Lake Chelan’s WinterFest
You live in Seattle. The winters are miserable. Grey, cloudy; cold sleet and rain. Every day. Even when it doesn’t rain, there’s no sun; lately it’s been 30 degrees and fog. If you can get to the ski slopes you might get lucky, but the fog is here because there’s a temperature inversion. That means it’s going to be warmer in the mountains than in the city. What do you do to get away and find a bit of sanity? The easiest and quickest getaway is to head east of the mountains and Lake Chelan, just north of Wenatchee, qualifies. Three hours and you’re there.
Every January Chelan has WinterFest. It’s a local two weekends of fun, food, wine tasting, ice sculptures, music and other little events. Oh, and usually there’s sun, glorious sun. Don’t think you’re going to be warm though. This is Eastern Washington in winter, man. Come on, get real! You’ll be lucky if the temperature gets above freezing.
Still, there’s sun and friendly faces. Strangers greet you on the sidewalk. Locals are relaxed and having a good time doing simple things. The wineries are an extension of that mindset. While there’s plenty of hard work in running a winery, they nevertheless are happy, enjoying the moment and ready to engage – easy to do when there’s a glass of wine in your hand.
The hillsides surrounding the lake offer unobstructed views from almost anywhere. Fine local eateries like Campbells, Wapato Point Cellars and Blueberry Hills Farm offer great breakfasts, Italian cuisine and good old American comfort food.
If a more mountainous venue is more to your liking, Leavenworth, the Washington center of all things Bavarian, is an entertaining start. There are plenty of restaurants, watering holes, and chocolate, cheese and knickknack shops to choose from. The Cheese Monger and Obelisco are two of our favorites. Tasting rooms are numerous, and there’s the local Icicle Brewing Company along with the wonderful Blue Spirits Distillery offering a plethora of imaginative concoctions for your drinking pleasure. The walk along the Wenatchee River is scenic and Stevens Pass Ski Area is not far back up Highway 2. From either Leavenworth or Chelan you can also head to Mission Ridge Ski Area outside Wenatchee.
Every small town in these parts has their own celebrations to occupy locals and attract out-of-towners. Leavenworth is no exception. They include Oktoberfest (of course), the popular Christmas Lighting Festival and the Village of Lights in February.
For a sanity break and a bit of fun, I take the opposite advice of Horace Greeley, and head east young man! I get myself a dose of winter fun and sun and head back home feeling rejuvenated. There’s always the thought, too, of heading to the southern deserts for sun and warmth. But, Chelan and Leavenworth are easy drives full of things I like to do. It’s hard to beat that.
