Going to Leavenworth, WA

Okay - Leavenworth is a small town. Very, very cool, though. They really go overboard with the German theme and with all the Christmas light (think Griswald's Christmas Vacation), it will be sensory overload. I've heard that Christmas can be a bit of a shitshow, but it will be festive as hell. The mountains in the backdrop are beautiful.

Lot's of good German restaurants and places to get authentic German sausages. We ate at Andreas Keller's, which is in the basement of one of the buildings on the main drag. Loved the Schnitzel Cordon Bleu - pork cutlet stuffed with smoked pork and Swiss cheese and covered with mushroom sauce over Spatzle. Loved it. Our choices were limited because we were there on Thanksgiving day and many places were closed.

There are lots of shops and there should be some events going on. We got 4" of snow on Thanksgiving, so that added to the holiday mood.

Blackbird Island on the river is pretty cool, with some trails to walk along and great views of the Wenatchee River.

The Leavenworth Reindeer Farm is about a mile out of town and is pretty cool. I learned a lot about Reindeer that I didn't know before, and you get to walk amongst the herd. It was a little steep at $15/person, but it was an enjoyable experience.

There are a number of wineries and breweries in town to check out, as well. As I mentioned, lot's of places grill sausages outside, so the place smells really good.


Here it is at Christmas time:


If money is no object, The Posthotel looks fantastic, and the views overlooking the river are amazing. It's also right in downtown Leavenworth, so everything is right outside your door.
Posthotel

Otherwise, I used Hotwire.com to get a room for 80 bucks a night. There are a lot of local hotels that are okay - nothing special, but decent and clean.

Have Fun!

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so we will have a rental.

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Opt for a Subaru if possible or something with FWD. Don't get RWD unless it has 4WD.

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If the weather isn't bad, Highway 2 through Stevens Pass. Nice and scenic.

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Yes. I came up from Portland. I took I-84 west through the Columbia River Gorge and then Hwy 97 north. Never had to contend with Stevens Pass, but that doesn't help the OP, unless they come visit Portland, which could be an enjoyable trip.

Swelbo1 - How did you decide to spend time in Leavenworth? Where are you staying?

Parking in town may be an issue. Having a hotel right in town may be worth the extra $$$.

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Is this a good location to be able to walk to the attractions of downtown?

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You are about 1/2 mile from where all the action is. You can walk it, but it may be a chore, depending on the weather. Front St. is the main drag through downtown. There is a restaurant called Gustavs right where Front St meets Hwy 2. Turn onto Front St and you'll see the downtown area. One good thing is that you will not have to cross Hwy 2 to get downtown and can walk/drive on quiet back roads to get there.

You can probably walk or drive down Commercial St to downtown and may find a parking spot on the way. Downtown will definitely be a challenge to find a parking spot on the main drag, and you'll probably have to wait from someone else to leave. With all the bars, wineries, and breweries, walking or Uber may be the best think.

You should have a blast. You will see plenty of Christmas lights, that's for sure.