Leavenworth

Besides the Bavarian Ice Fest, Leavenworth offers lots of entertaining winter activities. My friends took their toddlers on a sleigh ride. Oscar and I tried cross-country skiing, which was a little frustrating due to icy conditions and lack of patience, but I had fun. I also enjoyed tromping around on my friend's snowshoes. All the kids enjoyed sledding on the super-slick hills.

We stayed at Sleeping Lady Resort, which has so much stuff on its grounds that you really don't even have to leave the property. It's situated by the Cascade mountains, with a creek running by. Buffet breakfast and dinner are included, so you don't have to worry about where and what you're going to eat every day. The food is excellent, and there are many vegetarian and healthy options, but I think everyone I was with ended up overeating. I routinely took multiple desserts. Yikes.

Unfortunately, despite all my eating I never got a chance to try the fitness room, but I did enjoy the outdoor hot pool. Nothing like stepping on ice with your bare feet before you slip into steamy water under the stars. We all played a lot of games. Sleeping Lady has a bunch you can check out at the front desk, as well as a game room with pool, ping-pong, and tables to play at. I mostly stuck with Bananagrams. The Grotto bar with faux cave paintings is also a definite plus.

I should also mention that the cabin-like rooms at Sleeping Lady are very cool. Oscar got his own loft to sleep in! The ladder was kind of scary, but it was very cozy and roomy up there. We've already booked a summer return trip, so we can see what the summer season is like.