A Getaway To Remember

Dan and I celebrated our 12th anniversary on August 7. We hadn't gone anywhere overnight since our 10th anniversary, so we were ready for a little time for just the two of us. We spend three days in Leavenworth, a Bavarian alpine village set in the cascade mountains of central Washington. It was a five-hour drive, but we had lots of fun on a 'grown-ups-only road trip' enjoying the amazing scenery, playing word games, listening to our own choice of music, and me reading a book aloud to the two of us.
When we arrived, we thought we had driven all the way to Germany!

We ate dinner at an Italian restaurant (thank you, Aunt Carol!) and walked the rest of the summer evening down the little main street, peaking in all the little shops until dusk.

 

We stayed at an amazing bed and breakfast that I found online called Cashmere Mountain Bed&Breakfast.

Dan and I are not really B&B people, if it means staying in house that looks like your grandmothers, and where you have to eat breakfast in the morning at the same table as total strangers.  If you like those things, this might not be the B&B for you. =) It was built only 4 years ago and was just our taste.  There were only 2 guest rooms and we were the only ones there.  We went mid-week (cheaper), so the owners only serve a continental breakfast in the private family room next to our room.  So we slept in, ate when/what we wanted all in our own private daylight basement with ajoining patio, overlooking the mountain range.  Here was our view each morning:

On our second day, we took a 6-mile hike into the mountains to two alpine lakes, Little Eight Mile and Eight Mile Lake.  (Not sure how they came up with eight miles??)  The views were spectacular.

 Crossing a raging (but very shallow) creek!

At Little Eight-Mile Lake.  We stood overlooking the lake and sang the second verse to "How Great Thou Art"  There really could not have been a more fitting place to sing that!

 See our shirts. =)

We finally reached Eight-Mile Lake.  The hike was WELL worth it.  There was not a soul in sight.  It was simply gorgeous.

 

That night we fed our large appetites at a great German place complete with live accordion music.  Can you say 'Wiener Schnitzel?'

We finished up our last morning reading outside at the Bed and Breakfast.  The owners had left for the day, so it was just us and the mountains.  It was a getaway we will never forget!  We definitely want to go back sometime and would recommend it to any of you looking for a mountain getaway.  There are lots of outdoor activities available like rafting, biking and hiking and plenty of winter activities and festivals, too.  We give Leavenworth an A+!