Leavenworth, WA

Two years ago around Christmas, we saw a show on TV about the Top 10 Christmas towns in the US and one of them was Leavenworth, WA.  We were pretty excited this year to go and see it.  My parents came up last Friday and we left last Saturday to drive over there (it's a few hours away).  And it was so much fun!

Leavenworth is a Bavarian town, and they go all out for Christmas. 

It was cold there, so hot chocolate was in order. The kids got some cheaper instant hot cocoa, while the adults had some from Starbucks.  Starbucks peppermint hot chocolate is DIVINE!:):)  Good thing we have no lack of Starbucks here in WA, haha:)

Behind the kids is a little wood burning furnace, similar to ones they had all over there.  It made the air smell so good!

Waiting for our hot dogs and bratwursts

The entire town was decorated so festive!

Right in the middle of the town, they have a big hill all the kids go sledding down.  I am not sure what my mom and I thought was more entertaining, watching the kids come down the hill on their sleds, or watching the parents taking pictures almost get taken out by a snow sledder.  One sled practically went between my moms legs and took her down with them (no one was hurt, but I would have LOVED getting a picture of that, haha:) Scott and Dylan took out a different lady, who afterwards asked them if they could do it again:)

They had a place the kids could make little paper lanterns with a little light inside for a parade later on in the evening. We took off before the parade started, but the kids had fun making and playing with their lanterns.

By the end of the night, it was VERY crowded, on the streets and in the shops, so we left, but it was such a fun town to visit.  Leavenworth is such a cute place. I now want to go back to their other festivals throughout the year, maybe the one in the springtime when it is warmer:)