Exploring Leavenworth - A Seattle “Staycation”
the Post Hotel
Matt and I have driven past the Post Hotel several times in the last couple years, and have always admired it from the outside. When we pulled up we knew it was going to be even more gorgeous inside than the outside even was. The whole town of Leavenworth is designed and decorated to look like a Bavarian town, so each building has a very unique look. I love that they took that design and applied it to this hotel; even though it is a newer hotel it has so much charm and character. Stepping inside the hotel to the left we were greeted by two super kind women working the front desk. They checked us in, gave us our room keys, and scheduled our massages for the next morning!
When we opened the door to our room we were instantly blown away! It was gorgeous. The lighting was amazing haha, of course, being a blogger I think of the lighting! The room was spacious and every piece of furniture in the room was oversized and wooden and just so cozy. Matt instantly jumped on the bed and crawled under the sheets haha he was pumped on the massive queen bed! I loved that the room had several different “areas” to hangout in. The main room was the bedroom, with the bed and TV stand. Off to the right was a spacious bathroom with marble floors and a massive marble tub. It also had one of those showers that rains from the ceiling - what a dream! The second part of the room was off to the left of the bedroom. It had two big rugs stacked over each other over the wooden floor (I loved that look!) and a big white couch. Behind the couch was a mirror framed in gold. Across from the couch and mirror was a large, white, marble fireplace. If you walked through that room you stepped out on to the balcony.
The view from the balcony was just as gorgeous as the room, if not more. I loved that each room felt so secluded and private because they only faced the mountains, not each other. The balcony was big enough for the both of us to sit or stand on together. We looked down and saw the big pools and hot tub, mountains, and the river with the trail around it. It was literally breathtaking! I think I could have gone the whole weekend and never left the room honestly haha!
friday night
RHEIN HAUS - A BAVARIAN DINNER
Friday we had reservations at the new Rheinhause in town. We have this same restaurant in Seattle and Tacoma, but it was truly the perfect fit for this little Bavarian town! Of course, we had to get the massive pretzel; they told us it was for 5-6 people yet just us two almost finished the whole thing haha! I had never had a pretzel dipped in chocolate, but it was delicious. It pretty much tastes like a donut, so of course it was good! We had so much fun at dinner under the lights. I also got the goulash, which is like a thick stew. Matt had the bratwurst and it was delicious too! We loved that the patio had heaters and umbrellas, so it really would be the perfect place to eat in any weather. We already can not wait to come back in December with my family! Last year when we came in December it was snowy, but now we can still sit outside and enjoy the lights here.
pool & spa
The Pool and Wellness area at the Post Hotel is open to guests from 7am through 11pm. It is truly one of a kind! There are soothing saltwater hydrotherapy pools, several steam baths and saunas with varying temperatures, cool plunge pools and Kneipp Stepping Pools. They all serve distinct purposes in healing, restoring, and relaxing the body.
The indoor/outdoor saltwater pool features massage nooks and lounges that you can relax and sit in while in the pool. We loved the pool at night because it was lit up and there wasn’t anyone out there besides us. It was the best! We loved that the hotel is 18 years of age and older because it was truly so peaceful. Since there were no kids, it was quiet and relaxing.
saturday
BRUNCH AT POST HOTEL
Breakfast and lunch are served daily to the guests at the Post Hotel. There is a delicious array of pastries, bagels, jams, cheese and meats, yogurt and granola. You can also order eggs from a menu of fresh options that changes daily. I loved getting scrambled eggs with veggies and sausage added in, with the side of greek yogurt and croissants (with chocolate of course). I love that they offer these two meals at the hotel, because the hotel really is so relaxing I can imagine a lot of people stay here all weekend when they come in to town. This means they only have to pay for one meal outside of the hotel meals. I also love that it is a sit down style meal where you are served and waited on. Even though you can show up dressed really casual, or even in your robe & slippers, you can still feel like you are at a really nice restaurant.
couples massage
Matt had never got a massage before this and he honestly had no idea what to expect! I kept telling him you are gonna love it haha you will want to get a massage every week from here on out because they are SO relaxing! The last time I got a massage was when I graduated college 3 years ago and Matt set me up with one for a graduation gift. This was unlike any relaxation experience we have ever had! First off, I love that you get robes and slippers in the room upon arrival because you can wear them to the pool or to the spa and it is so easy & relaxing to just walk quietly around in slippers. We got to the spa for our 11am Swedish couples massage and were greeted by two super kind women who were the ones giving the massages. We had the option to relax in a sunroom off to the side, which had lounge chairs and an amazing view of he mountains, or just go right into the appointment. We decided to just get started on the massage because we wanted time in the afternoon to explore, but it looked so peaceful in the sunroom too!
The massages were 60 minutes and full body; with a focus on our backs, legs and neck. Matt and I were both in the same room on separate massage beds. The room was really quiet, except for peaceful music playing. We got to pick out the oil by choosing the scent we wanted them to use on us. I was super impressed by the whole experience! Everything was so thoughtful, peaceful, and really relaxing. I love that the hotel only has about 30 rooms because it just means there is less people walking around - we left the spa and didn’t see one person on our way back to the room. It helped carry the peace throughout the whole day, instead of leaving the spa and feeling stressed again!
lunch
We decided we wanted to get lunch at South in Leavenworth, because we have been several times in Wenatchee and LOVED it. My favorite meal there is the Chicken Pablano because it has the best flavors & just a little kick of heat. We love it paired with the Cojita Roasted Corn and Guacamole as well. I mean who doesn’t love guac?! I like that with this specific meal you can sort of make your own; it comes with rice and beans and tortillas so you can make your own tacos, or just eat them alone. We have always loved the vibe and feel of South, and the restaurant in Leavenworth was no exception.
Pretty much everything in Leavenworth is walking distance from the hotel, which is so fun! You can walk to get Starbucks, any of the little shops, and all of the food. It is a small town but each store is pretty small & really unique, so there is actually a lot to see, eat, and do.
biking
After lunch we decided we wanted to explore the town a little bit on bike! The Post Hotel has them stationed out front of the hotel and all you need to do to use them is ask them to take them out & tell them how many. My dad ended up driving through town right after we had left lunch, so we bike to Starbucks and met up with him. Since everything in town is so close, it literally took us three minutes to get there haha. We have been to this Starbucks in town a lot just when passing through but I don’t think I have ever sat outside and really enjoyed it.
After meeting up with my dad we biked back to the hotel and down the trail by the water. This was the same trail that we could see from our balcony! The trail goes along the river and back around town, so you could also walk it if you didn’t have a bike. But, of course the bikes were adorable and match the same theme as the hotel. I love the basket and it actually was so handy to put my Starbucks in as we biked around! The view from the back of the hotel, while on the trail, was so pretty! I kept telling Matt I thought the hotel looked like a castle because of how grand it was. You can even see our room at the very top with the door open!
mana dining experience
The one thing that we were really excited for (and also had no idea what to expect) was dinner at Mana. I had never even heard of this amazing restaurant before our trip, but have nothing but amazing things to say about it. It was definitely one of the major highlights of our trip! We had reservations at Mana for 6:30pm, and honestly were expecting it to be a pretty normal dining experience, maybe lasting an hour or so. We arrived at the little yellow house, walked up the walkway and stairs lined with flowers, and into a peaceful & quiet room. There was about 12-15 tables in the restaurant, it was dimly lit, and there were candles on the walls and tables. I loved the overall vibe from the moment we walked in.
We were greeted by our server and shown to our table, where the chef Colin came out to welcome us and explain what the night would have in store. When he asked us if we were excited for a three HOUR meal, Matt and I looked at each other with shock haha! We honestly did not know that the meal would last that long, but we were actually so excited to relax and enjoy the meal and not rush through it like we usually would. The Chef, Colin, came out an explained the meal; how all of the food was grown naturally and organically around that area, and from small & local farms. He talked about how food should be really simple and cooked in a way that enhances the flavors without having to add anything processed and fake.
We chose to pair our meal with elixir pairings; drinks made from natural juices and herbs that are said to have restorative & healing properties. They were delicious! Every single course of the meal we ate (there were eight total!) were so creative and unique. So many of the ingredients we had never even heard of, or would have never thought were edible. For example, the first meal was an heirloom tomato cut really thick so it almost was like meat. There was a cheese made from cashews (what??) stuffed inside of a butternut squash flower. Topping off the dish were smoked mushrooms that had flavor we had never tasted before! Everything was delicious, but in the most unique way.
Around the 7th course we were given a plate with some food on it that was not cooked, in its natural state. We got to guess what each thing was (herbs, spices, fruit, etc.) and guess what meal each was in. I had never seen something so creative and interactive like this before in a meal, and even more than that it was educational! We really loved to learn more about the food, where it came from, what it looks like before it’s cooked, and what it could be used in.
We left this dinner around 9:30pm, three hours after sitting down. We were stuffed to the brim with amazing, creative and special foods that were cooked with love & passion, and technique we had honestly never heard of or seen. What an experience! If you are ever in Leavenworth Mana is a MUST for any foodie or someone wanting to really enjoy food and good company.
