After traveling in Germany, you will truly love this little village which is nestled between the Cascade mountains in Washington. We have visited Leavenworth many times and there is always something fun going on.

Whether you love art (catch an art show in the summer) or love to watch the annual Christmas lighting, this town is one of the treasures in Washington.

Around the first half of the second week in December there is a Christmas Snow train which departs from King Street Station, Edmonds Train Station or Everett Train Station. Alki Tours has a magical train ride to the "Bavarian" town of Leavenworth. On the way, you can explore Leavenworth's shops (do visit the bear shop! and gingerbread shop), see the town aglow with lights and have a catered dinner on the ride home around 8am-11pm. The train ride is around one hundred dollars per person and you can call one eight hundred, eight, nine, five, two, five, five, four for reservations and departure times.

If you need a place to stay, there are quite a few nice bed and breakfast locations. That is, if you are driving up the winding roads to Leavenworth, WA yourself. Look for the Mountain Home Lodge (A lodge overlooking a sloping, 20-acre meadow which blooms with wildflowers in May) which has a breathtaking mountain view. In the winter, it becomes a snowy playground and you can put on your snow shoes or cross-country skis to ski the snowy trails and enjoy the scenery. In the summer, these are hiking trails.

If you are still not convinced to head off to this town in the winter and brave the mountains, you can also travel in the summer. We have taken a short raft trip down the Wenatchee river and had the treat of seeing two little fawns drinking by the river. You will also love rafting on this river and take a longer "tour." Watch out for Deadman's drop! Rafting is still invigorating in July.

So, whether you want to explore a snowy wonderland or take a break and get away in the summer, this town will never be disappointing. In the summer, take bikes or you can stay at one of the great B & B's and they sometimes have bikes you can use for the day so you can bike to a Salmon hatchery or to the stores.

Breakfast at the B & B's is always delicious. So, if you are dreaming of places to stay or can already taste those German pancakes with berries and crème fraiche, this is the book to buy. Regardless of the season, you will want to make the trip for the delicious food! This town has many great restaurants.

While you are dreaming of your own journey to Leavenworth, you can read all about the transformation of the town of Leavenworth.

As a long time resident of Leavenworth I saw and was involved in the wonderful improvements that transformed leavenworth from a town dead and nearly buried to the very much alive, little town it is today. The book Miracle Town tells the story fully.

I wish all guide books were as well researched as this one. Each hand drawn map has GPS waypoints on it plus all the major features and a reference to the USGS/Green Trails Map. Locations of nearby campgrounds and supplies. Plus a very nice rating system so you don't get in over your head. There are 2 maybe 3 overlapping trails with the "Kissing the Trail" book but that's ok. Wish I had thought of having a career of riding my bike and writing a book about it. Way to go John.

These two books are the bomb(S). The directions and the descriptions of the rides are spot on and most importantly the selection of the rides (if you like truly remote, tough, and stunningly beautiful adventures) is tremendous. My copies of these books are dog eared with love and mud. Trust me you cannot go wrong with these books - and I've biked all over the country - or biking in the Pacific Northwest July - Sept - Amazing! Too good! Be prepared for some long drives from Seattle (2hrs each way) but the memories will last much longer. Enjoy! I hope Zilly goes on to write books for the rest of the country...

This is a story that has a plot like so many others out right now, the suburban mom, one who works outside the home, or maybe is a stay at home mom, but who gets involved in trying to solve a murder.However, this book is a notch above the others. I'm not sure if it is the fact that there is more than one mystery going on, was it suicide or murder, why did the friendship falter, and who was that person in the friendship? Do we really know our loved ones, the people we trust and depend on day after day?
Ms. Brophy is a wonderful writer, and although I must say I was not surprised at the outcome, there were a few questions. It didn't matter that I had it figured out( mostly!), because the ride along the way to get there was well worth it.I look forward to her next book.

After twenty-three years of friendship, Lydia Finelli has dropped out of the life of Claire Newman just when she gave birth to the twins. A hurt Claire goes on with her life, balancing her family's need against her full time job as a star journalist at Nationweek. When Claire runs into Lydia at the local bakery, she asks Claire if she can call her, Claire who'd desperately needs to know why Lydia cut her off so completely agrees.

Lydia sets up an appointment for Claire to meet her at her home. When Claire arrives, she finds Lydia dead in her bed, the victim of an apparent suicide. Claire reestablishes her relationship with Lydia's husband Matthew and his son Collin but can't help wondering why Lydia killed herself. As she starts investigating she finds small, but almost insignificant clues that prove that Lydia may have been murdered and she goes all out to confirm her theory even when she knows she is putting her own life in danger.

Beth Brophy's underlying theme throughout the whole book is that evil often wears the face of goodness so people can't tell the monster living amongst them. Readers' hearts will go out to the heroine, a woman hurt by her friend's coldness, but who still cares enough about her to bring her killer to justice and make sure that her son is psychologically healing. Claire treats Lydia's death as she would a news-breaking story, investigating all reasonable theories and following up on the smallest clues. MY EX-BEST FRIEND is a fascinating work of psychological suspense.

Harriet

Mike Layton has written the most honest autobiography I have ever read. The friend is himself and he tells his story frankly without embelishment or sentimentality. The book is a stark contrast to most autobiographies because it is written without an agenda, this is the world as Mike Layton perceives it. By the end of this book you know what the writer feels, what he believes in and what he cares about.

For a baby boomer like myself this book is a great window on what the years before, during and after World II and Korea were like. Mike Layton tells about what it was like to grow up so hard that the army was the promised land. What it was like to be in the company of men and how men react when their lives are on the line. Of particular interest is Mike Layton own political awareness and growth. The book contains a few of the newspaper columns that Mike Layton wrote and they are very powerful. I regret that more of the columns were not included. Mr. Layton if you read this please consider a issuing a collection.

The author was born on the western High Plains, received his first horse on his fifth birthday, his first rifle at ten. At 18 he fled a 40-below Wyoming sheep ranch into the Army. An infantry scout, first ashore at Kiska, he led paratroopers across Europe. A carousing veteran, he was civilized by the GI bill. and became a newspaper reporter and was called back into the Army for the Korean War. Later, a political reporter and columnist, he helped unseat a governor and tried to explain how government works to his fellow citizens. He also covered wars in Central America and politics from Europe and Asia.

One of the most distinctive features of the United States Capitol is its collection of statues assembled from each state. "National Statuary Hall: Guidebook for a Walking Tour" helps to bring this collection alive -- to better share a sense of the history found in every corner of the building.

"National Statuary Hall: Guidebook for a Walking Tour" is both thoroughly researched and easy to use. Both the content and the layout of the book excellent in every regard. In the terms of layout, the design of the Capitol itself presents an author with difficulty. The arrangement of works of art can often be confusing. However in this guidebook, the collection is presented in a logical fashion - which lends itself easily to a 'walking tour'. Each statue has a detailed description and biographical sketch of the individual, which helps a visitor understand the importance of the individuals represented in the collection.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone planning a visit to the Capitol, or to anyone simply interested in the 'slice' of American history represented by the 96 statues found in the Statuary Hall Collection of the Capitol.

This is a wonderfully concise and entertaining guide to the statuary in the U.S. Capitol donated by the 50 states. Clear directions to all the statues and great backgrounds on why the states chose their subjects, on the subjects themselves and on the artists. Convenient to use and easy to carry. You will be most happy you have this book during your visit!

I recently got given this book, and I can see myself making most of the recipes in it as the first 3 have all been so successful. Great variety of recipes, good layout and directions, and the added bonus of a list of great Northwest Restaurant to try out when you don't fancy cooking!

Simple, elegant recipes that make a stunning meal. The herb baked salmon, asparagus linguine, and black mussel linguine were absolutely wonderful. Each dish had clear instructions and only required a few good ingredients.

I've been looking for a cookbook that has wine pairings with food that won't break my budget and yet complement my choice of wines. The recipes are simple and tasty. Many cookbooks in the market today tend to be needlessly complicated or just plain out of reach to the average consumer. The Taggerts did a wonderful job of making this subject accessible but not condescending. It is just right for the budding wine enthusiast who love to cook. I've liked it so much that I'm giving a copy to a friend.

Unlike any other food and wine book, NORTHWEST Food and Wine, is the most current book on the foods and wines of Washington State and Oregon. It is an easy-to-read interesting compilation of the latest in food and wine trends from the great Pacific Northwest.

As an information junkie, I'm always turning to the Internet for fast and up-to-date information for my garden design business. This book has replaced my computer for first-glance information. Debra provides significant editorial value in this reference, which I find dog-eared and well-used in a few short weeks. A must-have for any gardener in the Northwest, and a brilliant gift for a gardener new to the area.

It's a Northwest garden enthusiast's dream come true! Stephanie Feeney has outdone herself and compiled information in this edition I will refer to again and again. The list of nurserys to visit is complete with directions, business hours, the types of plants they sell and what they specialize in, e-mail addresses, and any other helpful information that may be of interest. I especially appreciate the geographic locator in the very back that breaks down locations by region that makes planning a garden outing a breeze. I even found a few nurseries in my small town that I didn't know existed. Other chapters include organizations that help gardeners, clubs, foundations, societies and volunteer opportunities, education, gardening with children and young people, internet gardening, publications, professional services, gardens to visit, shows and exhibits, and the list goes on. And it's all written in a friendly personal manner.

The information is up to date and correct. I use this book exclusively to plan my dives. I have met the author and trust his knowledge of the dive sites and the information given in the book.

The third edition of this book is an improvement on the previous and includes new dive sites, 55 in all. The dive sites are located in Washington State in Puget Sound and Hood Canal. All include a picture of the site which makes it easy to find them, the written directions are excellent. The tide and current table calculations are great, even going so far as to let you know if you should plan your dive for tides or currents. He even includes information on things to do for non-divers while they hangout waiting for divers to return. The maps are exceptional, most have depth measurements and all include ebb and flood current information that really makes it easy to plan dives at these sites. I have dived some of the sites listed in the book and the descriptions are excellent. Highly recommended for those diving in the Pacific Northwest.