The Cascade Loop National Scenic Byway is in my state. The loop covers a pretty decent range of the scenery typical of Washington state. On Day 4 of our trip around the loop, we were back on the road. Enjoying the scenery of Okanagan County, in the northern part of Eastern Washington and the Eastern Cascades. Our route took us through Twisp, through Okanagan country, along the Columbia River over to Lake Chelan, then back into the Cascades at Leavenworth.
Most years we go to Paradise at Mount Rainier for a few days to hike and just enjoy the mountain air. But this year we decided to see some of the state that we haven’t been to before. It seemed like a good idea to spend our vacation dollars locally. We bought a pass for state parks when we renewed our car tabs this year so we tended to focus on visiting state parks during this outing.
Twisp, a fun town in the Washington Okanagan
Just down the highway from Winthrop is the town of Twisp. We spent a little time in the town of Twisp, and typical of us, found a lovely walk along the river. I liked Twisp and might be inclined to make that our vacation from driving day if we do the Cascade Loop again (a very real possibility). I would call it quirky instead of kitschy, because, although clearly a tourist town, it leans into an artistic sort of vibe.
A few roadside stops: typical Okanagan scenes
Eastern Washington is fairly rural. There weren’t a ton of formal stopping places, so we pulled over at a few wide spots in the road to enjoy the scenery of the area.
Alpine Lake in the Eastern Cascades
We had a picnic lunch at Alpine Lake. A lovely spot we didn’t know even existed until I searched for state parks near the Cascade Loop. It’s a really beautiful spot, Since this lake is fed by snow melt I was shocked by how many people were in swim suits carrying floats. Brrr! I was fascinated to watch the clouds coming up over the mountains and evaporating into totally clear skies. I watched them for quite a while and they kept coming and disappearing.
Views from Pashastin Pinnacles
Pashastin Pinnacles are unique limestone formations on the Eastern side of the Cascade Mountains near Leavenworth.
Leavenworth
Another kitschy place. Leavenworth, has gone all in with a Bavarian theme. I wanted to enjoy it, really I did. But after a long day on the road and enjoying the outdoors, I felt a bit overwhelmed and head-achy due to the crowds and general busyness. So we walked around town a little then found dinner and had an early night.
The Leavenworth area is very beautiful and, even if you aren’t into kitsch, it makes a good base for exploring in the Cascade mountains. It has more amenities and choices for dining than a lot of the towns in this area. One thing to watch out for is that the many festivals the town hosts make it a good idea to plan reservations in advance. Another quick note: We didn’t stop there this trip, but a fun nearby town to explore is Cashmere. Personally, I like it a bit better than its more famous neighbor, but I don’t think they have a place to stay. They have a great barbecue restaurant and the Aplets and Cotlets factory, where you can load up on gifts for the folks back home.
Cascade Loop Scenic Byway series
Other posts about our trip:
I use Raw Therapee and the GIMP, both open source, to process photos. This post describes the process I use.
Again, I’m enjoying the memories your trip is evoking for me, as well as your gorgeous photos of this wonderful scenery! We really liked Twisp but unfortunately we were there on a Sunday and the galleries and studios we’d hoped to visit were all closed. We didn’t take to Leavenworth at all however – too kitsch by far and far too crowded. We only managed to secure 20 minute parking but to be honest 20 minutes was more than enough! We’d planned to get coffee there but found great espresso at a farm shop just outside the town instead 🙂 Cashmere though was great, we loved the Pioneer Museum there!