If you’ve got a free day and a group of friends willing to pile into a car, a road trip to Leavenworth, Washington, is worth considering. I’ve heard about a group of students who did just that; rented a car, loaded it up with four classmates, and hit the road with one person taking the wheel.
The trip itself is significant. They started in Longview and made their first stop in Olympia, the state capital. You could go through the Legislative Building tour and, if you catch it right, get into the Senate chamber right after a session. It's one of those little unexpected things that add character to a trip, then Seattle, the University of Washington, with renowned cherry blossoms in the spring. Catch it at the right time, and it's worth a detour. Delicate pale pink rows of trees border the paths, and it makes a standard campus walk something entirely different.
Leavenworth is more than five hours from Longview. They got there around 7 p.m. and stayed in an Airbnb. Valuable lesson here: rent somewhere that actually has room for your crew. This group had room for four, so the driver had to sleep in the vehicle. Hilarious in retrospect, likely not so much at the time.
Half the reason to visit Leavenworth is the food. The town is built to be a chunk of Bavaria, and the cuisine doesn't disappoint. You may receive Schnitzel, mashed potatoes, pickled red cabbage, and German-style Bratwurst hot dogs. I've heard that the Bratwurst is a no-brainer. Old-school, uncomplicated, done right.
The town itself goes whole hog with the German village idea. Old-world European-style buildings, locals who sometimes dress in clothing of that time, and snowy mountains ring the place. It feels like a movie set, but it's actual and great at what it does.
Two places people talk about:
Christmas Lights, a Christmas decoration-filled store year-round. It's full of ornaments, lights, and all things holiday, whether or not it's the holiday season. Over-the-top but strangely endearing.
Sausage Garten, an outdoor stand where you can get bratwursts and sausages. No-frills, quick, and just what you need after walking around town or riding in a car all day
The highlight was not even Leavenworth itself, but those many hours driving there and home. Road hours offer chances to truly talk, laugh, and be in comfortable silence as the country rolls by outside you. The trip becomes more about the in-between and less about the getting-there.
If you’re looking for a no-nonsense road trip with good food, mountain views, and a town that fully commits to its theme, Leavenworth does the job.