The Icicle Village Resort of Leavenworth, WA

We showed up to a snowy Leavenworth on Super Bowl Sunday. Arriving at the Icicle Village Resort just before the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers kicked off for Super Bowl number 50. Since our room wasn’t ready yet (we arrived before the 4pm check in time) we went straight to the Icicle Junction Activity Center, which is located on their property.

Icicle Village Resort game room
Icicle Village Resort sign
Jed's sandwich

There we found a big screen TV, arcade game room, and cafe. For game day they had a special preset menu you could order from as well as beer specials. We chose the local Icicle Brewery’s Dirtyface Amber, which was very tasty indeed. For food, my husband had their French dip and fries, and my son and I shared the Buffalo wings that were sauced in Franks Hot Sauce. Though the food was nothing particularly exciting or out of the ordinary, it fit the bill for game day fare well. Also, we found the staff to be very friendly. The crowd was pretty mild mannered given it was the first Super Bowl in three years that didn’t include the Seattle Seahawks!


When we arrived to our room, we were happy to find a cozy, well appointed two bedroom condo. There was a fireplace in the living room as well as one of the bedrooms, surrounded by stone. What struck me most, was the place was immaculately clean!

There was plenty of Seattle’s Best coffee available, which made for a nice morning cup of Joe before heading over to the restaurant for the complimentary breakfast…but that’s getting ahead of myself. After the game was over, our eleven year old son and I, donned our swim suits, snow boots and winter hats (quite the look- luckily it was dark and there weren’t many people around) and headed over to the pool.

living room
living room tv
bedroom 1
bedroom2
dining
kitchen
bath

They had a large bubble like room over what would obviously be an outdoor pool in the summer months. And, although it was a brisk (and unfashionable) walk through the snow to get there, the water was a comfortable temperature. The ‘bubble’ room made for an interesting atmosphere. The mist rose up around us while the underwater lights gave it an eerie glow. Given our late Sunday arrival time, the place was pretty deserted and we had the pool to ourselves. We also braved the cold and walked out to the hot tub. It was very relaxing and the warm sensation seemed to last us on our chilly walk back to the room.






salad
grounds icicle village resort
grounds 2
breakfast buffet
breakfast 1
breakfast 2

For dinner we tried their restaurant, known as the JJ Fresh Grill, named after James Jerome Hill, who first brought the railroad to Leavenworth. There’s a fun little train that runs along at the top of the room that adds charm to the place, and reminds visitors that the town was originally built up because of the folks who came to work on the railroad and the families that came to join them. My husband ordered a traditional German dish called Spatzal. I wasn’t very hungry, so I had a salad with grilled chicken. The chicken was cooked perfectly and the blue cheese dressing was really good! Our son ordered the kids mac and cheese, which he declared to be “very cheesy”. For dessert, he got a brownie that came with the kids’ meal and it was definitely a hit!



As I mentioned, breakfast is included in your stay. And we were happy to find that it wasn’t just a few dry muffins and cereal. The breakfast included, hot scrambled eggs, sausage, potatoes, a waffle maker for waffles, as well as a huge pot of oatmeal and some tasty cinnamon rolls. There was also hot chocolate, juices and of course, coffee. We were very impressed with the offering, especially given that it is a complimentary breakfast.


dog

Another nice thing about the Icicle Village Resort I’d like to mention is they are pet friendly. And while we didn’t have our pups with us on this trip, we got to meet this cutie out enjoying the snow.

The resort is located a short, easy (i.e. flat), 1/2 mile walk to downtown. There are other hotels closer in, but for the most part they are located right on the road. Also, at the Icicle you have no problem with parking and for those of you coming out on the weekend that’s a huge plus as it can get very crowded! The day we left was the start of a three day weekend, and parking was already really difficult in town. Also, staying at the Icicle Village Resort would be quieter than in town. Of course, coming during the week in winter, we didn’t have a problem with crowds or parking or noise. But, we are members of the minority who are able to travel mid-week. If we were to come on a weekend, we’d definitely choose the Icicle Village Resort again if we were looking for an option that was within walking distance to downtown, but peaceful.

Which brings me to the Alpine Spa, Icicle Village Resort’s on-site Spa. I wasn’t able to partake in a treatment, but the woman at the front desk was kind enough to give me a tour of their facility. All of their products are organic, down to the nail polish. The Spa is small compared to others I’ve been to, but has that magical way of making you feel rejuvenated just by walking in. They offer nail and hair care as well as massages, facials and body scrubs. For a list of their offerings see http://www.iciclevillage.com/alpine-spa.htm

spa entrance
spa goods

We enjoyed our visit to the Icicle Village Resort and found every staff member we came in contact with to be very friendly. They offer traditional hotel rooms, as well as 1, 2 or 3 bedroom Aspen Suites Condominiums. And a huge plus is that they don’t charge cleaning fees or resort fees and provide parking as well as WiFi on a complimentary basis. This is a great option for a family stay in Leavenworth! You can find more information at their website.

Happy Travels!
– Hollin

Hollin Stafford
Hollin Stafford

Hollin holds her degree in Sociology and was a flight attendant for United Airlines up until the time she had her son. She, her husband and son are now happily living with their three dogs in Portugal. Hollin home-schools so they can explore the globe, and teach through experience. When not writing about travel, Hollin’s focus is on writing fiction. Her work has received rave reviews from critically acclaimed agents and editors. She has a unique voice embodied through rich descriptions of shared human condition. She recently published her first YA novel, Degrees of Light and enjoys writing literary short stories. In 2017 she was listed on Glimmer Train's honorable mention list and was considered for the Fulton Prize from The Adirondack Review. Her short story, Blue, was featured in Literary Mama’s 2018 Mother’s Day Edition. She is originally from California.

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One comment

  1. Our car broke down, no cell-service and starting to snow; minutes from this place. With my 3 kids plus 2 cousins I PANICKED! A angel was with us – Thank you, to the family that picked-up all 6 of us on the side of the road!!! When, we arrived we got the last vacant room. I tried to stay calm for the kids! It worked, we had dinner and did a little window-shopping as we waited for our room to be occupied. Turned out, to be a one of the most memorable times of my life. And, the kids think it was my fault..lol! always be thankful – btw worth the $$$

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