
Do you see the sleeping lady? Her profile, lying there facing upward toward the sky? We finally heeded her siren call and returned to the Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort for some R&R.
We had been before, in winter, and in summer. This time we were bringing our neighbors and good friends.

The girls were excited to be on the road after two years of talking about taking this trip together.

Never mind the fact that it was pouring rain. We found a picnic shelter along the way and ate lunch, sharing the shelter briefly with a homeless man who was keeping warm over a fire he'd lit in the cooking area of the picnic shelter. We offered him some food, but he already had a good supply, so he declined. We did share conversation, though.

Going over Stevens Pass (Highway elevation 4,062' / 1,238 m) it was pretty much socked in with clouds and rain. Roadwork was underway, most likely to prevent rockfall. We weren't sure what we would find when we descended into the valley where the Bavarian-themed town of Leavenworth awaited us. There was a major wildfire burning 40 miles south of there, and depending on which way the wind was blowing, it could be very smoky.

As we left the mountains the rain faded away and the terrain became dry and rocky. Mossy cedar trees were replaced with long-needle pines. When we arrived at the resort it took 2 carts to haul luggage for the 7 of us. We'd brought a variety of shoes and outdoor clothing for all the activities we'd do, from hiking to horseback riding. We also brought books and board games.

After checking into our cabins the girls were anxious to give our friends the tour. We spent time in the game room...

The library...

And the exercise room. The girls were enthralled with the exercise equipment. We adults who log hours on such devices in an effort to stay in shape preferred to be outdoors, so we extracted the girls and continued on...

Next stop, the garden!

The Sleeping Lady mountain looms over the garden. We were lucky to find one of the gardeners working and spent awhile talking with him about what was growing.

I could have listened to him talk all day, though I admit I also enjoyed just gazing at his gorgeous curly red hair and full beard.

It took all my strength to keep from going over to him and running my fingers through his hair. I had to settle for fondling herbs and plants with him instead.

Soon it was time for the much anticipated buffet dinner. I had been raving to my friends for years about the food, and I think they agreed that it was spectacular. I found it wasn't quite what it had been on previous visits (they were currently "between chefs") but it was still impressive.

Midway through our meal we had the fun of spotting Harriet Bullitt, owner and creator of the Sleeping Lady Resort. She's a noted philanthropist and extremely wealthy, but also very down to earth. We watched as the 89 year old crossed Icicle Creek on the chairlift that connects her log cabin on the other side (inaccessible to cars) to the resort. She hopped off the lift and got into a decades-old rusty compact car and drove towards town. This is a woman who could afford to be driven around by a chauffeur in a Rolls Royce, but instead she drives herself in an old beater car. I have a lot of respect for her!

After dinner we headed for the "Ski Hill" where the Leavenworth Summer Theater presents "The Sound of Music."

A more picturesque setting could only be possible in the European Alps themselves.

After the show wrapped up at 10:30pm, the girls got to meet the cast. Of course they wanted their picture taken with the children. I wish I could share some photos from the performance, but photography was not allowed.

The next morning we enjoyed a colorful breakfast. I am a hearty eater, but times like this I wish I could fit in even more. It all looked so good, I wanted to try a taste of everything. I spent the longest time at the table, lingering over each bite.

After breakfast the girls and our friends drove to Wenatchee and went to Ohme Gardens, an alpine garden started in 1929 on a barren hillside by an optimistic young couple. The gardens opened to the public in 1939 and are now owned and maintained by the county.



Looking south out over the valley you can see the haze from the wildfires. I was grateful for blue skies and relatively clear air. There have been years when the fires are much closer to town and it is dark during the day and people are advised to stay indoors.

On our way back to Leavenworth we stopped by a bakery named Anjou, after the succulent pear.

Outside the bakery, and in acres of fields surrounding it, Anjou pears were blushing in the sunshine.

Since I'd had such an enormous breakfast and wasn't hungry, I left the girls and my friends to enjoy their drinks and pastry while I explored the area on foot.

I loved this farm house, surrounded by pear orchards.

The hillsides were golden, and I was in awe.

Returning to the resort we found Daddy enjoying some popcorn and a good book.
He'd also spent some time reading in this chair, enjoying the sound of the creek below, until he was interrupted by someone yelling, "Hey-Ho!" He looked up and there was Harriett Bullitt in her chairlift coming straight at him. He dove out of the way as she sailed by.
The temperature was rising, so it was time to visit the rock pool. Above you can see me decked out in my outdoor swimwear. I have fair skin and the redhead gene, so I burn almost instantly in the sun, even through sunscreen. After a few severe sunburns I finally got wise and started wearing a hat and rashguard, which is what I make my daughters wear most of the time at the beach and outdoor pools as well.

After a swim and shampoo for everyone, and hair braiding for the girls and me, we all headed to dinner.

Another delicious feast with our dear friends.

After dinner A and I went to another Leavenworth Summer Theater production (on a different outdoor stage). A loves musicals, and I recently introduced her to the 1999 movie version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat starring Donny Osmond. We've been singing along to the soundtrack in our car for weeks. When we found out Leavenworth Summer Theater was doing a production of Joseph, A insisted we go. No one else was as enthusiastic, so she and I went together while the rest of our group stayed back at the resort and played board games.

A wanted me to give her a special hair style for the occasion, so I did a quadruple braid for her. She is wearing edelweiss hairpins sent to us by our friends in Switzerland.

We bought "rush" tickets the afternoon of the show, scoring center seats in the very front row that had been reserved for donors.

A in front of the stage during intermission. The apple beside her on the stage had been tossed around among the actors and flew off the stage and landed at her feet.

After the show A stood patiently in line to greet the actors. He wasn't Donny Osmond, but A thought he was a pretty handsome alternative.

The next morning after a hearty breakfast the girls and our friends hit the trail on horses. My husband and I took a hike instead. I like horses, but they don't like me. The last time I was on a horse it rolled over on me, pinning my leg beneath its body. My husband was nursing his new artificial knee so he wasn't going to get on a horse either.

The girls had a good time. Later this summer Little K will go with our friends for 9 days to Oregon, where they hope ride horses into the mountains and camp beside a lake. This was a chance to evaluate Little K's comfort with horses, and if such a trip was realistic for her. She's a bit nervous about heights and falling, so this was a good test. The smile on her face as she returned told me everything: she's ready!

After the trail ride and hike, we were all ready for a dip in the pool.

Back at our cabin cluster the water play continued in the fountain.

Suddenly ravenous, we walked over in our robes and cover-ups to the cafe and bought a late lunch. Well, not me. I was saving my appetite for another big buffet dinner!

With one hour to go before dinner, and everyone out of their robes and dressed again, we spent more time in the game room. While the girls played Pajaggle, which we'd brought from home, I read the coffee-table sized library book I'd brought along, "What I Eat" by one of my favorite photojournalists, Peter Menzel. Seeing what people around the world eat made me appreciate the dinner I was about to enjoy even more!


There was time for one last card game, then it was time for dinner.

With so many delicious dinner entrees and sides it was hard to save room for dessert, but the girls managed to fit in a fresh Crème brûlée. All the desserts came in bite-size servings, so of course I also had the chocolate mousse, lemon custard, and cheesecake.

After dinner we returned to the garden for some outdoor games. The dads played horseshoes.

The girls played beach ball volleyball. I always bring an inflatable beach ball when we travel, and it brings a lot of enjoyment for such a simple object.

We stayed out in the garden through a brilliant sunset, and played until it got too dark to see anymore. This was our final evening at Sleeping Lady and I was feeling melancholy already. On our way back to the cabins we passed several deer and heard owls calling.

The next morning after a big breakfast and checking out from the resort, we visited the Bavarian-themed mini golf course on the edge of town. The temperature rose quickly and the last few holes were miserable due to the heat.

Shortly after we finished and had driven a few miles down the road Little K realized that she had set her new prescription sunglasses down somewhere while golfing, and we hurriedly turned around and raced back to the mini-golf course. We dashed through the entire course finding them sitting on a rock just before the last hole. Thankfully no one had sat or stepped on them.
Back on the road we headed toward the mountain pass. Dozens of bicyclists struggled uphill alongside the roadway doing some charity bike race. As we reached the pass the traffic was at a standstill and police had closed the road. We pulled off and decided it was a good time for our picnic lunch. Daddy walked off to stretch his legs and the girls and I perched on the tailgate with our pastries pilfered from the breakfast buffet. Suddenly there was a loud "whoop-whoop-whoop" sound.
Now we knew why the road was closed. A rescue medic helicopter was coming in for a landing.

What I hadn't anticipated was the amount of sand and grit and dust that the helicopter would toss up at us. I thought it was going to land on the closed, paved highway, but instead it appeared it was going to touch down directly next to us on the gravel parking area! I pulled the tailgate down on us, but couldn't get us all inside in time, plus the side slider doors of the van had been left open. We were literally sand-blasted, and I worried about the girls' new glasses being destroyed. "Cover your faces," I yelled above the roar, but of course everyone was curious and wanted to look instead. The chopper came very close to landing, then lifted off and circled around twice more before finally touching down. When the dust settled I discovered our van was filled with a think layer of grit. Our hair, clothes, skin were covered as well.

I wasn't the only one taking a photo... this State Patrol officer was recording the scene on his cell phone.

After the chopper landed an ambulance pulled up to it and loaded an injured hiker. We were sure it would be a cyclist from the event. I felt bad for all the cyclists that were peddling by as the chopper circled three times, landed, and took off. They had nowhere to go to protect their heavy-breathing lungs from the onslaught of debris kicked up by the chopper's blades.

Our last stop on the way home was at the Wayside Chapel, a tiny church rest stop that I remember visiting when I was a child. The chapel began in 1960 in hopes of witnessing to visitors heading to the 1962 World’s Fair being held in Seattle. Through the years it has been repeatedly vandalized, burned down, and defecated in, but faithful volunteers restore it each time.

I was happy that it was in relatively good condition on our visit, and that I was able to relive one of my childhood memories with my girls.
Back we go, following a logging truck, toward home. It was a wonderful summer vacation with friends.
If you'd like to read about our previous summer visit to Sleeping Lady and Leavenworth exactly 2 years ago, click here.