State: Washington Leavenworth, WA Leavenworth KOA There are two main routes into Leavenworth from Seattle - US-2 and US-90. Being that it was drizzling out and we were still new to rv driving, we opted for the wider interstate with fewer twists and turns (US-90), though if you happen to be traveling by car, I hear the more northern route (US-2) is supposed to be one of the most beautiful drives in the area. Walking into Leavenworth is kind of like entering the alpine version of Solvang, CA - every sign is painted using a Barvarian font, hanging flower baskets everywhere, and all kinds of cutesy buildings selling bratwurst. But Leavenworth wasn't always the Barvarian-themed winter playland you see today. The town took some majors hits in the 1920's - the sawmill closed down after after the railway was completely rerouted around Leavenworth. Thankfully, just before the town could turn into a ghost town, the community leaders of the 1960's came up with the idea to transform this bust town into a Barvarian village that would attract tourists from all over (even from as far as Los Angeles). The shopkeepers of Leavensworth rallied together and remodeled all their storefronts to fit into this new theme. And what do you know... the town attracts thousands of people all year long to come skiing, shopping, ziplining and innertubing down the river. The Gingerbread Factory - Cute little place to pick up a coffee and some cookies (especially when it's drizzling outside). There is a nutcracker museum, but we skipped that and instead just checked out the huge collection in the gift shop. The Hat Shop - We had the most fun trying on hats (and mustaches), especially since we didn't have our Halloween costumes yet. Munchen Haus - Hungry for a dog? You've come to the right town. Pick your favorite hot dog shop and be sure to grab yourself a big stein of beer. Leavenworth KOA Sometimes campgrounds have a separate area for rvs/trailers that camp out full time aka fulltimers. Most the time fulltimers are seasonal workers (In Leavenworth some work on the ski slopes during the winter). Even though we were staying less than a week, we were sent to the back of the lot (our site was off the campground map). No biggie, but it did mean a longer walk (or drive) to the bathroom! Yes, I did drive to the bathroom one night to take a shower. This was one of those nights that really made me miss my bathroom at home. Pink Floyd and other classic rock was playing from some random speakers in the ceiling (I like Pink Floyd, but that was an odd music choice for my 9pm shower). Wet floors - bleh (but don't worry, I wore my shower shoes). And drafty... brrrrrr! The KOA wild turkey posse. Here are our turkeys dressed up for Halloween. It rained nearly all day, but lightened up to a mist/drizzle for trick or treating. The Leavenworth shopping district made a great trick or treating spot for the kids. I even picked up a little souvenier (really small since we don't have much space) for myself at really cool boutique called Posy. It was one of those shops you walk into and you think, "If I owned a store, this is all stuff I'd want to sell... or keep." The friendly store owner gave us a heads up on the spookiest house to visit on Halloween, and it did not disappoint. Emmett dressed up as a Beastie Boy (or astronaut). Thanks for the costume Carpenters - it's come in very handy! I picked up a baby-doll-zombie make-up kit at Walmart for Kaylie... she put it to good use!
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aboutI'll be sharing our travel plans, some reviews, cooking ideas (because I know you are all jealous of my easy-bake oven), and ... oh who am I kidding?! I'll be lucky to get our photos posted! categories
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