Central & Eastern Washington - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 365

back in the 1960s after the rerouting of the cross-continental railway threatened to put it
permanently out of business. Swapping wood for tourists, tiny Leavenworth has success-
fully reinvented itself as a traditional Romantische Strasse village, right down to the beer,
sausages and lederhosen-loving locals (25% of whom are German). The crisp and clean
mountain-scenery setting helps, as does the fact that Leavenworth serves as the main
activity center for sorties into the nearby Alpine Lakes Wilderness and Wenatchee Na-
tional Forest.
Sights
Leavenworth's small Bavarian hub is centered on Front St, where gabled alpine houses
nestle in the shadow of the craggy peaks of the North Cascade Mountains. A leisurely
stroll through this diminutive, if distinctly surreal, alpine community, with its European
cheesemongers, dirndl-wearing waitresses, wandering accordionists and neatly stacked
log piles, is one of Washington state's oddest but most endearing experiences. Even the
Bank of America and Starbucks signs are on homemade-looking wood panels in fancy
Germanic fonts.
Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery HATCHERY
(12790 Fish Hatchery Rd; admission by donation; 8am-4pm) Of three thriving fish
hatcheries on the Columbia River, this is the largest and, quite possibly, the most interest-
ing. Created to provide a spawning ground for salmon that had been blocked from mi-
grating upriver by the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam in the 1930s, the ongoing
fish-rearing project produces some 1.6 million Chinook salmon a year. The young smolt
are released into Icicle Creek each spring, from where they migrate to the Pacific.
From the hatchery, you can hike the mile-long Icicle Creek Interpretive Trail and
learn about the local ecology and history.
Waterfront Park PARK
Tucked out of view but surprisingly close, this green area provides Leavenworth with ac-
cess to the Wenatchee River. Wander down 9th St and follow the leafy domain over a
footbridge and onto Blackbird Island, where you can catch a glimpse of Sleeping Lady
Mountain ringed by foliage. Interpretive signs furnish the route and help explain the local
plant and animal life.
Nutcracker Museum MUSEUM