The Cabin & Leavenworth, Washington

The first weekend in November we packed our bags and headed up to my family's cabin in the mountains, near the faux-Bavarian town of Leavenworth.

My family bought this little decrepit cabin right after I left for college and they spent the next few years renovating and restoring it by the sweat of their own brows to become a quaint and cozy home away from home. If you've been reading this blog since the beginning, you may have seen a post here and there throughout the years about our visits to this cute cabin!

The more people we can cram in, the better! Now I'm married with a couple kids, Eric is married with a kid and another on the way, Allie is married with a kid - so fun to have grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews all under one roof!

While the heaters were warming up the cabin, we decided to make some heat of our own by going on a hike up the mountain in the backyard. My dad was always several yards ahead of us (and Gypsy the dog several yards ahead of him, leading the way!) chucking fallen branches off the path and making a way for us to get through the debris.

We made it to the top! Fox and Jane did great.

Cousin time!

On the way to dinner we stopped at Plain Hardware to check out all the cute things there then drove a bit further into the heart of Leavenworth.

We have especially been looking forward to this visit, knowing full-well it would be bittersweet. It is literally built to look like a Bavarian village, or the same kinds of towns we would visit most weekends during our four years living in Germany!

Complete with a Maypole and wrought-iron signs, it really felt like we were transported back into Bayern. I even heard a couple families speaking German. WE MISS GERMANY! 

It was a chilly fall day, with leaves scattered on the ground, making for a picturesque background setting.

Chain stores like McDonalds, Coldstone Creamery, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Subway, 76, and the like, are all altered to fit the Bavarian theme. So cute.

Except for the large American SUV vehicles lining the streets giving it away, you would never know this is a town in the USA!

Horse-drawn carriage ride anyone? You know, I don't think I have ever been on one! Bucketlist.

It's PINK!

We ate dinner at Leavenworth Pizza Company then splurged on caramel apples. We'll have to come back in a few more weeks once all of the Christmas lights are set up!

The next morning we woke up to legit snow! Winter is coming here!

A short little montage of our time at the cabin and Leavenworth:

We can't wait to go back!