Sometimes when you travel with a large family, the first thing you give up is privacy — it’s tough packing all those people into a couple of motel rooms. That’s one kind of vacation.
The second is the kind that includes privacy, quiet, downtime and general peace of mind because in this version of your family getaway you are going to book a vacation house — and one that is big enough that everybody has their own little piece of real estate.
We concluded that the absolute best vacation home we ever rented is located in Leavenworth just at the eastern edge of the North Cascade Mountains. Leavenworth Town Fathers have milked this for the last 50 years or so with the Bavarian-themed storefronts and German-style beer and celebrations. The town just keeps getting more and more popular.
Tucked away from the downtown and a mile or so up Icicle Creek Road is a rental called Snowgrass Lodge, one of several offered by Destination Leavenworth but certainly in a class all by itself.
We wanted to sample a larger property and put it to the kid test by inviting seven grandchildren to come along and try it out. Unfortunately, that pesky Cascades weather – and very snowy passes — limited our party to just our own immediate family of three, and my in-laws.
But no matter — it was not hard imagining how well this particular lodging would suit a large family. In fact, we can’t think of a property better suited for a large family group that is interested in a high-quality getaway in one of the best recreation spots in the entire Pacific Northwest.
There are a couple of comparisons that come to mind when trying to describe Snowgrass Lodge. First, the house is so incredibly well built, updated and furnished that the first sensation is you’re walking into one of those homes on the Street of Dreams. You know, the ones you can never quite seem to afford. The rich woods, the cathedral ceilings, the massive stone fireplace, the gourmet kitchen all let you know right away that this will be an upgrade from the RV park, baby.
The other sense you get is that you are now operating your own bed-and-breakfast inn – except that all the guests are your family. There are no other guests or innkeepers to share the kitchen or bathrooms with, yet the building seems large enough that it would make a reasonable size inn. There are three floors altogether with four separate living or sleeping areas, allowing plenty of separation between you and the in-laws, you and your siblings or you and your siblings’ sometimes annoying family members.
There’s a lot going on in this house — dual master suites, two bedrooms, two kitchens and lots of areas to stretch out and watch TV or enjoy a dip in the hot tub overlooking the river. The location is superb as well, with views of the nearby mountains – including one that kind of looks like the Matterhorn – and wooded grounds, a lawn big enough for outdoor events and, of course, the nearby Wenatchee River.
So what does all this cost, you ask? A reasonable question with a surprising answer. Midweek it’s only 5 a night for up to six guests with each additional adult more, each added child more. The rates are slightly higher on weekends and can be quite a bit higher on national holidays and other times of peak interest. But when you consider that a 4-star hotel room is going for 0 these days, a rate of 0 to 0 per couple or family seems to us a bargain for such a luxurious and exclusive retreat.
Leavenworth
Of course one of the best things about the Snowgrass Lodge is that it’s in Leavenworth, which is about a three-hour drive east from Seattle and one of several locations in North Central Washington that are worthy of vacation time.
If you’re a longtime Northwest resident, you know the Leavenworth story. If you just moved here, or have been living under a rock, the town began promoting itself as the Bavarian Village back in the 1960′s. Back then it was a small town on the way to Seattle or a place that east-west travelers went through as they traveled cross-country on U.S. Highway 2. There was nothing especially remarkable except for one thing: the scenery.
Seattle people would notice right away as they drove down Tumwater Canyon just outside of Leavenworth how the mountains and rivers seemed to create picture postcard photos around every corner on the windy two-lane highway. Then, breaking out of the mountains, these travelers would immediately be met by the town of Leavenworth which is situated right at the base of those towering peaks.
To revive a stagnant economy, the Town Fathers came up with the idea of making the village look and feel like a village in the Alps. All it took was a series of renovations to virtually all of the town’s local businesses and, voila, the Bavarian architecture combined with the mountain scenery to create the illusion that motorists were traveling through the Bavarian Alps.
Today the town attracts many thousands of visitors to annual events such as the Christmas Tree Lighting Festival and the Autumn Leaf Festival and it can be difficult to find lodging during those popular celebrations. The town also fills up with tourists any given weekend and, during summer and peak times of the year, you’ll also find throngs of visitors scouring the local shops midweek for some kind of Bavarian souvenir, or dining in local Bavarian themed restaurants, or any of several other types of restaurants now available in Leavenworth.
But Leavenworth is much more than shops and food. The area is quite a recreational paradise with numerous trails leading into the Cascade Mountains and with such attractions as Lake Wenatchee, just a half-hour’s drive away. In spring, river rafting is popular on the Wenatchee River.
About 30 miles east of Leavenworth is Wenatchee, the largest city in the region and home to several attractive parks and trails, including a loop trail that takes you up one side of the Columbia River and down the other side. Wenatchee acts as a kind of hub for North Central Washington, where you also find a couple of other excellent tourist destinations: the Wild West theme town of Winthrop in the Methow Valley and Lake Chelan, a natural wonder more than 50 miles long and known for excellent water sports and fishing.
AT A GLANCE
WHERE: Leavenworth, Washington, is about a three-hour drive from Seattle on Highway 2, or you can take Interstate 90, which connects with Highway 97 to come out just east of Leavenworth.
WHAT: Leavenworth is the Bavarian City, and the Snowgrass Lodge is an especially good way for an extended family to enjoy the city and all that it has to offer. Because the lodge easily separates into four different living areas, it’s practical to invite other families or couples to stay in the lodge with you, which will end up costing each couple or family little more than a night in a nice motel room.
WHEN: Anytime of the year, but beware that prices for lodging are much higher during certain times of the year and when special events are planned.
WHY: A stay at the Snowgrass Lodge in Leavenworth is a way to combine a family outing with spectacular natural scenery and fun shopping and dining experiences.
HOW: For more information on Snowgrass Lodge, please phone 866-904-7368.…