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Leavenworth
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A few miles south of Chelan, the Cascade Loop turns west along US-2 at
Wenatchee
, the drab center of Washington's embattled apple industry, suffering from a recent market glut of fruit from Asia. From there, the loop heads for pocket-sized
LEAVENWORTH
, a Bavarian theme town where even the
Safeway
and
McDonald's
are decked out in high gables and half-timbered woodwork. It only takes about an hour to explore the place, but there are plenty of outdoor activities to be had in the spectacular mountain setting - though the hills may look a little charred after the area's recent rash of wildfires. The
ranger station
, just off US-2 at 600 Sherbourne St (daily 7.45am-4.30pm; tel 509/782-1413), provides trail guides and hiking information, and
bikes, canoes
and
kayaks
can be rented from several outlets, including
Leavenworth Ski and Sports
, US-2 at Icicle Road (tel 509/548-7864). The
visitors center
, 894 Hwy-2 (tel 509/548-5807,
), has copious listings of places to
stay
and
eat
. Downtown options include the arch-Teutonic suites of the
Hotel Pension Anna
, 926 Commercial St (tel 509/548-6273,
; $100-130), and the comparable
Enzian Motor Inn
, 590 Hwy-2 (tel 509/548-5269 or 1-800/223-8511,
; $100-130). The
Andreas Keller
, 829 Front St (tel 509/548-6000), serves up hefty helpings of gut-busting German cuisine.
West of Leavenworth, US-2 crosses the mountains over Stevens Pass, but the principal east-west highway, I-90, lies further to the south, connecting Seattle with the fertile Yakima Valley. Near I-90 is the 268-foot
Snoqualmie Falls
and the luxurious
Salish Lodge
, 6501 Railroad Ave SE (tel 425/888-2556 or 1-800/826-6124,
; $250+), where much of the David Lynch television series
Twin Peaks
was filmed. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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United States,
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