In Search of a Second Look

Last weekend was my daughter’s birthday. We really like to celebrate. Our family sees each day as a gift and the more birthdays you have, the luckier you are. No one here lies about their age. We are grateful to have reached each and every one.

A birthday favorite. Thank goodness there were 4 of us to eat it.

My daughter and I had made the trip to Leavenworth, Washington several years ago. We stayed in a room over the bookstore that time. You know how I love bookstores. This time we stayed in a regular motel/hotel that had a townhouse layout with enough beds to sleep all 4 of at a lower cost than the regular room rates. It’s a five hour drive each way and one way is easier on the nervous system than the other. I’m very uncomfortable in bumper to bumper highway traffic on a Sunday afternoon.

See, here’s the sign. I can just smell the books in this little independent store.

Anyone for coffee and sweets first thing in the morning?

This particular weekend was their “Taste of Leavenworth” event. Its pear country and my son bought us coupons to sample the wares of many of the shops that had everything from pear cheese to pear wine and strudel, though not all at the same time.

Bookstore is upstairs and around the other size of the building

This little community worked hard to save their town. After seeing the town of Solvang, CA, the city council decided that might work to keep their town thriving and made the change in 1962. I loved Solvang too. Both towns have the flavor of old world Europe.

Everything here has a Bavarian flair to it. The green tall trees and the cascading mountains are very reminiscent of the areas in Germany I remember so well, giving me a bit of that “I’m home” feeling. Just my cup of tea or the beer I’d prefer. Even the sushi restaurant and the creperie look Bavarian on the outside. That made me laugh. I found the quilt shop again with so much eye candy that I was staggering out the door. The gingerbread cookies were saved from the bakery till later.

I looked at the town with slightly different eyes this time. Taking photos this time made me think about what others would see were they to want to visit. I took a bit more time to notice things like the clearness of the air.

They do Christmas here in a big way with an entire Christmas store and a Nutcracker Museum. Good Morning America and HGTV have both featured this town. I’m not fond of traveling in the snowy winters anymore so spring is the perfect time for me. The pear blossoms were in full bloom everywhere but we drove by so fast, only my son caught this.

There were fields of these.

First thing in the morning the streets were quiet but the smells wafting out of the bakeries and coffee shops was heavenly. The air was crystal clear and Sunday morning we saw fresh snow on the mountains. Everyone is behind on their moisture levels so snow was welcome on the Cascades.

The clouds played with us all morning. They were beautiful.

My diet is postponed till after next week. I’ll be away again on a quilting retreat and food will be prepared for us. Can we all say woohoo! It’s sad when you are so busy with life you don’t have time to write about it. Well, maybe not.

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Have you ever looked at somewhere differently the second time you saw it?

From my heart to yours,
Marlene Herself