Winter Wonderland
My obsession with Hallmark Channel Christmas movies is serious. I can name the actresses, tell you the best movies, and sometimes even recite lines. Hallmark movies make my heart so incredibly happy. All I wanted this Christmas was to have a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie Christmas. No big deal, right?
I Googled “most Hallmark Christmas movie type town in America”. I am not even kidding. The first place that popped up with photos was Leavenworth, Washington. An hour later, our flights and hotel were booked. Like I said, this stuff is serious business.
Leavenworth is about 2 and a half hours from Seattle and is a Bavarian town that goes all out for the holidays. Lights, lights, lights galore! We booked a room at the Hotel-Pension Anna. The hotel was the most quaint place with 10-parking spots, traditional Bavarian rooms, and employees dressed in Bavarian outfits. I was so in love! Our room had Christmas wreaths, garland, and a small Christmas tree ready for when we arrived. Hallmark movie, much?
If you’re going to Leavenworth, these adorable hotels are a must. Not very luxurious, but an incredible Bavarian style breakfast every day and the absolute sweetest hosts totally make up for that. One employee even gave me some of her own honey from home for my tea!
The town was so gorgeous. Snow started falling the first night we were there. It was legitimately straight out of TV. Kids were using tubes and sleds to slide down the small snow hill, people were shopping, others were drinking hot cocoa and cider, and I was hurling snowballs at the hubs. It was like we got trapped in a snowglobe (an actual Hallmark movie storyline, by the way).
One of the top things on my list was to build my very first snowman. Living in Los Angeles, we are rarely ever around snow, especially snow falling. I’ve only witnessed that once before, 8 years ago in New York! The hubs and I made Iggy, my beloved snowman. He lasted 2 days (we kept checking up on him), but on our last day we noticed his head was missing. RIP little guy.
Next up, a horse and carriage ride. It’s not a Hallmark movie if the guy doesn’t surprise the girl with a carriage ride. It wasn’t much of a surprise, but I acted. It was 15 minutes of pure glory! I loved the ride so much. There was even a blanket to keep us warm… JUST LIKE THE MOVIES!
OK, don’t think I’m crazy. I just love the concept of the magic of Christmas and all it’s purity.
On Christmas Eve, we paid a little visit to Santa and his reindeer at the Reindeer Farm. After I told Santa what my wish was for Christmas, we hung out with the reindeer. One little guy was so patient as I got all my selfies with him. They ate right out of my hand and were quite gracious about it. #SquadGoals
Afterwards, we headed over to Mountain Springs Lodge about 20 minute north from where we were staying. We went on an actual sled and went around the resort area. The snow was so white and fluffy I wanted to jump in. I mean, it was absolutely freezing, but the view was something I had never witnessed before… frozen ponds, horses, and a golden retriever running around. Surreal.
Everything looked like an absolute dream. Take a winter postcard and just try to imagine the beauty. It was a true winter wonderland. I won’t ever get those images out of my head.
Leavenworth was so much fun. It checked all my Hallmark boxes and truly felt like a small town stuck in a snowglobe. The snow was beautiful, the people were so kind, and the views were breathtaking. The food was delicious, too. You’re in for a treat if you like German feasts. Those pretzels, though.. YUM!
I highly recommend a visit, especially if you have kids. One of the best parts was the town is extremely pet friendly, but make sure to dress up your pooch in warm gear because 22 degrees is apparently really, really cold.
I ended 2018 in a way I could have never even dreamed of. I hope you were able to check off some things on your bucket list this year… and if not, here is to 2019.
