Hi Tracy,

Yeah, Leavenworth *is* a tourist trap, but it kinda reminds of a similar "Bavarian"-style town in North Georgia that I used to go to a lot when I lived in Georgia ... Helen ... you may have heard of it. Or not. Anyway, I've been through Leavenworth many times, but I'm not the shopping type. There are some great hiking areas up along Icicle Creek and we've hiked quite a few of them. And if you used to be a climber, you know that Icicle Creek is one of the better known rock-climbing areas in the state. I don't climb, but Gary used to a lot back when he was younger (his favorite place was Yosemite ... he practically lived there <g>).

~~Bonnie


>Hi Bonnie,
>
>I lived in Washington for sometime. First when I was stationed at Fort Lewis and later in Vancouver. I still have relatives in Bellevue. It is one of the most beautiful states in America (along with Oregon, Colorado, and western Wyoming). One of my favorite spots is the Bavarian village of Leavenworth. The town is a tourist trap I know, but the area around there is absolutely beautiful and the shops in the town make a nice respite after hiking all day in the mountains. I used to spend days up in the hills hiking and rock-climbing but I haven't been able to do that in years. My absolute favorite climbing spot is SawTooth Mountain and Longs Peak, CO.