What's new

Early Spring, 2016

Talking about spring in February?! Who are we kidding??? No one I am afraid, as this past week has really felt like spring here in the Pacific Northwest with unseasonably high temperatures and lots of sunshine! It is gorgeous, just not what we expect in late February. Guests have enjoyed exploring the trails with a mix of snow and dry trails with fresh spring growth. We are not the only ones getting a jump on the trails as we have seen lots of tracks from the forest… bear, coyote, deer and elk are all up and moving about too making for great exploring. 

Mother Nature is having fun with us all isn't she? The poor midwest and east coast are buried in snow and frigid temperatures and the west is warm and dry. Who knows what she has up her sleeve for us all in March?! If warm temps continue we should see an early spring with wildflowers heavy in late April and May rather than the usual late May and early June. Things seem to be about a month ahead of schedule right now. Our meadow and trails will be a beautiful carpet of color as each wildflower species makes their spring debut. Hiking here in the Cascades is spectacular in spring overlooking the blooming valley orchards as well as the wildflowers underfoot. 

With an early thaw our local rivers are growing quickly. At this rate, the whitewater rafting season will be early this season so if you want to enjoy the thrills of our class III & IV rapids you may want to consider an April - early May visit. We can help connect you with our local outfitters for a great adventure. Getting onto local lakes and rivers for kayaking and stand up paddle boarding will also likely be early. Brad has already started mountain biking again in the area. Burch Mountain over in Wenatchee was a great ride last week with views of the entire valley and Cascades. 

April and May in the village will offer festival fun of the Leavenworth Ale Fest April 17th & 18th with over 25 breweries participating, http://www.leavenworthalefest.com, Maifest May 9th welcoming Spring in the Bavarian Village, http://www.leavenworth.org/event/4360 followed by the Leavenworth Spring Bird Fest May 14th - 17th, exploring our areas spectacular habitats for migratory birds during wildflower season http://www.leavenworthspringbirdfest.com. 

The Lodge was recently selected by The Culture Trip as one of the 10 best restaurants in Washington. We are thrilled to be recognized by this travel guide. Check us out! http://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/washington/articles/the-10-best-restaurants-in-washington-a-bountiful-state/%0A Chef Ron is busy creating new recipes and planning his vegetable and herb gardens for the upcoming growing season. It's an exciting time as new local spring fruits and vegetables can be added to our dining experiences. Try our featured recipe for a delicious lemon cake with spring strawberries. http://www.mthome.com/recipe.html to brighten your March. 

We are also excited to now be offering Mighty Leaf Teas. These whole leaf artisan tea blends are exquisite in silken tea pouches for an extraordinary cup of tea. It is a wonderful complement to our Caffe Umbria coffees served at the resort. 

That's the quick update for now. Just wanted to share the news of an expected early spring. John Muir summed it up well: "Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul." We hope you can plan a visit to Mountain Home Lodge for some sunshine, recreating and relaxing before a busy summer is upon us all. 

Cheers - Brad and Kathy, Proprietors