"). Both mountain passes between the Seattle area and Leavenworth (Snoqualmie and Stevens) are often treacherous in the snow, especially at night when temperatures drop. If you can avoid driving the passes after dark, that's ideal, though not really doable if you're just going for the day. Last year, we got stuck near Blewett pass on the Snoqualmie route for over 3 hours due to multiple accidents, one that required a helivac, before back-tracking into town and taking Stevens Pass home. All in, the 3 hour drive we'd planned took over 7 hours! Still, it was worth it.
Wondering what the weather is like in town right now? Head on over to Leavenworth's live webcam here.
If you're wondering what to see, do, eat, and drink while you're in one of the most wondrous wintry places in the lower 48, here are a few of our favorites:
Excursion: Leavenworth Reindeer Farm
Leavenworth Reindeer farm is pure magic. Book early so you can be sure to line up your reindeer experience and your hotel booking (if you're staying in town overnight). The reindeer farm is only one miles from the village, so a few minutes drive or about a 15-20 minute walk. If you happen to live on a farm or spend time around livestock, note that you need to be away from goats and sheep for a full 7 days prior to visiting due to a spore they carry that can be dangerous for the deer.
Coffee: J5. Delicious, every time, Alternative milk options, seasonal drinks, along with a little boutique of highly giftable teas and gf/df/sf chocolates to peruse while your drink is being made.
Hotel (and Breakfast): Enzian Inn
Enzian Inn is the only place in town with a live alpine horn concert every morning on the balcony. Also a made-to-order omelette bar, granola, yogurt with all the toppings, sausage, coffee, tea, juice, a hot cocoa bar, and all the sweets you could ask for. The hotel has so much to offer: live piano music by the fireplace, an indoor racquetball/basketball court; a game room with table tennis, skeeball (!!), and Christmas movie screenings complete with freshly popped popcorn; indoor and outdoor pools and hot tubs;a feast for breakfast, and that alpine horn concert I mentioned above. They even offer cross-country ski gear with your hotel room.
Brunch: Bear Bear. Full disclosure, we haven't actually eaten at Bear Bear but we've driven by a couple of times (it's adorable) and it's on our list for our next visit. We'll report back in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, here is their website. The menu lists gf and vegan options.
Shops: Kris Kringl (and everything along Front Street)
Kris Kringl has ornaments of all kinds. Note that the closer you get to Christmas, the greater the chance that you'll have to stand in line to get into the store. Also all the boutiques along Front Street for great Christmas shopping!
Museum: Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum is unlike anything we've seen. With over 9,000 nutcrackers and a nutcracker scavenger hunt, a visit to the museum was a definite highlight for our 8 year old (you can see a fraction of the museum in the photo below).
Winery: WooHoo. They have fun table games like shut the box--our family favorite--along with a snack board, hot apple cider, and tables made from wine barrels, all of which keeps Bella happy while we enjoy our gluehwein (hot mulled German wine). We like to head here a few hours before dinner to break up our sightseeing and have a little break from the cold.
Dinner: Yodelin. Healthy, yummy, locally-sourced fare that's allergy-friendly and also has vegan options. Think rice bowls and bone broths. Following a gluten free, dairy free, soy free diet can be a challenge when traveling so we're stoked when we find a place we all like that can easily match our requirements. Just be sure to make a reservation ahead of time!
For littles: There's a perfect little sledding hill at Front Street Park near the bandstand. We didn't know about it ahead of time last year and ended up ducking into a local shop to buy Bella a saucer-style sled so she could enjoy the snow. Of course, you'll want to bring the usual snowsuits and associated gear. It gets really cold in Leavenworth and being wet in the cold is no fun.
You're also likely to see Santa, Mrs. Claus, and maybe even Rudolph, the grinch, or the abominable strolling along Front Street. They're always game for a photo with the littles (and the not-so-littles too!) although sometimes there are lines.
For the over-21 crowd: There's a beautiful little champagne bar across from Front Street Park that offers views over the town's main street. They offer champagne flights and small bites. It's elegant and intimate and just what you'd hope for.
We hope you enjoy Leavenworth as much as we do!
Happy journeying!
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