Leavenworth Getaway: Sleeping Well at Sleeping Lady

 

Sleeping Lady Mountain

Fall color in October around Leavenworth, Washington, is nothing short of magical. Compared to what we see over on "the Coast" (western Washington), the mountains and canyons glow crimson and gold. 

With a short window during the work week to avoid the Oktoberfest crowds, last week my sister and I dashed over Stevens Pass for a getaway. While I've spent lots of time in the Leavenworth area staying with friends, this trip we decided to stay at Sleeping Lady Resort south of town on Icicle Creek.

This resort/conference center site was originally built as a Civilian Conservation Corps camp that operated from 1934 to 1942. After also serving as a dude ranch and Catholic camp, in the 1990s Northwest arts and environmental philanthropist Harriet Bullit developed it as Sleeping Lady Resort.

 

Many of the cabins at the resort were repurposed from the old camp but upgraded. The compound features walkways that were constructed using recycled wood materials. With arts venues, a pub, office/conference facilities, a mercantile, cafe, and restaurant interspersed around the site, along with art and sculpture from Northwest artists, it feels like a charmed mountain village.

Waterfalls beside the outdoor patio at the Grotto Bar.

We arrived after dark and and then walked along the lit pathway through open pine forest to our comfortable and cozy cabin (no driving up to your cabin, it's pedestrian-friendly and car-free). On such a dark and quiet mountain night, I had one of the best night's of sleep I've had in months.

I was up and out shortly after sunrise, camera in hand, to snap some of the shots here. No one else was up and about yet on this Friday morning.

The sculpture above is one of many artworks scattered around the compound. (Apologies to the artist for not checking the name or title, but I think it might be Richard Beyer.)

Since we were going to a friend's home for a visit, we were up and out pretty early. Due to the pandemic and related staffing shortages, indoor breakfast wasn't being served at Sleeping Lady's O'Grady's Pantry, but we grabbed hot tea and fresh, delicious scones for breakfast.

O'Grady's Pantry courtyard

 

While I don't have any more shots of the onsite art, we were fortunate to visit one of the artists whose gorgeous wildlife sculptures are featured there. Longtime family friend and artist Gretchen Daiber lives nearby and has several of her sculptures scattered around her garden.

Ptarmigan sculpture by Gretchen Daiber

 

On such a glorious autumn morning, we walked with Gretchen through forest near her home above Sleeping Lady. She enthusiastically talked about the Icicle Fund's Artist-In-Residence program celebrating the conservation, history, and arts of North Central Washington. The goal of the residencies is to honor, celebrate, and record the unique environmental aspects of the Wenatchee River/Valley watershed. She is one of the 10 selected Watershed Artists this year. 

Aspen Grove

 

Later in the day we drove up Icicle Creek Canyon and walked the Icicle Gorge Trail, an easy warm-up hike that has very little elevation gain and winds over and along Icicle Creek for a little over 4 miles.

Icicle Creek

 Since crowds of people were arriving for the first weekend of Oktoberfest, we didn't want to deal with trying to drive and park in the center of town for dinner. Instead, we grabbed a thoroughly typical Bavarian grilled bratwurst topped with sauerkraut at longtime local burger shack Heidelburger, which sits right off the highway at the edge of town.

Then we snuck up into Tumwater Canyon to snap some of the fall brilliance.

 All in all, our sister road trip was a great success. I highly recommend a loop over one of our passes here in Washington to see the eastern side of the Cascades soon, while the colors are still aglow. And if you get to Leavenworth, I also highly recommend Sleeping Lady.

Happy trails and thanks for visiting Pacific Northwest Seasons! In between blog posts, visit Pacific NW Seasons on FaceBook, Twitter, and Instagram for more Northwest photos and outdoors news.

 When You Go

Icicle Creek

 Sleeping Lady is not a budget lodging destination, but their cabins can accommodate from two up to eight people, plus they allow pets (my sister's beagle Zelda joined us). Prices vary by season and time of week, but our room was $224 per night and could accommodate four.

Our cabin had a mini-fridge and a hot pot with tea and coffee provided for us to brew hot drinks ourselves.

 Part of the proceeds from the resort goes toward the Icicle Fund, a non-profit co-founded by Harriet Bullit that supports the arts, environment, and cultural and natural history of the North-Central Washington region.

 

Northwest Winter Getaway: Port Townsend's Historic Charm and Good Eats

Every time I get on a Washington State Ferry and cross Puget Sound, I feel a little bit of magic as we draw closer to the Olympic Peninsula. From drippy ancient forests, to wild ocean beaches, to picturesque towns, it feels a place apart.

And in the winter, its charms are slightly different but just as wonderful. 

Friday
Although my destination for this chilly, gray winter weekend is Port Townsend, my first stop is in charming Port Gamble. This historic former mill town sits at the northern tip of a small finger of much larger Kitsap Peninsula between Hood Canal and Port Gamble Bay. En route to Port Townsend, I usually stop there for a hot drink at the old Port Gamble General Store, and sometimes pick up gifts too.

Mid-morning on Friday I meet a friend for sea kayaking on protected Port Gamble Bay. Yes, even in winter you can rent kayaks at Olympic Outdoor Center, which is situated in the old town firehouse. Although we have our own sea kayaks, it's easier to just rent a double and spend a few hours paddling along the mostly undeveloped shorelines.

Despite the winter chill, it's a lovely few hours exploring the shoreline and narrow inlet at the end of the bay. Our kayak glides over clear shallow water littered with barnacle-encrusted oyster shells and green-brown rockweed algae.

Afterward we grab lunch at the Port Gamble General Store & Cafe, where Matt enjoys a tasty bowl of veggie soup and I go for spicy bean and veggie tacos. By mid-afternoon I leave for Port Townsend.

My aunt had booked me a room at the old Victorian-style Palace Hotel along Water Street in downtown Port Townsend.  What a treat! With high ceilings and beautiful Victorian-era decor, I'm transported back in time and try to imagine what it would have been like here a century ago.

Whenever I go to the Port Townsend area,  I eat very well. Perhaps a little too well. Between cozy cafes, restaurants, pubs, farmstands, and more, the variety and quality of food is excellent.

Friday night dinner is a delicious Italian-style meal at cozy uptown Lanza's Ristorante. Hot-out-of-the-oven rolls arrive at our table first, followed by crisp salads and very generous entrees. Cousin Nia and I split the nightly special, a chicken breast with prosciutto and pasta in a creamy sauce.

Then off to dreamland in my room, named Miss Alice in honor of one of the "working girls" employed here during in one of the Palace's more colorful past incarnations.

Saturday
A big perk of the Palace Hotel's locations is being able to roll out of bed and stroll right across the street to Better Living Through Coffee, where I meet up with cousin John for early morning coffee.  As we catch up over hot drinks, day breaks across the water outside the widow and more locals wander in to fuel up on caffeine this dark winter morning.

After Friday night's rich dinner, on Saturday morning we all take a long walk from North Beach through upper Fort Worden State Park. We wind along the trail through forest to wind-swept bluffs with sweeping views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca  where it merges into the Salish Sea.

My aunt Sylvia declares that there's a place in Port Townsend that makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches in the United States. Of course we must check it out.

Pane d'Amore has a breadbox-sized location where they sell artisan breads and pastries, and offer grilled cheese sandwiches to go. For the sandwiches, you choose from breads baked the same day, several cheese varieties, and extras like ham, salami, pickles, pesto, and marinated hot chile peppers. 

And yes, I think those sandwiches are that good. Best in the U.S.? Maybe. Key is the high-quality, fresh bread and ingredients, much of which is produced and sourced locally.

After lunch I head downtown solo to hit a few of my favorite shops, like William James Booksellers. Then of course I must stop for tea at Pippa's Real Tea, one of my happy places.

Dinner Saturday evening at Tommyknocker's Cornish Pasty doesn't quite hit the high note of lunch, but the Washington apple salad with local greens, apples, walnuts, dried cranberries and cheese is refreshing and excellent. This cute little space is bright and clean, and the service is very friendly.

And it wouldn't be a trip to Port Townsend for my family without a stop at Elevated Ice Cream, where we all indulge in a scoop of their made-in-house gelato or ice cream. While Swiss chocolate orange is their signature flavor, I'm partial to the maple walnut.

Sunday
I awaken early, refreshed after two good nights of sleep at the Palace Hotel and a shower in their clawfoot tub. Then off for another morning coffee/tea at Better Living through Coffee, where my cousin and I bump into a Seattle ex-pat we know.

And sadly I must head home early. But not without a stop at Metro Bagels on my way out of town (because I love a good fresh toasted bagel) and then Chimacum Corner Farmstand south of Port Townsend for some fresh produce and salmon.

While there's lots more going on in Port Townsend, such as live music, literary readings, and much more, my weekend was relatively low key. But knocking around town with family, eating good food, getting some fresh air and exercise, and relaxing was just perfect.

Shout Out
On my way north up State Route 19 a few miles south of Chimacum on Friday, I stopped to check the oil in my car at the old Beaver Valley Store (now Sugar Hill Farms). Friendly owner Michael Hill offered to check it for me and was very helpful. He told me he and his wife Brenda are the new owners and sell their homemade chocolates and fudge at the corner store. I bought a chocolate raspberry truffle, which was delicious. Stop by next time you drive by!

Happy trails and thanks for visiting Pacific Northwest Seasons! 
  
In between blog posts, visit Pacific NW Seasons on FaceBook, Twitter, and Instagram for more Northwest photos and outdoors news. 







 

Washington Coast Weekend Getaway: Long Beach Peninsula

Way down at the southwest corner of Washington on the Pacific coast is a lush land with rich coastal estuaries, the proclaimed world's longest beach (although it's really only #8), and a slower pace reminiscent of an earlier era. 

In early June I spent a weekend on the Long Beach Peninsula in a grand old rental home just a 15-minute stroll through scrubby forest and grassland to the ocean. As we drove into the quiet Seaview neighborhood of quaint houses with spacious green lawns and voluptuous rhododendrons, it reminded me of childhood trips to my grandparents' beach home.

But this weekend was no kids trip. It was an annual reunion weekend of high school friends, which eight of us have been doing now for a couple decades.

Home base for the weekend

While we cooked most of our meals instead of sampling the local restaurants and cafes, we did get out and explore. 

A mild, lovely June day with blue skies and wispy clouds overhead greeted us Saturday morning. After one of the longest and best nights of sleep I've had in months, first up was the walk down to the ocean, where a refreshing sea breeze cleared all the sleep webs from my groggy brain. 

On the ocean side of Long Beach Peninsula, you'll see horses and even cars on the beach, except at the north end where it's protected as part of the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge. Essentially the peninsula is a big sand bar from sediments washed out of the mouth of the nearby mighty Columbia River. And it's still growing.

Discovery Bicycle Trail along the coastline.

It's hard to get anyone to tear away from the intense catching up going on between eight women, but two friends joined me for an easy hike in the afternoon. 

About 20 minutes drive off the peninsula and northeast along Willapa Bay at the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters is the truly enchanting Willapa Art Trail. This short quarter-mile boardwalk trail through a wetland is scattered with sculptural pieces instead of interpretive signs to educate visitors. 

From the huge salmon carcass at the trail entrance to small bronze frogs and fish in trees, these pieces were created and installed by students from the University of Washington Public Arts Program.

From the art trail, we cut off to the Cutthroat Trail to make it a longer loop (1 mile). This trail heads up steep wooden steps and then meanders through lovely old growth hemlocks (the Washington State Tree) and ferns. 

Along the way we passed numerous interpretive signs showing a footprint and a description of an animal, quizzing us. Do you know what this one is?

After crossing a stream and heading back uphill, we passed a charming brick labyrinth alongside the trail. Of course we had to stop and follow its circuitous route to the middle and back.

On Sunday we weren't quite so lucky with the blue skies, but the cool, damp weather that characterizes the Washington coast much of the time makes it especially green and fertile. Personally I love a good walk in the rain.

And so I headed to the north end of the peninsula to Leadbetter Point State Park to walk along the inner tidelands. No one wanted to tramp in the rain with me, but I'm good with being alone in nature. In fact, I seek it sometimes.

Leadbetter Point Park is as far north as you can drive on the peninsula (which wasn't the case when I spent a Thanksgiving weekend here in the 1990s). When I arrived, only one other vehicle was in the parking lot. I decided to do the 1.2-mile Bay Loop Trail to see both forest and beach.

While the forest is young up here, it's very verdant and healthy, as you can imagine with an average annual rainfall of 76 inches, almost twice that of Seattle and Portland. Pacific storms slam onto the Northwest coast here before heading inland.

When the tide is out, like it was that day, the tideland provides fecund feeding grounds for birds and waterfowl. It's a birder's destination and protected habitat for the seriously cute but endangered snowy plover.

On the way back down peninsula I stopped at Oysterville Sea Farms on Willapa Bay, which I basically stumbled upon. I'm not an oyster fan, but the weathered wooden building with a big deck overlooking the bay invited me on in. Inside were a variety of local specialties besides oysters. I snagged some local smoked salmon, dried cranberries, and a bottle of their dry white wine specially blended to pair with oysters.

I'm a sucker for old cemeteries, and the Oysterville cemetery is definitely worth a stop. Chief Nahcati is buried there, for whom the peninsula town of Nahcotta was named. He is known for befriending the original Europeans settlers who founded Oysterville and showing them the prolific oyster beds on what was then called Shoalwater Bay.

Back in the town of Long Beach, I met up with my g'friends at popular Cottage Bakery on the main touristy business strip. I read later that it's famous for having some of the best doughnuts in the Pacific Northwest, although we just indulged in soup and tea.

Early Monday morning I was on the road by 6:45 a.m. with work obligations back home in Seattle. Instead of heading east to Interstate 5, though, I meandered up the coast along Highway 101 through lovely coastal estuaries. With the soft, misty morning light, I had to stop and snap some shots.

If you've not been along that stretch of highway before, be prepared for a lovely scenic drive as the highway winds through estuaries, across rivers, and past evergreen forests in various stages of regrowth from logging. After an hour of early morning driving, I lucked out by stopping at Elixir Coffee Shop in South Bend, where the high-quality hot tea and still warm, freshly baked cranberry scone were a sweet surprise in such a small town. 


With much more to do there, we'll be back in 2019, same weekend, unless the inevitable tsunami hits before then. But that's another blog post altogether. I'm already plotting where I'm going to explore next time around. Have you spent much time down there? What do you recommend if so?

Happy trails and thanks for visiting Pacific Northwest Seasons! 

In between blog posts, visit Pacific NW Seasons on FaceBook, Twitter, and Instagram for more Northwest photos and outdoors news.

When You Go
The Long Beach Peninsula is close to the southern border of Washington along the Columbia River. Check out an area map, directions and travel options here. From Seattle, I drove down I-5 to Olympia and then cut southwest to Grays Harbor and down Highway 101 along the coast (here's my route on Google maps). It took me almost 3.5 hours to drive home to north Seattle on Monday morning with some rush hour traffic (but not that much).

We stayed at the historic Bloomer Mansion in Seaview, available for rent. It was spacious, private, well-stocked, and comfortable for sprawling out.

BC Road Trip: Rossland and Red Mountain

For years I've heard from friends about the fantastic skiing at Red Mountain and charm of Rossland. A few weeks ago in March, it was finally my turn to experience this fun mountain and great little outdoors town.

While I can't speak authoritatively about the mountain from just one day of skiing, I did have a splendid day skiing there in spring-like conditions. 

Locals told me that about 4 years ago, Rossland got "discovered" and now draws visitors from all over the world. Despite the uptake, Red still retains a local mountain feel.

After a scenic road trip from Seattle, our day skiing was bracketed by two nights in Rossland. We scored a room at the Prestige Mountain Resort on the main street in downtown Rossland, convenient to all the shops and cafes.

We ate very well. Our first evening, we enjoyed an excellent dinner at Gabriella's Restaurant in the lobby of the Prestige. My housemade butternut squash ravioli with wild mushrooms was excellent. I had to restrain myself from finishing it all and getting stuffed.

A brilliant mountain sunrise greeted us before skiing Saturday. Of course I had to grab the camera and snap some shots outside our window.

Before driving the few short miles to the mountain, we walked down the street for coffee/tea/breakfast at the Alpine Grind a couple blocks away. Outside a line had formed before it opened at 8 am, and it was definitely worth the wait. Good quality tea (I can't speak for the coffee but everyone seemed happy) and a toasted whole grain bagel with peanut butter and jelly hit the proverbial spot. (Personally I don't like a big breakfast before skiing).

And on to the mountain, which is literally the other side of the hill from town and less than 10 minutes driving. Morning clouds were cleared off by the time we hit the slopes, which took an hour or so to soften up. However, good grooming made it easy peasy to ski regardless.

There are three mountains at Red, and we didn't go up the actual Red Mountain due to a ski race set up over there.  After a few warm up runs down below, we headed up Granite Mountain, where the panoramic views of the surrounding Kootenay Mountains opened up.

The peak just below is Red Mountain.

For most of the day we stuck to the groomers, and made our way over to Grey Mountain for a few fun runs.

By early afternoon the conditions were softening up quite a bit. I made another foray back over to Granite Mountain and skied down the black diamond front side beneath the chair - Buffalo's Ridge to Main Run.

We quit while we were ahead, tired and happy. Oh, and gotta say, the Thai tofu veggie wrap sandwich I had in the lower lodge was about the tastiest, most healthful lunch I've ever had at a ski mountain.

Saturday night we had dinner at a fairly new place set in an old refurbished gas station/garage in "downtown," the appropriately named Fuel Gastropub and Diner. The salad was tasty, but the real standout dish was the pork belly tacos.

Despite the warmish day, it got chilly as the sun set. We bundled up to stroll and stop in a few shops along the way.

We were up and out early the next day, and while I would have liked another few days to ski, it was a good first taste of what this area has to offer. Next trip I'd like to return earlier in the year - January or February - to hopefully hit some fresh snow and try some of their famous backcountry cat skiing.

How about you, have you skied Red and spent time in Rossland? Would love to hear about it if so.


Happy trails and thanks for visiting Pacific Northwest Seasons! 

In between blog posts, visit Pacific NW Seasons on FaceBook, Twitter, and Instagram for more Northwest photos and outdoors news.

When You Go
As I mentioned in my prior post, Rossland is about a 6 - 8 hour drive from Seattle, just north of the border in southern British Columbia. It's a historic former mining town turned year-round outdoors destination, but skiing was the original draw. Here's a link to the trail map for Red Mountain. 

Road Trip: Seattle to Rossland, BC

One of my favorite things to do is going places I've never been before. I love filling in places on the map with real time adventure.

So I jumped at a recent invite to road trip to Rossland, a charming historic mining town turned outdoors mecca in the famous Kootenay Rockies Region of British Columbia, Canada. While our goal was skiing at Red Mountain, first I have to tell you about the great road trip there from Seattle.

When people outside the Pacific Northwest think of Washington, they usually think hipster-ish Seattle, coffee, rain, deep green forests, and the sea.  Of course our region is much more varied and dramatically different east of the Cascade Crest.

I pulled out my dog-eared copy of Roadside Geology of Washington to learn more about the country we passed through. Some 200 million years ago, much of what became Washington consisted of two large islands drifting in the Pacific Ocean. One after the other they "docked" onto the west coast of the North American continent, which was once almost as far east as Idaho.  

From the edge of Puget Sound to Wenatchee on US Route 2 (the Stevens Pass Scenic Byway), we traversed the ancient North Cascades subcontinent. This micro-continent was one of the former islands that collided and merged into what is today the western edge of the Columbia River Plateau.

The former "west coast"

We snuck over to Leavenworth Thursday pm to get a head start on the long drive to Rossland the next day (with a few planned stops). A dusky pink alpenglow hovered over the mountains surrounding town as we arose early Friday, a good harbinger for the day ahead.

As we drove southeast towards Wenatchee, the sun was still below the surrounding mountains. After turning northward onto Route 97 along the Columbia River toward Chelan (our first stop), the sunlight was just cresting the hilltops along the river.

This much more arid country east of the Cascades is characterized by rolling hills, rocky outcrops, and sparse vegetation. I call it the "dry side."

After a quick stop in Chelan for an errand and to grab a hot drink, we dropped back down to the river and continued northward. The town of Chelan lies at the edge of the glacial moraine formed by the receding glacier thousands of years ago that scoured what became Lake Chelan. [Interesting factoid: The bottom of Lake Chelan is lower than sea level.]

Lake Chelan

We followed the Columbia River, which is dammed into a series of submissive "lakes" along this route, until it drifted eastward toward Grand Coulee Dam and we continued north.

After leaving the river behind, we passed through the thoroughly eastern Washington small towns of Okanogan, Omak, and Tonasket. We're definitely not in Seattle anymore Toto.

Downtown Tonasket

A quick shout-out to Shannon's Deli & Cafe in Tonasket, where we stopped for a breakfast sandwich on the way to B.C. and for a slice of not too tart, not too sweet, just right berry pie on the way home.

And for you geology geeks, Tonasket marks the southern edge and west coast of the former Okanogan island continent (comparable to the North Cascades subcontinent) that also docked against North America about 100 million years ago.

At Tonasket we turned right (eastward) on Highway 20 and enjoyed beautiful, snowy, mountainous scenery as the highway angled northeast towards the town of Republic. There's not much out here but lovely scenery and scattered ranches and homes (see the shot at the top of this post).

These remote mountains of northeastern Washington are home to most of the wolf packs that have returned to our state the last decade or so. 

After a stop in Republic for provisions (snacks, a map), we turned north past Curlew and on up to the border crossing at Danville. Several deer were trudging through the snow along the Kettle River as we passed by.

Downtown Republic

Grand Forks, BC, just across the US border, was our destination for a few hours in the afternoon to visit family. This small town, among many others in this part of BC, is becoming a landing spot for refugees escaping the expensive cost of living around Vancouver on the coast. 

In Grand Forks, we enjoyed excellent coffee and tea at Kocomo's, owned by a friendly mother and son duo.

From Grand Forks on to Rossland, we drove another 80 minutes through the mountains to Rossland and Red Mountain. 

What is your favorite road trip around the Northwest, or anywhere? Would love to hear in a comment below.

Happy trails and thanks for visiting Pacific Northwest Seasons! 

In between blog posts, visit Pacific NW Seasons on FaceBook, Twitter, and Instagram for more Northwest photos and outdoors news.

When You Go
Our total driving time from Seattle to Rossland was between 8 and 9 hours, factoring in stops along the way. We opted to drive north and go over Highway 2 instead of I-90 for an overnight in Leavenworth en route, then north on Highway 97 near Wenatchee, then east onto Highway 20 at Tonasket, then north onto Highway 21 just past Republic to the Danville border crossing, then east-northeast on Highway 3 past Grand Forks, then south onto Highway 38 to Rossland. Sorry, all the routes I searched for online don't show this exact route. Here's a map showing the region and a fairly close route that travels farther east before cutting north.