Leavenworth

This expansive resort offers basic rooms on the main site and several condominium styles. The condo style rooms are fit for living and highly recommended for extended stays or larger families. It includes a queen bed, two televisions, a full kitchen and refrigerator, and a full bathroom with two sinks. The resort has several amenities for your interest, including a large projection tv for parties, a small arcade for the gaming types, two large pools and a hot tub, and a full mini golf course. The front desk even has DVD rentals, which can help when there are kids in your party. Lastly, there are even barbecue pits if you want to make your meals outside in the sun.

Sprawling views of the Cascades and the sounds of the Wenatchee River, Leavenworth KOA offers the most in family fun, peaceful nights, and luxurious camping. With big rig friendly sites and terraced deluxe cabins complete with bathrooms and kitchens, guests can experience a fun time with activities for the whole family. Enjoy a refreshing dip in the river or large outdoor pool, hike the many local trails just steps away or take the free shuttle into downtown Leavenworth. Then end your evening under the stars during one of the many summer movie nights. KOA also offers RV sites with full hookups including water and tent sites for the rustic minded.

Located inside the Icicle Village Resort, the JJ Hills Restaurant is named after the railroad tycoon James J Hill, an important figure in putting Leavenworth on the map. It even features a model train that zips around an upper shelf above the patrons’ heads! Offering breakfast, lunch and dinner, they have some wonderful German additions like the Weinerschnitzel and Bavarian Sausage Plate. We recommend the Bavarian Chicken, a tender piece of grilled skinless chicken breast smothered in demi glaze brown sauce. There are also pasta dishes, salmon and clams if you like seafood, or burgers and steaks if beef is your preference. Additionally, there is also a variety of salads to pair your meal with.

A small family run cafe with a wide range of food offerings. If you’re stopping by for breakfast, there’s breakfast croissants, waffles, and burritos to curb your appetite. For lunch, there are several pita wraps to choose from, with fillings ranging from chicken to salmon. Sides of soup and salad can be added on, and there’s a lunch special that changes daily. And for the sweet tooth in your party, there’s an abundance of pastries, strudel, cookies, scones, and cake. For summer, we highly recommend trying their juice smoothie, a perfect blend of apples, beets, carrots, celery, and kale that hit the spot! To top it off we loved the giant chocolate chip cookie, which not only reinforced the Bavarian theme, but tasted delicious.

Ever wanted to speed down a river, water gushing beside you? At Osprey Rafting the rapids make for an interesting ride! The rafting journey itself follows the Wenatchee River and goes through half a dozen rapids, determined as ‘class 3.’ Yet, this fun ride requires no experience and is completely safe. All you need is the ability to follow your guides instructions and have the strength to keep your feet under the nooks in the boat. When your guide tells you to row, you row. When your raft bumps through the rapids, you ensure your feet are secure before entering them. It’s a simple proposition, and in return you get a wild adventure unparalleled by any theme park attraction. Just don’t be afraid of getting wet!

Icicle Outfitters can hook you up at the Lake Wenatchee State Park Riding Stable, and you’ll be trotting along within two shakes of a horse’s tail. There’s nothing like swinging your legs over a horse’s back and ambling through the quiet woods to the sound of the river and the horse’s hoofs thumping. Your guide will help you mount and give a brief intro on the simple guidelines like holding the reins back to stop, left to turn left, and right to turn right. Enjoy riding through beautiful forest area, across shallow ponds and narration of the history of the area by your guide.

If you’ve never tried painting while wine tasting, it’s a perfect and unorthodox way to treat yourself in the evening. To start off your Sip and Paint class, you receive a short spiel on the guidelines of watercolor painting. Then you’re given a palette of paints, some water and a brush, and your art instructor shows you how to make a beautiful watercolor image step by step. She is there to be a guide, but only if you feel you need one. Just grab your brush, and the rest is up to you! The venue of the event changes each time, so the selection of wines available may depend on where your painting takes place. Following the event, we walked away with one of our new favorite wines, the Blackberry Dessert.