Central & Eastern Washington - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 366

( www.nutcrackermuseum.com ; 735 Front St; admission $2.50; 2-5pm; ) As much a gift
shop as a place to peruse, the Nutcracker Museum specializes, as you'd guess, in an ex-
ceptional variety (around 5000 at last count) of nutcracker dolls. Ebony, metal, boxwood,
ivory and porcelain - who knew cracking nuts could be so much fun?

Activities
It's no wonder Leavenworth is one of Washington's adventure capitals: there are outdoor
activities galore during all seasons. Aside from the following you can also try out dog
sledding with Leavenworth Dog Sledding Adventures ( 509-630-0456;
www.leavenworthdogsledding.com ; 15263 North Shore Dr; tours per person from $60) or tackle the
river on a stand-up paddle board with gear available from Leavenworth Mountain
Sports (

509-548-7864; www.leavenworthmtnsports.com ; 220 US 2; 10am-6pm Mon-Fri,

9am-6pm Sat & Sun) .

Hiking
Leavenworth offers ample opportunities for hiking. The most diverse selection of trails
can be found in the nearby Alpine Lakes Wilderness and vary from an easy 3.5-mile river
loop to a challenging two- to three-day backcountry slog. Pick up a trail map at the
chamber of commerce.

Skiing
The area around Leavenworth has some diverse skiing opportunities, including downhill
skiing, cross-country skiing, tubing, snowshoeing and even ski jumping. A number of
hotels rent skis and equipment, or you can inquire at Der Sportsman ( 509-548-5623;
www.dersportsmann.com ; 837 Front St; 1-day bike/cross-country ski rentals from $25/14;
9am-6pm) . The Leavenworth Winter Sports Club ( www.skileavenworth.com ) is a local um-
brella organization, and its website contains a wealth of local ski information. The club
helps maintain 26km of mostly level trails at Icicle River, Waterfront Park and Leaven-
worth Ski Hill (day pass adult/child $15/10; 3-7pm Wed & Fri, 9.30am-7pm Sat & Sun late
Dec-Feb) . The hill has 5km of trails lit for night skiing, a tubing park and a rather famous
ski jump.

Rafting
The 18.5-mile stretch of the Wenatchee River from Leavenworth to Monitor promises
some of the biggest rapids in the state (class III and IV) and one of the best ways to catch
them is to join an organized rafting trip. Locally run Osprey Rafting Co (
509-548-6800; www.ospreyrafting.com ; 4342 Icicle Rd) offers everything from high-adventure