This Sunday Drive is written by Geordie Romer who shows us there is a lot more to Leavenworth beyond the Bavarian Village. Geordie is a real estate agent with Windermere Real Estate in Leavenworth who blogs regularly on MyLeavenworth.com and Leavenworth Real Estate Blog.  You can also follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/geordieromer.

In Leavenworth, we have two types of folks.  Winter people and summer people.

The summer people love the heat and triple digit days.  The are rafters, cyclists, and golfers.  Come March, they are ready for Spring even though it may be months and months away.  Come October, as the leaves begin to fall, a tear comes to their eye as they realize Summer is truly gone and it may be time to start planning a trip to Hawaii, Mexico or Palm Springs.

And there are the Winter people.  When the leaves start to turn color, we start looking at the Stevens Pass web cam, just to see if the snow has started to stick.  Many of the Winter people work at Stevens Pass or did when they first moved to town.  We tolerate the hot dry summers because we know that the reward comes on sunny winter powder days every Winter and Spring.

From one Winter person to another, here are my 5 Winter adventures for the Leavenworth area. 

• Ice climbing. This is my favorite on the list.  Call me crazy, but I love ice & Leavenworth doesn’t stay as reliably cold like some ice climbing hot spots like Banff or Bozeman, but you can’t beat the scenery.  Experienced ice climbers can learn about Leavenworth ice climbing from Jason Martin’s “Washington Ice: A Climbing Guide” or online from sites like www.CascadeClimbers.com.  Classic climbs included the massive Drury Falls seen from Tumwater Canyon or the more mellow Hubba Hubba near 8 Mile Campground in Icicle Canyon.  Beginners should contact a guide service like the American Alpine Institute or NW Mountain School.
• Ice fishing on Fish Lake.  Fish Lake is one of the rare ice fishing hot spots in Washington state.  It is loaded with fish and reliably freezes over every year.  The Cove Resort is your source for all things Fish Lake, so give them a call before you go.
• Snowshoe.  Were my first two adventures a little two extreme for you?  Snowshoeing takes no special talent and is a great way to get out and explore.  You can rent snowshoes from places like Plain Hardware.  One of my favorite easy snowshoe treks is Hidden Lake.  From the end of Cedar Brae road on the south shore of Lake Wenatchee, hike the snow covered road to the trail-head and travel an easy mile or so to the small lake.
• Horse Drawn Sleigh.  There are two places to ride a sleigh in Leavenworth.   One is at the Fish Hatchery near Sleeping Lady and the other is in Plain at Mountain Springs Resort.  Whether it’s a romantic getaway or an adventure for kids and grandparents, a sleigh ride seems like perfect winter fun.
• Ski Jumping.  Bakke Hill at Leavenworth Ski Hill was built in 1933 and was one of the top ski jumping venues in the United States for decades.  It was the host of the U.S. championships in 1941, 1959, 1967, 1974 and 1978.  Operated by the Leavenworth Winter Sports Club, you can take lessons and learn to jump like a pro off the 20 meter jump.  Just want to watch?  Come to a ski jumping tournament this February!

Geordie, thanks so much for sharing information about the Leavenworth area. This makes me want to dust off my snowshoes or go tubing (you can tell my tolerence level for adventure)!

Editors Note: This Sunday Drive is brought to you by Cari McGee who knows her way around Richland, Kennewick, Pasco and surrounding towns as a Realtor in the Tri-Cities for Windermere.  Cari is also the author of The Real Estate Blog by Cari McGee.

Now that gas prices are back at feasible levels, you should think about taking a drive over to the OTHER side of our fair state.  The Tri-Cities (3-4 hour trip by car, depending on how fast you drive and what the traffic on the Pass is like) is a great place to spend a peaceful Sunday afternoon.

Now, I’m not an outdoorsy type of girl.  When I have free time, I’m curled up on the sofa reading a novel that takes place near a town that ends in 'shire and where all the houses sport Aga ranges.  However, I realize that not everyone is like that.  In addition, one big reason anyone would come over here from Seattle is to enjoy the sunshine we see on more than 300 days in a year. So, the list of possible activities here include boating, fishing, golfing, shopping, and my new favorite – wine-tasting.

One sip of alcohol and I become flushed, my heart beats wildly and I feel light-headed.  Strangely, it’s not all alcohol that does it (or maybe it IS but because I love champagne and daiquiris so much I don’t notice it when I drink them!). Usually, though, one sip of wine begins the process and I can’t have more than three or four sips before I quietly set the glass down and go look for a diet Coke. So it was a great surprise to me to go winery-hopping through the Tri-Cities and have a GREAT time doing it because the whole flush thing didn’t happen!

Due to Eastern Washington’s location on the lee side of the Cascades, the entire area  is sheltered from the more dramatic marine climate. A mix of light rainfall and irrigation from nearby rivers provides the ideal amount of water for growing grapes. The Tri-Cities is in the South Columbia Valley, which is part of the vast Columbia Valley Appellation.  Wines have been produced in the region only since the mid 1980’s, and yet the quality and reputation of the wines here is exceptional.

Three wineries are very close together along Tulip Lane in Richland; Barnard Griffin, Bookwalter and Tagaris.  One of them offers  tastings for free, and the other two charge 5 or 6 dollars, but that is refunded if you buy a bottle of wine.  Breadsticks and crackers or chocolate chips provide a break for your palate in between selections and the atmosphere is laid back and relaxed.  The pourer will chat you up or let you and your group do all the talking, whichever option you wish.                                                      

Travel fifteen minutes away from those wineries (and the joke in the Tri-Cities is that everything is just fifteen minutes away from everything else) and you’ll find Badger Mountain/Powers Winery.  The vineyard at Badger Mountain is a certified organic winery, and so the wines made from grapes harvested there taste a bit differently than traditional wines.  There are no added sulfites as well, and even I, an inexperienced wine-drinker, noticed the difference.

Further away than the famous fifteen minutes allows are Hogue Cellars (closer to Prosser), and Preston Wineries (out beyond Pasco).

Jump in the car some Sunday morning, zip across the state and enjoy some fantastic wine by mid-afternoon (or golf, or fish or shop!). There are all kinds of things to do here in the Tri-Cities, pick your fun and dive into it.  We’d love to have you!

This is the final part of our trip to Sonoma County (part 1 is posted here).  We had such a wonderful time, I thought I’d share some of our favorite parts of the trip with you as part of my Sunday Drive excursions on Mortgage Porter. 

Westside Drive in Healdsburg will take you along a beautiful windy road packed with wineries along the Russian River all the way to the Pacific.  We stopped at Twomey Cellars which has a great view and Matrix.   Hop Kiln Winery (pictured right) is another "must see".  It was too early in the morning for us to taste wines, we enjoyed walking around their grounds.   Located right next door is Rochioli Vineyards–this was also a recommendation from Dave Savage (DSR).  Sadly we were too early to sample these wines which are described as "legendary".

We drove along Westside Drive to where the Russian River meets the coast.  It’s really beautiful and nice to dig your toes into some California sand.   We headed south along the misty Highway 1 until we reached Bodega Bay.   We had lunch at the Sandpiper in Bodega–do have the oysters baked in the chipolte sauce (I’ve been trying to recreate the recipe ever since). 

Bodega Bay is famous for Potters School, where Alfred Hitchcock’s "The Birds" was filmed.  The Birds was probably the first "scary movie" I ever saw and is still one of my favorites to this day.  Apparently many others agree as Potters School had many curious visitors.   Note: no crows were harmed in this photo–this is a rental: 3 minutes for two bucks!

We caught Highway 12 to Highway 116 towards Forestville where we stopped at Iron Horse Vineyards.  Another great recommendation from Dave which has wonderful views over the valley of endless vineyards.  Our last winery on our vacation was Hartford Family Wines.  We really enjoy their Pinot Noir back at home and purchased two bottles while we were there.  And I was finally able to meet Dave Savage of Mortgage Coach, who not only provided us with great recommendations for our trip to Sonoma County, he also did a pod-cast interview with me a few months earlier.

You can check out photos from our trip here.

IMPORTANT TIP:  Do not try to carry on your wines from Sonoma County Airport (or anywhere for that matter).   The grumpy TSA person confisgated our two bottles of Hartford and would not allow us to check it or leave it for a friend (when he allowed the person right in front of us to check an item that was too large to be a carry on).  I was told that the wine was donated, the airport will not provide a receipt.  Lesson learned.

As you may know, I was in San Francisco last month for the Inman Connect real estate  conference.  I decided to add a few days to my trip and make the most of my air fair expenses by visiting Sonoma…specifically Healdsburg.  I know this isn’t quite a "neighborhood tour" like I’ve been promoting at Mortgage Porter…I’m hoping you’ll enjoy this post all the same.

It was a lucky fluke that we wound up based in Healdsburg, which is just north of Sonoma.  Sonoma is a nice town but if you want to really see wineries and enjoy a small town atmosphere, head north and you’ll be in the heart of the Russian River wine region.  Dave Savage of the Mortgage Coach provided us with some excellent recommendations which I’ll share with you too.  (I may abbreviate: DSR = a "Dave Savage Recommendation").

An inexpensive (compared to other places in Sonoma county) place to stay is the Best Western Dry Creek Inn which is located right on Dry Creek Road and Highway 101.  Breakfast comes with the room but I suggest heading out to the Flying Goat Coffee for your morning jolt of caffeine.  Dave says they serve the world’s best cappuccino.

We also enjoyed an incredible breakfast at Costeaux French Bakery which has been a part of this town since 1923.   You need a nice breakfast if you’re going to start your day early with wine tasting!

In the town of Healdsburg, we found some wonderful wineries and tasting rooms.  Two of my favorites are:

• Williamson Wines.  Bill Williamson pairs his wine tastings with food.  It’s an amazing experience.  Imagine having a piece of cheese with a bit of pickle on top paired with a sip of Chardonnay.
• You also must visit Seghesio Family Vineyards on of the oldest in Healdsburg…they have great wine too.  (Thanks DSR).

Dave Savage had spot on recommendations for places to dine in Healdsburg.   For dinner, he recommends (and I agree):

Ravenous.  Located next to the town theater on North Street.  This is a cozy restaurant that you may need reservations for.  We had the ribs and flank steak. (DSR)

Bistro Ralph.  We shared a steak served on a pile of the tiniest french fries topped with a dollop of horseradish.  Reservations are a must. (DSR)

Driving north on Dry Creek Road, you can catch a concert on Friday evenings at Mazzocco Wines.   Pack a picnic and they’ll happily uncork one of their nice wines for you to enjoy on the lawn.   Passalacqua Winery and Unti are also a "must stops".   Many people recommended Bella Vineyards and Wine Cave, which is beautiful; however, when we were there, it’s was also packed with tour buses…Preston Vineyards was a welcome break from the crowds where no groups over 8 are allowed.   At the end of Dry Creek Road, you’ll find Lake Sonoma and Sbragia Family Vineyards which not only boasts amazing views, they also have fantastic wine.

Healdsburg has amazing wines and I’m just touching the surface.  Watch for another post for the rest of our excursion to Sonoma County soon.

Just a hop, skip and a jump from West Seattle is Blake Island.   Last weekend, after our  "drive by" earlier this month, we decided to cruise over with our kids to this State Park and go tent camping.   Our campsite (#34) had views of Mount Rainier, Vashon and Southworth along with the ferry runs.   We saw seal, otter, eagles and other birds along with hundreds of jumping fish.  The Ranger came by to worn us that if we didn’t lock up all our food (the provide locking garbage cans–you should not store the food in your tent) we would lose it raccoons and otters.  I guess they will actually unzip your tent and come on in if they think you’re hiding goodies.

There are all types of boats from kayaks, sailboats, Tulley’s and yachts.   I did not venture far from our campsite on the south side of the island.  I enjoyed doing nothing at all and being "unplugged" under the tall Madrona’s.  Our teens took the wooded trail to Tillicum Village where there is a snack shop with ice cream, breakfast and lunch as well as ice, wood and matches (camping necessities).

Our one night and 3 mile journey from home felt like a different world.   After last Friday…I needed it!  (Photo on the left is the view from my tent).