For Ant's 37th birthday, he was gifted a family weekend getaway–– a 2-night stay at Sun Mountain Lodge, in Winthrop, WA.
Where is Winthrop, WA?
Winthrop, WA is about a 4-hour drive northeast of the Tacoma/Seattle area. It's a small town with a western flair, and home to the oldest legal saloon in Washington State, Three Fingered Jacks Saloon. The North Cascade National Park borders this old western town and is popular for cross-country skiing in the winter, hiking and mountain biking in the fall/spring, river rafting in the summer, and fishing year-round.
Where we stayed in Winthrop, WA
Sun Mountain Lodge
Our family stayed 2-nights at Sun Mountain Lodge–– a luxurious lodge that sits at the "edge of wilderness". We had the option of staying in a 1-bedroom lakeside cabin down by Patterson Lake, but opted to stay in the main lodging area for the convenience of accessing the hotel's amenities (wifi, a game room, and restaurant).
Cost of 1-king bedroom rate:$89/night (special discounted rate thanks to Momz)
We arrived at the lodge late in the evening, so early the next morning we headed down to the dining room to have an early breakfast before starting our day. SG was excited to be seated next to a window with a view overlooking the Methow Valley.
Total spent on breakfast for 4: $74, tip included (eggs benedict, vegetarian benedict, kids waffle, one egg any style served with bacon, hash brown and toast, an extra side of hash brown, apple juice and two hot teas)
Once we stuffed our bellies, we prepared for our day trip into town. As we headed to the car, the boys wanted to run around on their well-maintained lawn–– so we let them. After a few rounds of kicking around a soccer ball, chasing each other and rolling around in the grass, they insisted on exploring the area on their bikes, so we followed them on foot.
While Sun Mountain Lodge is a 4-star hotel that offers a romantic getaway with beautiful views of the Methow Valley, the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, and plenty of activities to entertain at the lodge and around the premise, it is about a 10-minute drive into town.
What is there to do in downtown Winthrop, WA?
Fall may be the season when things slow down in Winthrop because as we approached the downtown area, there were cars parked, but the streets and sidewalks were empty.
Family-friendly things to do in Winthrop:
Sheri's Sweet Shoppe + Nugget Gulch
Our first stop was Sheri's Sweet Shoppe. While we were excited to try ice cream from Sheri's Sweet Shoppe and play a round of miniature golf at Nugget Gulch, it was no longer ice cream season and miniature golf was closed due to inclement weather. But, we did get a good picture of the boys saddling up, and bought a couple pieces of Sheri's sweet, decadent chocolates to enjoy while walking around.
Total spent on chocolates: $12.37 (3 decent-sized pieces of chocolate)
Old Schoolhouse Brewery
As we walked past the corner market towards the end of the boardwalk, we ended up in front of the Old Schoolhouse Brewery, voted #1 small brewery in Washington State in 2013. While a tasting would've been something to try, it wasn't an option since we had kids in tow. Instead, we encouraged the boys to pose behind the cut-outs they have right outside, just for the heck of it.
We crossed the street to check out the boutique shops on the opposite side and ended up at the fork in the road, where we read a bit about the history of Winthrop.
Trail's End Bookstore
I absolutely love the smell of bookstores. This bookstore offers more than just the latest in books. They carry books from local authors, cards and stationary from local designers, and they have an espresso machine to make you a cup of joe to enjoy as you wander around the bookstore aimlessly looking at their collection of books and more. I was intrigued by a local graphic designer's art work, I didn't even get to the children's section. I could've spent hours just looking around, but I would've also overspent if I stayed.
Total spent at bookstore: $54.15 (Disney craft book for LP, markers for SG, a card for Ant, a sticker for our water bottle and a small coffee).
Shafer Museum is the finest western museum that highlights pioneer life, and it's just 2 blocks away from downtown Winthrop. After the bookstore, we took a tour around the museum and learned how one man, Guy Waring, claimed squatter's right and eventually came to own every building in downtown Winthrop.
We enjoyed looking around the museum–– seeing all of "Grandpa's motors" and "Grandma's laundry", peering into Guy Waring's "castle"––a log cabin he had built to entice his wife to return to Winthrop with him, a little schoolhouse, and the Pioneer Press print shop.
Cost: Donation-based ($5 suggestion)
Spring Creek Bridge
Heading back towards Sun Mountain Lodge, we stopped at Spring Creek Bridge to get a view of the crystal clear waters of the Methow River.
While this is a pedestrian bridge, connecting the south end of downtown to the center of town, our boys were too exhausted to cross the bridge and back, so we snapped a few photos and called it a day.
Planning suggestions:
We plan to visit again when there is more activity to entertain. While we did enjoy exploring the downtown area of Winthrop and our stay at Sun Mountain Lodge, we'd love to try and stay at the Patterson Lake Cabins during the spring/summer, where we can have the privacy of our own place, be right on the lake, and bring our own food to save on dining costs; but still have access to the amenities at the main lodging area.
0 Comments