May 25th, 2019, we spent two nights in Coeur d’Alene, staying at the Blackwell Island RV Park. We rode the Trails of the Coeur d’Alene, a 70-mile-long paved bike path around the Lake. We started in the Historic town of Harrison and rode about 25 miles out-and-back on a flat rails-to-trails paved path. The scenery was beautiful along the Lake, and we crossed over the Lake on the old railroad bridge to the other side. After the ride we went to One Shot Charlie’s for pizza and beer in Harrison. A great bike ride, can’t wait to do it again!
On May 27th, 2019, we stayed at the KOA in Leavenworth, WA, for two nights so we could explore the town. Leavenworth is a Bavarian-style village in the Cascade Mountains, in central Washington. Leavenworth’s history does not begin with the alpine tradition, but with the proud heritage of three Native American tribes: the Yakima, Chinook, and Wenatchee, who hunted the land for deer and elk. The early Pioneers settled in the area in search of gold, furs, and fertile farmland. By 1890, the original town was built on the Icicle Flats. The town prospered with the arrival of the Great Northern Railway at the end of the century. However, the rerouting of the Railway and the closure of the sawmill turned the bustling community into a hollow, empty community, and for more than thirty years, Leavenworth lived on the brink of extinction. In the early 1960’s, the leaders of the community agreed to remodel their hamlet in the form of a Bavarian village. The new plan worked and Leavenworth has become a pillar of the tourism industry in the Pacific Northwest. As we walked the crowded streets in the village we were aware of the popularity of this town. Two million tourists come to Leavenworth each year, and the people of Leavenworth not only survived their most critical hour, they endured. We walked by the unique Blackbird Lodge in the heart of the Bavarian Village, it would be a great place to vacation while visiting Leavenworth.
The Majestic mountains surrounding the town are spectacular and we took a drive up the highway to Stevens Pass Mountain Resort to see the mountains up close. On the way back, we stopped for lunch at the 59er Diner on Hwy US-2 just outside of Leavenworth. A fun place to stop where you can play the juke box with hundred’s of 50’s tunes and eat World Famous Burgers and drink one of the great old-fashioned malts. Click on thumbnail to view images
