Log cabin is ideal for Leavenworth vacation

By CARY ORDWAY

If you're like us and have been captivated by the modern log homes you've seen in those glossy magazines, be comforted in the fact that you don't actually have to build a log home to enjoy it on your next vacation. Just rent one for the week, or week-end for that matter.

On our most recent trip to Leavenworth, Washington, we did just that when we rented a place called "Log Haven" that certainly qualified for prominent display in any magazine on log homes. It wasn't a sprawling house that almost looks out of place in the wild, but rather a classic two-bedroom log home that is really more of a log cabin. It was just the right size for a long-planned "Boys Weekend" bringing together four old high-school and college friends for a fun few days of relaxation and reminiscing.

Log Haven also is perfectly suited to a family getaway with sleeping accommodations for up to seven people. And, unlike some lodgings so impeccably designed and decorated, children are welcome. Dogs and cigarettes, however, need to be left behind.

This little piece of log heaven is situated about three miles outside of Leavenworth, known far and wide as the Bavarian Village because of its Bavarian-themed shops and restaurants, all nestled in a little valley bordered on the west by steep mountains that look like they could have been brought here from the European Alps. Log Haven is just a short drive along winding country roads that snake through the colorful Cascade Mountain foothills just east of Leavenworth.

Arriving at this log home you are immediately drawn to the spacious outdoor deck that looks out onto the picture-postcard mountains to the south and east. One could almost envision Julie Andrews and the children running through the meadows and flower gardens in this sparsely populated countryside with the helicopter swooping down for the opening panorama you see in Sound of Music. Okay, maybe it's not that gorgeous, but you get the general idea.

Our friends were certainly impressed. Log Haven may look like a big cabin but it's like a complete vacation home inside with a full kitchen, two bathrooms, large living room area — with wide-screen high-def TV — and even a laundry facility. The upstairs loft has two beds and is large enough that someone could roll out a sleeping bag on the floor and no one would need to step on anybody. Cathedral ceilings and top-to-bottom windows make this home feel bigger than it actually is.

Out on the deck are some chairs to just gaze away at the unbelievable mountain views or, if you prefer, there is a four-person hot tub — which, incidentally, got quite a work-out while we were visiting Log Haven. A propane barbecue also is on the deck so that you don't even need to take your eyes off those mountains while you're cooking.

Of course, there's no need to cook if you don't want to. Leavenworth has dozens of restaurants offering quite a variety of cuisines. Chief among those, as you might expect, is German or Bavarian food and you can't go too far in this place without being offered a bratwurst or a beer. ...