While Lake Chelan is typically known as a spectacular Washington wine region, it's also a year-round vacation destination for both summer and winter activities for families. While I hope to be back there during peak wine season, I was pleasantly surprised at just how much there is to do and how beautiful it is during the rest of the year.
Lake Chelan Winterfest Festival
In January, Lake Chelan features two weekends of fun for its annual Winterfest Festival. The 2015 festival runs through January 25. The annual Lake Chelan Winterfest is presented by the Historic Downtown Chelan Association and has been a community and family favorite for nearly 30 years. This Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce event is 2 weekends filled with family fun, including ice sculptures and ice sculpting, live music, wine walks, ale tasting, a bubbles bar, an ice bar, an ice slide, horse-drawn carriage rides, activities for kids of all ages, a polar bear splash, a massive beach bonfire, spectacular fireworks show, and so much more!
Walk Along Historic Downtown Lake Chelan
During Winterfest, we had espresso and snacks at Vogue, and then we enjoyed dinner at the Bamboo Shoot. If you love Hibachi grills, this is the restaurant for you. Our chef cooked and entertained for us. The food was delightful.
The downtown area is full of local shops with unique items. All are small, locally owned businesses. The kind of small businesses that make you want to stop and shop to support them even if you don't need to buy a thing. I love downtown areas like this.
The Chelan Museum, operated by the Lake Chelan Historical Society, was a really fun stop, too. Two floors of neat historical items lined the building. The museum also featured a fun scavenger hunt for the kids to complete, which made it a fun and engaging alternative to a typical museum tour.
Check Out Sage Vacation Rentals for Your Accommodation
If you're looking for a place to stay, Sage Vacation Rentals was the perfect family accommodation. We stayed in a two-bedroom condo at the Chelan Resort Suites right near the lake on the outskirts of Lake Chelan. It was the perfect spot for our 2-night stay and just the right size for our family of six. Sage Vacation Rentals offers premier vacation rental homes, condos, and cabins in Chelan, Manson, and Wapato Point, so whether you're looking for a cozy lakeside retreat or a grand hilltop estate with views of the valley, they've got the right housing option for your vacation.
Have Breakfast in Manson
We headed to Blueberry Hills for Breakfast one morning while we were in town on the recommendation of several people. The food was great, the view spectacular. The atmosphere was fun and very country.
And if you're out in Manson, you should definitely check out some wineries while you're there. One of my faves is Hard Row to Hoe. They have great wines, a fun history, and a female winemaker, which really fairly uncommon in the industry. Another favorite winery located in Manson is Cairdeas Winery.
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Wow this looks like an amazing place! I love the ice sculptures!
We took your advice and checked out Blueberry Hills in Manson a couple of weeks ago. So good. So, so good. No, seriously… so good!
I’m glad you liked it! We loved it there!