we drove thru Stevens Pass, over to Leavenworth, WA. Leavenworth is a little town on the east side of the Cascade Moutains.

in hopes of commercially reviving itself after the fallout of the railroad and logging industries, the people of Leavenworth decided in the 1960′s to transform the town into (the appearance of) a Bavarian Village.

it worked – the town draws more than a million tourists each year. we were drawn by a certain baked-goods shop there that sells the most amazing gingerbread cookies. drive 200 miles round-trip for cookies? well, those cookies serve as a convenient excuse to take a scenic drive through the Cascades.