Town keeps the season bright, Bavarian style

LEAVENWORTH -- I read last week in the Sonnenschein Auf Leavenworth, the official guide to Washington's only Bavarian theme town, that the Arts and Entertainment Network last year named Leavenworth "Ultimate Holiday Town USA." The small town nestled in the ultimate alpine setting at the foot of the Cascades beat out the likes of country western theme town Branson, Mo.

From past visits, I already knew Leavenworth was a holiday town. But the "ultimate" tag reinforced my notion that there couldn't be a better time to indulge one of our state's most popular tourist destinations than the week before Christmas. After all, what could be more inviting than snow, holiday lights, bratwurst and Bavarian music and beer in a setting strikingly similar to the actual Bavarian Alps?

I needed a little year-end dose of Europe, and last Friday was the last of three pre-Christmas town lighting ceremonies, when thousands of visitors gather on Main Street at dusk to sing carols and watch the town light up. It's quite a spectacle and kicks off a weekend full of holiday events and outdoor entertainment -- and partying.

The holiday spirit in Leavenworth never stops there, however. The celebration always carries on into the new year. And in one sense, the celebration is as much about winter as it is about the holidays. With miles of groomed trails within close proximity to town, the Leavenworth area is a favorite winter haunt for cross-country skiers and snowmobile riders.

JEFF LARSEN / P-I

Shoppers wind through a sidewalk light display. Walking Leavenworth at night when it's lit up for the holidays is a must for visitors to the town.

Winter officially began a couple of days ago, but so far only in spirit in Leavenworth. Snowfall in the Cascade Mountain region surrounding the town is well below usual seasonal levels and has brought winter recreation activities almost to a standstill. Stevens Pass ski area west of Leavenworth may not open for alpine activities until January.

Popular cross-country skiing and snowmobile recreation areas near Lake Wenatchee (about 20 minutes west of Leavenworth), which usually are alive with activity this late in December, are practically snow free. And no snow, except at very high elevations, is predicted in the current long-range forecast.

On the bright side, the drive over Stevens or Snoqualmie passes from the west side has never been easier this time of year. You also won't need snowshoes to navigate the more than 150 Bavarian-theme retail shops, 45 restaurants, 45 lodging facilities and three RV lots that have made the town a popular year-round draw since the town turned Bavarian in the 1960s.

JEFF LARSEN / P-I

Owner of The Cheesemonger's Shop, Dave Hambleton, sells more than 50 varieties from around the world and offers everyone who walks in a sample.

The transformation back then -- from a timber town gone bust to a theme town with promise -- was so dramatic that some enterprising filmmakers recently decided to make a documentary about it called "Miracle Town." The movie, which dramatizes the personalities and perseverance it took to transform the town, premiered to a packed house at the Icicle Junction Cinema in August and went on sale around town in mid-September. The 63-minute film, which was shot over the four seasons in the Cascades, Leavenworth and nearby Cashmere, plus the Bavarian Alps in Europe, is available on video and DVD in many hotels and stores in Leavenworth.

In and near the compact business district more commonly called the Bavarian Village, there are many lodging options, from bed-and-breakfasts to hotels. On weekends most of them are packed with visitors from virtually all over the country, especially this time of year.

I picked the Best Western Icicle Inn Resort near the west entrance to town. I figured the hotel would be easy walking distance from the Bavarian Village, even if it happened to snow. Best Western rates usually are reasonable and the rooms are always adequate.

JEFF LARSEN / P-I

It's unusual for the Icicle River near Leavenworth to have such a light snowpack in mid-December when this photo was shot.

As it turned out, the Icicle Inn is a cut above other Best Western properties I've stayed in over the past three years. Not that I think about food a lot, but the complimentary breakfast is an actual breakfast, not just the typical continental fare of juice, coffee and some sweet rolls. Referred to as European, the sit-down, buffet-style breakfast features an assortment of ham, turkey, cheeses, hard-boiled eggs, make-your-own-waffles, bagels, and a variety of juices, coffee, heaping bowls full of pastries and a complimentary newspaper. The hotel also deserves a 10 on the tidiness scale.

The hotel's 93 rooms feature a variety of configurations and amenities with comfortable and practical furnishings. The king suites even feature whirlpool baths, a gas fireplace, refrigerator, microwave plus a CD and video player. The hotel features a covered pool and Jacuzzi. Part of the resort complex is the Icicle Junction Theater Family Fun Park and Cinema (featuring "Polar Express" for the holidays). The entertainment facility also features indoor video games for the kids this time of year. The hotel houses the J.J. Hills restaurant, which features barbecue ribs, steaks and, of course, some Bavarian favorites.

To experience the flavor of Leavenworth's holiday spirit, it's imperative to walk the village at night when it is lit up. Some of the shops are closed, but most of the restaurants are abuzz and the window-shopping is almost as much fun as going inside the shops. Early in the evening, I ran into a group of frenzied tourists trying on a variety of festive Christmas hats at the Hat Shop on Front Street. For some reason hats and Christmas just seem to go together. The shop was packed.

JEFF LARSEN / P-I

In true holiday spirit, Marcia Reed of Kirkland tries on a Christmas hat at the Hat Shop on Front Street in Leavenworth. The shop sells a variety of hats.

For dinner I strolled down a flight of stairs off Front Street to Andreas Keller, a traditional Bavarian restaurant with a long-standing reputation for good, authentic German food and a wide selection of Bavarian beers. I feasted on their special of German pork chops on a bed of warm German potato salad ($11.95). An easy way to find the restaurant is to sniff it out. The sign on Front Street is easy to miss, but the sauerkraut smell that wafts up the staircase isn't.

The next day I wandered down two more flights of stairs -- one to the Soup Cellar for a Banger (a large German sausage on a bun with sauerkraut) for lunch and to check out the cheese selection at The Cheesemonger's Shop nearby. Proprietor and chief cheese monger Dave Hambleton, along with his wife, Barb, sells more than 50 varieties from all over the world and offers everyone who walks in a tasty sample. Dave sliced me off small pieces of several varieties, including one unfortunately called drunken goat (goat cheese partly aged in wine). It was pretty tasty.

Along with a substantial inventory of German beers, Hambleton sells a variety of locally produced wines, few of which -- he said -- are represented in any of the town's wine-tasting shops. He suggested that if I wanted to taste a local offering and see a fabulous home, I should drive four miles to Peshastin and the Icicle Ridge Winery.

There winemaker Don Wood greeted me when I arrived and gave me a quick tour of owners Louie and Judy Wagoner's elegant, hand-built log home at the edge of their 80-acre organic pear orchard. Part of the home also serves as a wine-tasting room. Wood even poured me a sample of an interesting Asian pear wine aging in a steel outdoor vat.

In February the winery plans to open what will be the first wine-tasting and retail outlet for a local winery in downtown Leavenworth.

I left Leavenworth well rested -- although with a little heartburn -- and with a truer appreciation for what the town has become. I also was packing three bottles of Icicle Ridge Winery's finest offerings for the holidays, but I forgot to stop at The Cheesemonger's Shop for a wedge of cave-aged Swiss Gruyere to go with it. Dave, if you're reading this ...

If you go

• Leavenworth -- 509-548-5807; www.leavenworth.org
• Best Western Icicle Inn -- 505 U.S. Route 2; reservations, 800-558-2438; www.icicleinn.com
• The Cheesemonger's Shop -- 633 Front St., Suite F; 877-888-7389

  Icicle Ridge Winery -- 8977 North Road, Peshastin; 509-548-7851. Hours: daily, noon-5 p.m.; www.icicleridgewinery.com

• Andreas Keller Restaurant -- 829 Front St.; 509-548-7851
• The Soup Cellar -- 725 Front St.; 509-548-6300

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