During the winter, Lake Chelan -- located in the heart of Washington state's Cascade Mountains -- is a snow-covered wonderland where visitors can go skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, sledding and tubing.
In addition, throughout January and February 2011, the destination is presenting several seasonal events with visitor appeal.
First up is the 25th annual Lake Chelan Winterfest (Jan. 14-Jan. 17). On Saturday, talented Northwest sculptors create outdoor ice sculptures in front of the public. Visitors can enjoy sleigh rides through historic downtown Chelan, ice skating, snow games and music. There's a tasting of local wines at the Winterfest Wine Walk, followed by the Fire and Ice torchlight parade, beach bonfire, polar bear splash and fireworks. The weekend festivities continue on Sunday with a snow sculpting competition, sculpting awards ceremony and more music.
During back-to-back weekends in February, the boutique wineries of the Lake Chelan Wine Growers Association host their annual winter celebration, Red Wine and Chocolate, pairing local varietals with sweet treats. Held Feb. 12-13 and Feb. 19-20, it's a great escape for couples looking to celebrate with their Valentine.
The President's Day holiday weekend heralds the first annual Lake Chelan Trax Festival (Feb. 18-20, 2011). This new event offers visitors a chance to experience winter recreation on some of the area's most beautiful cross-country and snowshoe trails, hundreds of miles of snowmobile trails and family-friendly downhill skiing and tubing hills. Evenings can be spent enjoying a beer tasting, winemaker dinner and fireworks show. Lake Chelan is located three hours east of Seattle.
The Details
Lake Chelan
www.cometothelake.com
