Leavenworth, WA

Leavenworth, WA is a city in Chelan county.  Population 1965 with a median income of $35,700 and a median age of 41.  The entire town center is modified on a Bavarian village.  The first route across Stephen Pass was built be the Great Northern Railway in 1892.  The town site was across the Wenatchee river from Icicle and was named Leavenworth the same year the construction was completed.   Captain Charles Leavenwoth, president of the Okanogan Investment Company,purchased the land in present downtown Leavenworth.  They laid the streets parallel to the railroad tracks.  The railroad was completed in the Winter of 1893.  Lafayette and Chauncey Lamb came to Leavenworth in 1902 and built the second largest sawmill in Washington State.  Leavenworth became incorporated in September 1906 and the community became the headquarters of the Great North Railroad in the early 1900's.  In 1920 the railroad relocated  and the town met it's demise.  It continued in the same path until 1962 when the Project LIFE (Leavenworth Improvement For Everything) committee decided to transform the city into a mock Bavarian village.  They got the idea from Olsen & Pauline Watson who had visited Sobrangs, CA.  The town there was a Bavarian village so they suggested that idea and the rest is history.  Leavenworth has a Nutcracker museum that has over 5000 nutcrackers.  The town also holds an annual Oktober Fest and a few other festivals. 
Leavenworth made me feel like I was in a Bavarian town with music being played and all the buildings looking like a town in Germany.  It is a lot of fun with the unique shops, great restaurants (many featuring German food and all the festivals that are going on.  This week end is an Art Festival.  We walked the entire town, had lunch at Uncle Ull's Pub and continued to check out the town.  If you are ever in this area you have to stop by and stay a night or two and enjoy being in Germany aka Leavenworth!