Archive for December, 2011

Bed and Breakfast Experience

Saturday, December 31st, 2011

Welcome to Wenatchee River Lodge

Our recent trip to Leavenworth was filled with many first-time experiences. Our first Christmas in Leavenworth; first time eating at King Ludwig’s, Viscontis Italian Restaurant, or Sleeping Lady Resort; and first time staying at a bed and breakfast inn.

UPDATE: The Wenatchee River Lodge was recently purchased, updated and shined up (it was looking pretty good before!) and relaunched as The Grand River Lodge.

We met Don and Mary Morse earlier this year at a Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce meeting. We sat at their table and they welcomed us to our first meeting, asking all about our website. In the months that followed they told us about the lodge that they were converting to a bed and breakfast inn and asked us to come stay with them on our next visit to Leavenworth. When we decided to spend our Christmas weekend in our favorite place, it was natural to ask if the offer to visit was still in effect, and it was. The Morses offered us a discounted price, allowing us to stay more nights than we otherwise might have been able to afford.

The Wenatchee River Lodge is so beautiful! It’s a full log home sitting right above the river. It’s on a bend and the lodge is situated so that it feels really isolated. It’s also at the end of a long gravel lane, so traffic noises never reached us.

Don greeted us on our arrival and proudly showed us all around the lodge. From the largest suite, The Ponderosa, to the smaller suites, dining area, great room and game room, the lodge is elegantly rustic. There is a hot tub on the deck and jetted baths in several rooms. Our room, the Aspen Room, had a gas fireplace, a jetted tub, walk-in closet/dressing area, a king-sized bed and french doors opening onto the deck which looks out on the river.

We arrived pretty early in the day on Friday so we unpacked and headed just 2 miles to Leavenworth. We were eager to see the Christmas decorations and have lunch. After some shopping and saying high to some of our friends in town we went back to the lodge to relax for the evening. We brought a new game with us, Scotte shot a few tables of pool and threw some darts, then it was back to the room to enjoy a fabulous whirlpool bath.

Our Christmas Getaway

The next morning Mary and Don greeted us with a breakfast of quiche, waffles, fruit and bacon. We also observed an interesting phenomenon on the river. Don and Mary said they’d never seen it before. We all called them ice lily pads. In the river a whirlpool eddy seemed to be capturing pieces of ice and the circling action was forming them into circular ice shapes with raised edges, just like lily pads. They were fascinating to watch. I’m including some of the still photos I took of them along with some video which gives a better account than I can describe. After two mornings there the weather warmed and they were gone. I’m so glad we were there to see them.

The ice lilies formed in the Wenatchee River

We really enjoyed getting to know Don and Mary and the guests that came and went while we visited. The lodge was beautifully decorated for Christmas throughout and than made our romantic Christmas getaway even better (imagine if you will an elegantly appointed Christmas tree that YOU don’t have to put up, or put away!) We had tasty breakfasts each day served where we could look out at the river. The lodge is quiet and away from everything. My descriptions can’t do it justice, so take a look at the slide show below.

I can’t imagine a better way for us to celebrate a romantic Christmas (and our 31st anniversary) than this stay at Wenatchee River Lodge. It’s perfectly situated on the river and a little way out of the hustle and bustle of the village. If it had been warmer, we would have been tempted to sleep with our door to the deck ajar and gone to sleep lulled by the music of the river, just steps away.

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Christmas in the most Christmas-y town I know

Friday, December 30th, 2011

The Front Street Park Gazebo all lit up for Christmas

Leavenworth, Washington wears a lot of hats. It’s a mountain village, a Bavarian town, a festival town, and a Christmas town! Regardless of the snowfall (and this December was a little dry) the whole village of Leavenworth puts on its cheeriest face and greets many thousands of visitors.

I’m happy to say that Scotte and I were two of the visitors for this Christmas. Sure we’ve been for Christmas Lighting Festival, and we’ve visited mid-week in December. But this year, for the first time, we were actually in Leavenworth for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We’ve been planning for this all year, since we realized that none of our kids would be in Spokane with us for the holiday. We got our Christmas shopping and baking done in record time, mailed and delivered gifts early and headed for our favorite place. Due to an invitation to the Wenatchee River Lodge from Don and Mary Morse, we knew the perfect place to stay. Our wedding anniversary falls very near Christmas so the idea of a quiet, relaxing and romantic Christmas celebration seemed right.

The lights of Front Street coming on at sunset

Once we unpacked at the lodge we headed the short two miles to Front Street. For some reason we were expecting to have the town pretty much to ourselves. It was bustling! There were families of every shape and size. Stores were busy but not packed. Everywhere we went Leavenworth shopkeepers expressed happy amazement at the outstanding business they’ve been doing all through the Christmas Lighting Festival. We enjoyed lunch at the busy SOUTH restaurant. You know that’s one of our favorite places. Then we went into Kris Kringl to soak up some Christmas magic. There hadn’t been new snow for some time, but the sledding hill in Front Street Park was busy with kids sledding with saucers and sleds (and some foolhardy older kids on their feet.) Leavenworth and the surrounding ski areas have been making snow for the enjoyment of kids of all ages.

One of the windows of Kris Kringl Christmas Shop

Leavenworth was decorated for Christmas everywhere we looked. Even in the daytime, before the Christmas lights came on, signs of the season were everywhere. Shops and restaurants were all decked out. And people were decked out too. It’s obvious that many visitors can’t make a trip to Leavenworth without a trip to the Hat Shop. And why would you? Everywhere we looked we saw people of every age sporting hats with elf ears or reindeer antlers. Santas and Mrs. Santas were everywhere. The Hat shop also has a great selection of fashion hats and hats and gloves for the kiddos.

The lights and snow of Front Street Park

Once we had dinner, we drove back to the middle of town to see the Christmas lights. So beautiful! Every store front was lit and the park was bright with thousands and thousands of lights. Leavenworth installed thousands of new LED lights for this season. The sledding hill continued to be happy and busy with laughing and squealing children and their families.

Christmas Eve day was also very busy in town. The lack of snow seems to have made Leavenworth a popular family destination this Christmas. The area wasn’t completely devoid of snow. The surrounding hills and mountains had a charming wintery layer. We had a lot of fun taking pictures, visiting with friendly shop owners and enjoying the Christmas atmosphere.

Every shop and restaurant in town is decked out for Christmas

After changing clothes we drove to the Icicle Inn and JJ Hills Fresh Grill for our Christmas Eve dinner. We dined at JJ Hills back in April when they first reopened and had a disappointing experience. This time we visited at the chef’s express invitation, and we were not disappointed. Everything we ate was very good. The waitress pointed out the prime rib special and I was sure glad she did. The meal was tasty, the rib tender. I love their sweet potato fries. Scotte enjoyed London Broil with bearnaise sauce. His garlic mashed potatoes were a perfect accompaniment. We finished the meal with a lovely, light chocolate mousse. As always the service was excellent. I’m so glad the chef invited us to eat at the grill again.

The prime rib special on Christmas Eve at JJ Hills Fresh Grill

After the meal we went out to take more pictures until it was time to go to the Leavenworth Church of the Nazarene for their presentation of the Living Nativity. It was lovely. They presented the outdoor Nativity as part of the Christmas Lighting Festival. What a gift to the community and to visitors to Leavenworth. The participants were of every age. Live animals were a big part: sheep, a donkey, goats and a llama. (I know llamas are New World animals but you have to allow a little creative license.)

The Living Nativity at the Nazarene Church

Just before the Wise Men entered, the star lit up and proceeded to travel up a zip line, pausing while the Wise Men talked to Herod, then continued higher till it was resting over where the child was resting in his mother’s arms. The angels high over the manger and the visiting shepherds completed the scene. Narration and Christmas music played over loud speakers and church members had a tent set up where they offered their guests yummy hot chocolate. They performed the Nativity three times on Christmas Eve. If you go to Christmas Lighting Festival or spend Christmas in Leavenworth, be sure to put the Living Nativity on your to-do list.

Living Nativity

Afterward we went back to the lodge where Scotte and I enjoyed the fire in the game room and watched It’s A Wonderful Life. It was a lovely way to spend Christmas Eve.

Christmas Lights along Front Street

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Holiday travels, continued…

Thursday, December 15th, 2011

Main Street, Buena Vista

After leaving Chicago early in the morning on Sunday, we arrived in Denver after an uneventful non-stop flight. After a short ride to the rental car complex we rented our car. The Enterprise rep who served us, Melinda, was friendly and helpful. She gave us her card and told us to contact her if we had any issues with our rental. We were soon on our way to the Collegiate Mountain Range and the lovely little small town of Buena Vista. During our drive we enjoyed the scenery and tuning into various satellite radio stations.

After the 2 1/2 hour drive we arrived to the hugs and kisses of our oldest, Andrew, and his bride, Patricia. We were last here when they were married at Spring Canyon, where they now live and work. Andrew, especially enjoyed showing us all their favorite places at camp. We also enjoyed meeting their 7 month old Shiba Inu puppy, Kuma. He’s a fuzzy ball of energy.

We relaxed and did a little laundry while visiting with and getting to know Tricia’s family better. We (mostly Scotte) worked on a jigsaw puzzle with the family. Their combined efforts finally got the puzzle put together.

Monday was second Thanksgiving for all of us. We were joined at camp by Tricia’s brother and his girlfriend from Colorado Springs. It was all so good. Andrew roasted the turkey in their apartment sized oven and Patricia and her mom, Sue prepared all the side dishes. And there were more pies than I think I’ve seen since I was a little girl and my grandma spread her baked pies all over the washer/dryer in the mud room.

Historic Salida

Tuesday we enjoyed a day of exploring in the small towns of Buena Vista and Salida. They are both great little towns with tons of character. We had fantastically light and airy donuts at Lobacks Bakery. Lobacks is everything you want to see in a small town, local coffee shop. If I lived in BV I’m sure I’d make Lobacks my regular breakfast hangout.

After exploring the few shops BV has we drove down the road to Salida. It’s a little bigger than BV, but no less quaint. We had great wood-fired pizza and house-brewed rootbeer at Amica’s It was delicious. We enjoyed walking around the small town, shopping in a wonderful toy store, Kaleidoscope Toys.
We were also able to find a Christmas gift for our daughter in a friendly little antique shop. I got some fun pictures of an old theater that’s being demolished. The building began its life as a Masonic Temple. We finished out day in Salida with dessert at the historic First St. Cafe. We enjoyed reading about its history and the berry cobbler I had was yummy. We learned from the back of the menu that the Monte Cristo sandwich was originally developed at a hotel that used to sit just across the railroad tracks from there.

The next morning, Wednesday, we said goodbye to Tricia’s family and headed to Denver with Andrew and Tricia. Our plan was to do a little shopping, have some lunch and see the Muppet Movie before our evening flight home. We enjoyed spending a few more hours with the kids and seeing the long-awaited Muppet Movie with them before heading to the airport for our flight.

 

Lobacks

The final flight on our leg turned out to be the most eventful, but more on that later. We had a whirlwind of a trip with loads of fun, family and food. Scotte and I always like traveling together. Seeing our kids and grandchildren made the trip very special.

First St. Cafe

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Holiday travels

Monday, December 12th, 2011

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. We spent it traveling to Colorado and to the Chicago area to visit children and grandchildren. It was so much fun. A whirlwind of airline flights, busy holiday traffic, loads of good food and lots and lots of love.

In the early morning hours the day before Thanksgiving we left for the first leg of our trip. We traveled on two round-trip tickets, one from Spokane to Denver and the other, Denver to Chicago. We found it easier and cheaper for us to book this way, rather than a three-legged trip. Sometimes, flying out of Spokane, the layovers can make organizing a trip like this interesting. When planning this trip we couldn’t make the timing of the layovers work in a three-legged trip on Southwest Air, so two round-trips it was.

Gabe wanted to know just about as soon as we got to Chicago if we'd brought our iPad

It did take us all day to fly to Chicago. That’s not fun. Scotte and I reminisced about the good old days when we could fly non-stop to Chicago, leaving Spokane at 7 or 8 am and arriving around noon. Alas, those days are gone. But flying with your sweetie makes the day more than bearable. And it’s still far better than traveling by covered wagon.

Grandpop is Gabe's favorite playmate

Our arrival in Chicago was on-time and early enough in the evening to kiss our 3 1/2 year-old grandson goodnight. Gabe had been put to bed hours before but the excitement of our arrival and my daughter-in-law’s sister and brother-in-law’s arrival from South Bend made going to sleep just too hard for him.

The next morning we got to play with Gabe and meet his little sister, 5 1/2 month old Eliza, for the first time. What a couple of treasures they are. Scotte and I did our best to keep them both busy while Bridget put the finishing touches on our Thanksgiving feast. Gabe’s favorite playmate is his Grandpop and his favorite toy is our iPad, even though it’s only an iPad 1 and his momma has an iPad 2!

Eliza Ann is a charming, smiley baby. She’s happy and healthy and came easily to us. It was such a joy to get to know her.

Eliza Ann, 5 1/2 months

Smiley Baby

After a delightful day spent entertaining and being entertained with the little ones, we sat down to a wonderful Thanksgiving feast with all of the yummy expected dishes. Bridget did a wonderful job preparing everything.

The next day, on Black Friday, we ventured out with trepidation to Gurnee Mills Outlet Mall. It wasn’t as bad as I’d feared. It was afternoon before we went, the traffic was pretty typical Chicagoland traffic and we got a parking place near an entrance. The most amazing thing about the day was that there was NO LINE for Santa Claus. And the best part of that experience was Gabe looking up at his daddy in awe to say, “Daddy, Santa is real!”

After Santa, Scotte and I got to take Gabe to Build-a-Bear Workshop. None of us had ever been. It was fun. Gabe built Trixie, who went home with a Buzz Lightyear costume on. If you haven’t built a bear at the workshop, I highly recommend it. It was a fun experience. I wanted to take Gabe there for some time, but waited till he was old enough to pick his own bear and the outfit to go along. (Later on the trip in Denver, we found another Build-a-Bear Workshop and rumor has it that Gabe and Trixie will be finding a little something under the Christmas tree.)

Gabe and Trixie

Our trip to Chicago was over too soon. We flew out of Chicago very early on Sunday morning. We kissed the grandchildren goodbye on Saturday night and our son, Mark, drove us to Midway airport before dawn. We watched the sun come up aboard our non-stop flight to Denver.

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