A trip to Leavenworth.

Beginners. About half an hour away from where we live is the town of Leavenworth. It is a fairly small place, near very tall mountains and lots of forests. Nearby is a river called 'The Icicle' which is popular with tourists, kayakers, and campers. It is the perfect spot for a day trip. We chatted on the way, so the journey seemed short. When we got there, it was cold and dull, but the color of the shops and people walking about gave a cheerful appearance. We went into a restaurant that had exposed brick walls, large mirrors, and greenery everywhere. It was cozy and busy. Just right. We had a delicious meal of crepes filled with vegetables and a creamy sauce. The food disappeared quickly. And then it was time for dessert. My mother had creme brulee, and I had yet another crepe, but this time stuffed with banana, chocolate, and cream. I haven't eaten like that for a long time! What a treat, and what a lovely time I had with my mother. After lunch, we spent about an hour wandering around this touristic town. One of our favorite shops was a high quality gift shop that sold, amongst other things, German Cukoo clocks. They were very expensive, intricate, and they made a lovely, soft tick-tick noise. We didn't buy anything, but we had fun just window shopping. Grammar notes. Verbs: to chat (reg.), to wander (reg.), to browse (reg.). Useful expressions: the perfect spot, just right, what a treat, amongst other things, a cheerful appearance. Advanced. If you have ever been to Leavenworth, you would say that it is a fascinating creation. Let me explain what I mean when I say 'creation'. It was first established as a town around 1892. The Great Northern Railway had its headquarters there, and there was a large sawmill which was used for the logging industry. However, when the headquarters were moved to Wenatchee, the town suffered economically. People lost their jobs and left. The big turn around came in the 1960's when an initiative to reinvent the town was agreed upon. It was to be transformed into a mock Bavarian town. The experiment worked; the buildings had facades put on them, and the tourists started to visit. It was a success. Now it receives hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. There are seasonal celebrations, like October-fest and the Christmas lighting ceremony, which bring in floods of tourists. There is even a Nutcracker museum which houses five thousand nutcrackers. What an amazing adventure it must have been to turn a run down town into a tourist attraction. The surrounding countryside gives it an authentic Bavarian feel, and even though the buildings are obviously not original, the town has the pull of a center of entertainment. Grammar notes.  Related vocabulary: established, headquarters, economically, industry, initiative, to reinvent, tourists, seasonal, countryside. * It was to be transformed into a mock Bavarian town. Exs: Nobody knew it yet, but she was to be/ going to be crowned Queen in two years.  Before he reached adolescence, he was to have all of his teeth extracted.