Orcas Island Getaway

I have a confession: I've been a native Washingtonian and resident for more than fifty years now, and there are places in this state that I can hardly believe I haven't visited. One of those places I can now happily check off that list. Although I've been to San Juan Island, I've never visited Orcas Island in the same vicinity until recently.

A member of my book group, The Plummeting Tortoises, happens to have a family cabin that sits on the north side of Orcas Island. We got together for an overnight stay last week where we discussed the book ("The Year of the Flood" by Margaret Atwood which we all liked a great deal) and did an admirable job of eating, drinking, listening to music and generally doing plenty of nothing.

View from the beach: Robert, Steven, Tim

In the morning I immediately hit the kitchen and prepared chorizo and scrambled eggs for breakfast. Give me any opportunity to impose Mexican food of any kind on a captive audience and I'm all over it.

One of the highlights? That would be Robert and Steven breaking out the dulcimers (doesn't everyone have a dulcimer or two sitting around the house?) with Steven's vocal and Tim accompanying on body percussion. Here is a clip I recorded in a clandestine moment:

Weekend in Leavenworth

Okay, so the town of Leavenworth, WA is to Bavarian culture what surimi is to authentic crab meat. But it's been years since we've made the scene there and BowlingWidow chose this Central Washington destination for the celebration of her 50th birthday (oops, did I just reveal her age???).

The first thing you notice when you get into town is the traffic. My advice for anyone arriving on a hot Saturday after noon is this: find a free gravel parking lot on the edge of town and walk. You'll get there faster. The second thing you notice is that every business in town is decked out in some sort of quaint livery. As one might expect this is true for the vast amounts of wine, cheese and sausage shops. But it also spills over into Safeway, Union 76, and McDonalds. Any city that can get McDonalds to roll over and fetch like that is okay in my book. And here's an added bonus: there are more clean public toilets per capita in Leavenworth than any place I've been. I can't believe that Frommers hasn't mentioned this.

A quiet Sunday morning in Leavenworth

After we finished making our first pass through town, we had some time before checking in to the bed and breakfast. And there is one craft brewery, Icicle Brewing, in Leavenworth. I think you can connect the dots that lead to appetizers and a frosty IPA.

The place we stayed at was called Abdenblume, a top of the line B&B that's about a mile north of town. It was rustic and elegant with stylish and tasty breakfasts. I know this was the case because I couldn't pronounce the names of whatever it was we were being served. Just one complaint about things: the bed and the bathtub were so elevated that I needed a vaulting pole to get to them. I should have asked for the room that's made for the man with a 29-inch inseam.

Abdenblume bed and breakfast: that's our balcony on the left

Saturday's dinner was an unsuspected hit. We ate at a place called "South"a restaurant specializing in the traditional regional food of Mexico. BowlingWidow had the Fish Veracruz while I indulged on an array of pork tacos. Forget about being in the land of sauerkraut and go here. It's well worth it.

After Sunday's breakfast we ventured back into to town for a 2 hour float on Icicle Creek and the Wenatchee River. For just 17 bucks each, Tube Leavenworth will drive you to the river entrance, issue you a covered inner tube (that's surprisingly comfortable), and pick you up when it's all over. A great deal and it's quite the laid back experience. The only real "danger"is dodging the occasional rock or deadhead (no, not those kinds of deadheads) and avoiding bored anglers who cast their fishing lines at you.

BowlingJoe and his new friend

As luck would have it, we were dropped off after the float right next to a beer garden called Der Hinterhof. This played right into our hand as we hadn't had a bratwurst sandwich yet. This is a great place, outdoors with plenty of umbrellas and live music every now and then. BowlingWidow enjoyed a beer from their vast selection. I had to one-up her with my own liter tankard filled with draft dark lager from Roslyn Brewing. I figured that its keg made the 2 hour trip to the tap in better shape than something that was dispatched from Europe.

A true liter of beer

The next day we packed up and were outta there after the obligatory shopping for German mustard and a gift for Muffinheadedboy. But I'll be darned if we didn't get halfway home and realize we forgot to buy lederhosen. Oh well. Maybe next time.