Today, Josh and I drove up to Leavenworth and snowshoed the day away. We opted to do this instead of the trip to Vancouver we had planned to celebrate our Anniversary. Financially, it was the smart choice. And while it was no Canadian train getaway, it was really so much fun! Lulu was especially in love with the adventure and ran every ounce of energy out of her system. She is currently dead to the world on her chair.
Josh had never been up to Leavenworth and it was fun to show him the kitschiness of the town. Maybe 40 years ago, to encourage tourism to the town, they decided to fashion the whole place after a small town in Bavaria, Germany, which is the region I am originally from. All of the buildings are built/renovated and even painted to mimic Bavaria. Even Starbucks, McDonalds and the Best Western are outfitted complete with wooden painted signs in a German Alps style in lieu of the standard neon one you would normally see on their buildings. In the summers, they have townfolk dressed in lederhosen and dirndls, performing schublatteln (traditional Bavarian clothing and dancing as seen in National Lampoon when Chevy Chase gets into a slapping match with a male dancer) in the town square complete with accordion players and tuba players performing oom-pa-pa music. For a german native like me, it's totally ridiculous. For the average American, it seems to be a hit. I must admit it puts a smile on my face regardless of it being fake. And the area where the town sits is gorgeous. The mountains surround the town like the Alps do in Bavaria and winter is a haven for snow sports while summer is the ideal place for camping, rafting, hiking and kayaking.
For dinner, we went to a german-themed restaurant and Josh had spaetzle for the first time. It was a hit, which is great because I love the stuff and can't believe I haven't made it for him before. I'll definitely add that to the rotating dinner schedule from now on.
I desperately need to upload photos from my camera. As soon as I do, I'll add some pics from today and last weekend's girls' getaway. Right now, I need to call in a sub because I've decided to play hooky tomorrow for a much needed mental health day. I'm pooped!
