After we moved to Washington State everyone kept telling us, "you have to go to Leavenworth at Christmas time!" We finally went two years ago and it surprisingly lived up to the hype.
Leavenworth is a Bavarian-style village that gets lit up with lights and decked out come Christmas time. The town is full of German themed charm all year around, but I found going around the holidays made it especially magical. I'd even say it was Disney-esque. It feels like you are in another world and we soaked up a whole day of fun just exploring the downtown area.
We went mid December on a Monday so it wasn't terribly crowded. It took us about two hours to drive there so we left first thing in the morning to make the most of our day trip. It got busier as the day passed on and I imagine it is crazy on the weekends and the closer you get to Christmas. So we really enjoyed being able to experience it all and navigate our kids on a less crowded day.
We ate lunch on the outdoor patio at Rhein Haus for a cozy atmosphere, traditional German plates, and views of downtown.
The fire at the table and dressed in our warm coats made dining outside in December quite enjoyable!
The kids loved the giant pretzels and kid friendly menu.
After lunch we did some more strolling. I'll do anything for a magical family picture so we set up our camera on the stroller in the middle of the street to capture the moment. I am so thankful we did!
The stores are all so charming and decked out in holiday swag.
We loved spotting pretzels hanging in the tree!
Incredible views of the Cascade Mountains are the backdrop of this charming little town.
We ate dinner at Coned Bros. for a more casual meal. They serve unique pizza concoctions served in the form of a cone. Everything we tried was very tasty.
Then we ended the day enjoying all the lights come to life after sunset.
The kids each picked out a souvenir, I got a Leavenworth sticker for my travel sticker collection, and we all enjoyed a magical family day of browsing, playing, and eating. If you ever get a chance to visit Leavenworth at Christmas time, I highly recommend it!
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