Adventures in Leavenworth

 

By FIUTS facilitators Limenglin Allan Cai, Kevin Sander, and Sascha Krause

Travel east from the Emerald City and eventually rain turns into snow and evergreen forests are hidden under white shrouds. It only takes a few hours to drive across the mountain passes, but in the heart of the Cascades, the Portal to the Pacific seems a world away. Tucked amidst the icy peaks, the Bavarian village of Leavenworth transports you even further; beloved by Northwesterners, this Global Getaway feels closer to Austria than it does to Idaho.

Kevin being a gentleman, holding onto all the purses and murses while scouting out for how much cash he could secretly take. I AM JUST KIDDING! Sorry Kevin lol [sarcasm] I’m sooo glad to see we got a picture of this [/sarcasm] - Kevin

Kevin being a gentleman, holding onto all the purses and murses while scouting out for how much cash he could secretly take. I AM JUST KIDDING! Sorry Kevin lol [sarcasm] I’m sooo glad to see we got a picture of this [/sarcasm] - Kevin

For the thirty-two Huskies lucky enough to make the trip, this FIUTS Global Getaway was a weekend full of food, fun, and solace from the stresses of university life. Upon arriving at the lovely Obertal Inn on Saturday afternoon, we were given a long list of recommendations for food and activities by their incredibly helpful staff. Before long, the entire group was scouring the town, enjoying shopping, sightseeing, and munching on pretzels and sausages at Munchen Haus as well as other reputable Leavenworth eateries. Some went down to relax by the Wenatchee River in the snow-covered Waterfront Park while others continued browsing the many shops of Front St for hats, snacks, and trinkets. Everyone converged once again for a group dinner of traditional German dishes provided by the kind folks at the Bavarian Bistro and Bar. Full of sausage and schnitzel, the group split again to either enjoy live music and drinks at Der Hinterhof or relax in the hotel’s complimentary hot tub.

On Sunday morning we hit the slopes of Leavenworth’s Ski Hill for some snow tubing. In turns, we tried to see who could get down the hill the fastest, how many people we could get to go down all at once, and who could make manipulate the conservation of angular momentum to make their tube spin the fastest.

Showing off new friendships

Showing off new friendships

We met again at the ski lodge to warm up by the fire and play some card games before heading back to town. However, as we were heading back to the cars, snowballs began to fly and soon the entire group was caught in a chaotic snow fight. Nobody is quite sure who threw the first snowball, but what is sure is that nobody escaped the fun that ensued. Once back in town, we split up for a quiet lunch and some last minute shopping.

While Leavenworth may only be a small town, wondrous views, fun activities, and delicious food are packed into every inch, so our weekend there still felt like too little time to take it all in. However, as we crossed back over Stevens Pass, we took comfort in knowing that along with our souvenirs, we were bringing back good memories and new friends from our short time in Leavenworth.

Be a part of a FIUTS Global Getaway to Canada over spring break! Click here to learn more.

 
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