Today was my birthday and I got to pick our destination. I chose Leavenworth, a quaint Bavarian village located in an alpine setting along Washington's Highway 2. In 1962, after the Great North Railroad relocated from Leavenworth to Wenatchee, the town's economy became sluggish. After visiting the Danish-themed town of Solvang in California, a committee suggested that Leavenworth could be remade into a Bavarian village. The idea caught on, and today Leavenworth is a year-round thriving tourist village. Arrive early, because it's hard to park!
The snow-capped mountains add to the charm of Leavenworth
We didn't buy any souvenirs, but Dave and I had a good time window shopping and taking pictures. After brunch at Cafe Verona, we walked all around the town and then walked downhill to the path along the Wenatchee River. Suddenly we were away from the mobs of tourists and enjoying the beauty of nature, along with the company of a few other nature-lovers. 
From the path along the Wenatchee River
After spending a few hours in the Leavenworth area, we drove back to our motorhome. We are parked at the Chelan County Expo Center in Cashmere, a few miles east of Leavenworth and a few miles west of Wenatchee. One other motorhome came into this park yesterday, and our two rigs have the place to ourselves. Sunday afternoon we will return to Wenatchee Confluence State Park for a few more days. 
Since we ate brunch in Leavenworth, we decided to eat dinner in Cashmere. It's my birthday, you know, so I can't cook today! We stumbled onto a non-fancy, but oh so tasty barbecue place called Country Boy's. Yummy, yummy food--we highly recommend it if you're in the area and like southern-style BBQ. 
Oink, oink--you'll get a lot to eat at Country Boy's
We rounded out the day by watching a DVD of The King's Speech. It was a great movie, and I can see why it won so many awards. Now my birthday is almost over and I can relax until next year, when I face the big 6-0 birthday!
Thanks for indulging me today, Dave!
