Hello and welcome to episode 17 of the Ready Set Depart Podcast! We are so glad you’re here!

What do nutcrackers, bratwurst, reindeer, and Seattle have in common? Well, Leavenworth, of course!

Have you ever heard of Leavenworth, Washington? Let me just say that if you’ve ever wanted to step into a Hallmark movie - but with the aforementioned bratwurst, reindeer, and mountain views - this is the episode for you!

Leavenworth is a little Bavarian town in the Cascade Mountains and it's the perfect place to spend a summer weekend with your family!

Leavenworth is about 2-½ hours East of Seattle but it is worlds away! 

Today you see a Bavarian village that rivals even the sites you’ll see in the German alps, but if you were there in the 1890’s, you would have seen a city straight out of the Old West. Fur traders, loggers, and gold miners flocked to the area for the riches they could find. Then, as soon as a railroad line was built close to the city, Icicle Flats, as it was then called, was born. It was booming for logging and sawmills… until it wasn’t. You see, they moved the railroad and with that the sawmills closed and the logging went away.

It seemed that beautiful Icicle Flats was going to fade off into the dust.

But then in the 1960's, the city decided to make itself a destination for tourists. Since the area was often compared to German Bavaria, they decided to take the theme and run with it. Every home, every building, even the grocery store was changed into a Bavarian themed building. 

Not only that, they also created festivals to bring in the tourists. Things like the Autumn Leaf Festival, Maifest, and the Christmas Lighting Festival were begun in the 60’s and continue on until today. 

More than 1 million visitors travel there every year. 

And for good reason. Leavenworth is a fun destination any time of the year, but why not head that way in the summer? Why would you want to? Well, let’s see…

In Leavenworth, there are reindeer

I know that you’re thinking, What, reindeer? Like the North Pole reindeer? And while these are the very animals that pull Santa’s sleigh, you won’t see them flying around the Leavenworth Reindeer Farm, but you will be able to go in with them and feed them. After a very informative talk, you are given their favorite treats and you go in with them and interact with them. It is really fun, especially if you’re like us and love animals.

A couple of things to note about the Leavenworth Reindeer Farm. First, if you have been near sheep in the previous week, you can’t go to the farm because sheep can carry a disease that will kill reindeer. And second, both sexes of reindeer grow antlers and when the velvet is still on them - that’s the fuzzy stuff that covers the antlers as they grow - they can feel if they accidentally touch you but once that velvet is gone, watch out for those antlers. It’s a little like someone carrying a ladder and smacking into people behind them without even noticing.

But it is GREAT for all ages. And in the spring, you can meet babies. Their noses are so soft!

In Leavenworth, there is an outdoor theater

Just picture it. You’re in the mountains that feel a bit like the Alps, in an outdoor theater that is beautiful! And you’re watching the Sound of Music. 

Sounds pretty amazing, right? That’s a great way to explain the Leavenworth Summer Theater - amazing! Between the Alpinhorns before the play starts to the excellent performances, it is fun for all ages! Well, I should say, it’s fun for children 5 years old and up since they don’t admit children under 5.

And they put on other plays as well. This year {2025}, it’s Carousel and the Little Mermaid but those change each year. In all the years I’ve been watching, Sound of Music is always the staple.

Here are a couple of tips when you go to the Leavenworth Summer Theater:

• Even though it is in the summer, once the sun goes down, it gets cool in the mountains. Remember a sweater and you can bring blankets if you want.

• You will have to walk a little ways uphill to the actual theater so keep that in mind. They describe it as about 3 blocks from the parking area to the theater. It wasn’t too bad but if you do have someone in your party that has a hard time with hills, there is a shuttle. They suggest you allow 30-45 minutes to park and walk to the theater. We found that to be just about right.

• You can rent seat cushions, which we definitely recommend, because the chairs are just those white outdoor chairs. You know the ones I mean.

• And our last tip is to bring a flashlight for the trek back down to your car. We didn't but luckily a lot of people around us did so we were able to make it back, but next time, we won’t forget them.

In Leavenworth, there is an alpine coaster

The Leavenworth Adventure Park just opened the Tumwater Twister Alpine Coaster to go along with their climbing wall, mining sluice, and amazing Bavarian food. If you’ve never seen an Alpine Coaster, let me explain it to you as best as I can. You sit in a small car that usually seats two people with the second person sitting behind the driver. The driver has a stick that they can use to slow down the car as you go down a track that hugs the mountain. It can be as fast or as slow as you want but just keep in mind that it’s better to slow down a bit as you go into the curves.

Here’s how they describe their coaster: Experience the Tumwater Twister—Washington’s first alpine coaster! Zoom down 2,700 feet of track with a 234-foot vertical drop, three 360° spirals, and heights up to 35 feet. Scenic, thrilling, and open year-round.

Sound exciting? It is? While we haven’t been on this alpine coaster since it wasn’t open yet when we were there, we have been on others and they are definitely thrilling!

In Leavenworth, there is hiking galore in and around the area

Whether you’re like me and any walk on dirt is a hike, or more like Brent who loves to get lost in the mountains, there is something for you in Leavenworth.

We love the Old Pipeline Bed Trail. It’s close to Leavenworth and is fairly easy. It goes right along the Wenatchee River and it is beautiful! It’s about 2-½ miles roundtrip and only gains about 100 feet in elevation so just about anyone can do it. There is a water crossing before you get to the end so keep that in mind. Check out our website at readysetdepart.com for a picture of what I’m talking about.

The first time we hiked this trail, Brent had Trooper in a backpack and when we got to the little water crossing and that took me some time to be ok with him walking across the log. Brent was confident and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be, but just keep that in mind.

If you’re looking for something a little tougher, here are a few other trails you could check out.

• The Icicle Ridge Trail is a 6 mile round trip trail that gains about 1800 feet. This one is considered a moderate to hard trail but well maintained and beautiful!

• The Fourth of July Creek Trail is a hard 12 mile round trip hike that gains 4370 feet in elevation. They say that the views alone make up for it though and there are tons of wildflower fields in the spring.

• The Enchantments is a backpackers dream. Brent always says the name with a little bit of reverence. It is a hard 18 mile one way trail that gains 4500 feet in elevation. You’ll find glaciers, larches, and crystal blue lakes. If you are looking to get lost in the wild, this is definitely a place to go.

In Leavenworth, there is a river that you can float down, or just play in

The Wenatchee River meanders its way through Leavenworth and on a warm summer day, there is nothing better than floating down the river with your family. From tubing to rafting classes, Leavenworth is the place to play in the water.

If you’d rather just put your feet in the river, head on over to the Waterfront Park, find a parking space at the bottom, hopefully, and roll up those pants. The water is COLD because it’s glacier fed, but the temps can soar to the 100’s so it feels great.

In Leavenworth, there is some good food

If you like German food, Leavenworth is where to go. Before going to Leavenworth, I didn’t know if I did like German food. I’d always heard the song from Sound of Music that talks about one of her favorite things - Schnitzel with Noodles - and I knew that pretzels were German and that was about it. Oh and German beer, but we don’t drink so that never really interested me either.

Well, I have now had Schnitzel with Noodle and I can tell you that schnitzel is a thin piece of meat - I had chicken and Brent had pork - that is breaded and fried. It’s good, though I did like Brent’s pork better. That’s the traditional meat. The noodles are a little like gnocchi and not my favorite but the pickled cabbage was rather nice.

And the pretzels are yummy!

Now bratwurst is not my favorite, but I don't really like hot dogs either. But if you do like hot dogs and don't mind that pop, Brent tells me they are yummy!

If you would rather not try the German fare, there are plenty of places to go. We loved the Leavenworth Pizza Company for some great pizza and trivia on certain nights, Ludwig’s German Restaurant, and Gustav’s for a little bit of everything. There’s also a McDonald’s if that’s more your type of food and a grocery store.

In Leavenworth, there is rock climbing

Within a 10 miles radius of Leavenworth, there are 50 crags of granite for you to climb. There are easy climbs and much harder ones, so if you are into rock climbing, check out the leavenworth.org website and learn all about it.

In Leavenworth, there is a nutcracker museum

Housing over 9,000 nutcrackers, The Nutcracker Museum is quite the sight! From 12th century nutcrackers to modern day ones, you’ll learn more than you ever thought you needed to know about these fun little inventions. And there’s a scavenger hunt to find certain nutcrackers amongst the display cases.

Be aware that there is an entrance fee but if you are even just a little bit interested in nutcrackers, this is the place to go!

In Leavenworth, there is minigolf

I have developed a bit of a thing for mini golfing lately and my family has been kind of enough to join me. I grew up with a dad who went golfing all the time and while I don’t love golfing - sorry Dad - I do love minigolf. The Icicle Village Resort mini golf is a great little course just off the main highway in Leavenworth. We all loved the atmosphere and the course wasn’t too hard but not too easy, which is nice. We took Grandma there with us and we all had a ball. So, take a minute in your Leavenworth weekend to enjoy a little friendly competition.

And no, you don’t need to be staying at the resort to minigolf.

In Leavenworth, there is a fish hatchery that you can visit

But, I’m going to let Trooper tell you more about it.

Trooper: Hey guys! Trooper here. 

Here’s some intel on the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery. You are probably thinking, “What is a fish hatchery?” Well, a fish hatchery is where scientists hatch endangered or threatened fish species and release them back into the wild. Here in Leavenworth, they mostly hatch Chinook salmon. The Chinook salmon make their way to the ocean and then swim 500 miles back to the Icicle Creek where they were hatched. It's quite amazing!

When we were there, I was able to get the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery Junior Fish Biologist badge. {Boy, is that a mouthful!} It’s a lot like the Junior Ranger program from the National Parks, but the badge is a bit cooler, don't you think?

But, we’re not sure if it’s still available because Mom searched the web for a while trying to find out about it. Check in at the visitor center, if it’s open, and ask the volunteers.

There are some great hikes around the area but remember, it gets hot in Leavenworth in the summer so bring water, a hat, and some sunglasses too! And then go back to the Wenatchee River and dip your toes in to cool off!

That’s my intel for today! See ya!

And finally, near Leavenworth, there is a lake

Lake Wenatchee to be specific. It’s only about 40 minutes north of Leavenworth and a great destination for boating or swimming or hiking. You can camp or ride horses. There is tons to do. And remember, it’s a Washington State Park that participates in their own version of the Junior Ranger program so pick up the booklet and earn that badge!

So, whether you’re in the mood for bratwurst, mountains, musicals, or minigolf, Leavenworth has something for everyone. 

Before we go, here are your quick takeaways:

• Feed reindeer at the Leavenworth Reindeer Farm (just don’t visit after hanging with sheep!)

• Catch a show at the magical outdoor Leavenworth Summer Theater

• Ride the alpine coaster at Leavenworth Adventure Park

• Hike trails like the Old Pipeline Bed or Icicle Ridge

• Float the Wenatchee River or wade in at Waterfront Park

• Eat German food (schnitzel, pretzels, and more!)

• Visit quirky spots like the Nutcracker Museum and the Fish Hatchery

• Play minigolf at Icicle Village Resort

• Take a day trip to Lake Wenatchee for hiking, swimming, and camping
  
  

Leavenworth is a place that’s hard to describe and even harder to forget. It’s the kind of town that feels like a postcard—one that you and your family will keep wanting to revisit.