Issaquah Salmon Days and Leavenworth Oktoberfest in Washington....from my sabbatical year :)

In October of last year, my brother asked me to come for a visit to Redmond. It was to be a duel celebration of his two grandchildren and he and his wife wanted to take me to Oktoberfest in Leavenworth, WA.  That trek was sort of iffy because of the fires that had been in the area.   He teaches at Northwestern University in Seattle and I inquired if he had a class on the following Monday of the trip.  He said he didn't and agreed to accompany my to the upper shore of the Olympic Peninsula to visit old friends.

So, our weekend began in Issaquah where the celebration of Salmon Days was in full swing and where we'd meet up with my brother's eldest son and his family.

I love festivals and this was a good one!

After seeing the sites, looking at everything for sale and making our purchases, it was decided that we'd go for lunch.....and if my memory serves me correctly....it was Red Robin. :)  It was well into the afternoon so we said 'see ya' tomorrow afternoon' to the kids and went home to Redmond to rest and have a glass of wine before dinner.


(A click on the photos will enlarge)

Look at all those salmon in the water......salmon for me is a favorite on the table :)

The next morning, after checking the air quality, we were off to Leavenworth....no smoke from the fires.  What a treat that little town was!   Leavenworth is this little Bavarian town that sits in a valley on the southeast side of the Northern Cascades.....with a big "Willkommen" to visitors.  The photos will tell the story....

The streets were teeming with people and it reminded me of some little towns I'd visited in Europe

 

What a gorgeous day!  Though one could see the smoke over the mountains, in the valley it was a day filled with Fall colors. 

.....and what would a Bavarian-like town be without nutcrackers and smokers.

Time for a traditional lunch before heading back to Seattle for a birthday bash!

Both sets of grandparents and I were the celebrants for these two cuties....my great nephew, Cody and great niece, Lexi......3 and 1 respectively. :)

First came all the presents......

...then came the pizza party

       two cuties indeed!

When the frivolity ended, it was back to Redmond for an adventure to the upper shore of the Olympic Peninsula the next day with my brother.