I spent the weekend in my homeland enjoying the purple mountains’ majesty. That’s right, Justin and I crossed the Cascades into central Washington State (that’s what we in Virginia use to distinguish Washington the state from Washington the city, and, perhaps, this guy) for a few days of rock climbing. Some of the best granite rock climbing in driving-distance of Vancouver is on the outskirts of a small hamlet (yes, hamlet is indeed the right word) called Leavenworth.

While the climbing was adventuresome, it’s the town itself that I’d like to call your attention to. In the late 1960s, with a population of just over 2,000 people, Leavenworth managed to save its dwindling and relatively isolated community from quiet oblivion by creating a self-styled Bavarian paradise. Yes, imagine if you will the Von Trapps, merrily singing their troubles away high amid the snow-capped Alps, only it’s the Cascades, the biggest trouble is not the Nazis but who borrowed your alpenhorn, and instead of the Von Trapps, it’s these guys:

(note: far left, the precursor to the leg-warmer, the woolen upper-calf warmer)

The jolly gentlemen second from the left first caught our attention when he cruised up Leavenworth’s main drag at about nine a.m. He rode a street-legal lawn tractor, with the town’s lavishly-decorated beer wagon in tow. With a hearty cackle and a slow veer to the right, he parked the whole rig just below the may pole. Thrilled by the sight of old men in lederhosen, I scarfed down the rest of my granola and skipped over to say hello. As luck would have it, he and his friends love a good photograph session and were eager to share the Bavarian experience. Here I am holding the “talking stick”:

(note: look of sheer joy on my face)

The fellas took the time to answer our questions about how the Bavarian theme was first developed (a guy was stationed in Germany and, when he came home, decided to dress “the girls” at his bar in dirndls) and what kinds of zoning and community regulations govern the development of the town today. The result is a booming tourist industry and an odd juxtaposition of modern life and fabricated nostalgia. For example, the golden arches of the Leavenworth McDonalds are carved into a small wooden sign; bucolic murals of alpine life have been painted on its stucco walls. With exception of McDonalds, Safeway, and a few national chain hotels, Leavenworth’s strict building codes have allowed small local businesses to flourish without competition from national franchises.

The guys invited us to return for Oktoberfest. In the brochure they gave me, the event is billed as “3 full weekends of Non-Stop Music, Dancing, Singing and the very best in delicious food and drink” (capitalization theirs). The guy driving the bierwagen even offered to buy us each a pint!

I’ll leave you with the fun-meter. As this guy notes, “I like to keep it at max.”

and if this hasn’t motivated you to clear your calendar for a trip to Leavenworth, check out our morning camp breakfast spot: