I L-O-V-E day trips. Particularly because it’s a trip without the stress of packing, going to the airport, or finding a hotel. All you need is a little idea for what you want to do and where you want to eat. Then you can just relax and be a “local.” We’re sharing 2 Seattle day trip ideas – Leavenworth and Woodinville.
Seattle Day Trip Idea #1 – WOODINVILLE
Woodinville is considered Washington Wine Country, and is about a 30-45 minute drive from Seattle. I went for a few hours in the afternoon to Chateau Ste. Michele which is probably one of the most popular ones. They have beautiful grounds, and everything was decorated for Christmas. It was great for getting in the Christmas spirit with their shop and Christmas Carolers. They have this four 1oz tastings for $10. I’m not super into the wine scene so I loved the small sizes and just enjoyed the ambiance.
We also stopped by the Commons Kitchen and Bar before heading back to Seattle for a few appetizers. My only disappointment was that we had a hard time finding a winery that also had a full kitchen. (I would love your suggestions for next time)
Seattle Day Trip Idea #2 –LEAVENWORTH
Leavenworth is about 2.5 hours from Seattle and is a small Bavarian-themed in the mountains. The drive is gorgeous (I couldn’t believe it was real!) with snow on all the trees and homes. During Christmas time everything is decorated and they have a Christmas lights festival every weekend at 4:30pm.
You can walk through the small shops, drink some hot chocolate, and snack on roasted chestnuts while enjoying the decor. If I had to do this one over again, I’d probably either do an over night, or leave early in the morning (we left at 11:30) because it felt a little rushed. ALSO – dress warm. It was so cold that I ended up buying another pair of socks.
I’m slowly starting to explore Washington more and seeing what each season brings. For my Washingtonian readers – what other cities/ towns are on your must visit list?
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It looks so lovely there! Also love all of these photos- they are beautiful! 🙂