Travel guide to Plain, WA

Plain, Wa is a cute, small, recreational town on the Eastern half of Washington State. For my family, it has become a complete and total refuge from the dreaded Seattle rain and more often than not gray sky. Don't get me wrong...I love Seattle and I love living in Washington. I even like the rain in the fall or winter. I just get tired of it when it is every day. And I really don't like it when it rains in the spring and summer.  By driving just 1 1/2 to 2 hours east of Seattle, you can escape the rain.  It is usually sunny even if it is cold, and in the spring and summer it is at least 10 degrees warmer.  It also has clearly defined seasons; cold winters with lots of snow, and hot blue skied summers.

My family started a tradition of going on a day trip to Leavenworth, WA once a year around late September. Leavenworth is a magical Bavarian style town also in Eastern Washington and is just 20 minutes from Plain and about 2 hours away from Seattle. We would go in the fall to oooh and awwhh at the beautiful fall color over the pass and on the drive over. We would stop at our favorite fruit stand "Prey's Fruit Barn" just outside of Leavenworth and buy apples to bring home to make homemade applesauce. We would stop along the river and watch the salmon spawn, eat hamburgers at Gustavs, and walk through the whimsical streets and shops. Every year when we made the day trip we wished we could stay longer. That is when we discovered Plain!

• We knew we loved visiting Leavenworth once a year, but wanted to find a place where we could stay longer and have more recreational activites. That is how we discovered Plain. Plain is less than 15 minutes from Lake Wenatchee where in the summertime you can swim, fish, camp, go horseback riding, mountain biking, dirtbike riding, and float or kayak down the Wenatchee river. In the wintertime the area is busy with snowmobilers, cross country skiiers, people snowshoeing, and kids sledding. In the Lake Wenatchee area, there are countless number of hikes, ridges, and beautiful views to explore.

If shopping is what you want to do, there is one place that is quite charming and seems to have everything. It is the main store in Plain called Plain Hardware Home & Garden. Next door you will find Plain Grocery. When you walk in to Plain Hardware the first thing you notice is the wonderful smell of their coffee and espresso from their espresso bar (they also sell hot soup and bread). They sell all kinds of cool shirts, funky jewelry, scented candles, and all sorts of fun things. In the back is their hardware store where you can find everything from killing bugs to lumber and power tools.

If food is what you are looking for, you will find several restaurants to choose from. Close to Lake Wenatchee is the Kahler Glen Golf & Ski Resort where you can dine while overlooking the golf course. If pizza and beer is what you want, The Headwaters Pub is a great gathering spot. There is also the 59er diner, The Squirrel Tree Restaurant, The Happy Clown, or the beautiful Mountain Springs Lodge.

What I love most about Plain are the cabins galore. You can pick from a quaint A-frame to a large lodge style. You can rent the cabins for days or weeks at a time. There are several websites that will help you find just what you are looking for such as http://www.comfycabins.com/ or http://www.destinationleavenworth.com/. There is also The Beaver Valley Lodge right in Plain.  You can find small to big and in any price range.

 So next time you want to get away, enjoy the sun and small town charm, check out Plain, WA. It is a hidden gem of a town and I guarantee you will find plenty of things to make your trip memorable!