Leavenworth, WA

If anyone needs a quick get-away for some photo opportunities, stay at Leavenworth for a home base. To the east you have the beautiful
Ohme Gardens in Wenatchee. Going south you go up Mountain Home Road that puts you 1000 feet above Leavenworth for a nice view of the valley with lots of lupine and balsam root at the top that is still blooming good. Heading south and west there's the awesome Icicle Creek that has a good flow of water, white-water and fast (a good challenge for lighting and shutter speed). Also heading west is Lake Wenatchee. A beautiful lake with a great a.m. reflection (when there's no wind) and a little further down the highway is Deception Falls. Also, if go up Hwy 2 from Hwy 97, to Leavenworth, you can get a shot of the old barn that's in Greg Vaughn's book "Photographing Washington" (along with other photo ideas like Icicle Creek and Deception Falls). Thank you, Greg, love your book!

Thanks, Don. It's always great to hear that my books have helped someone discover a new place and helped them get good photos. Using Leavenworth as a base to explore the surrounding territory is a great idea. Many of those places you mention are also great in autumn, thanks to maple, aspen, cottonwood and larch turning golden.

Thanks Don! I appreciate you posting the suggestions and advice. I also love Greg's book and refer to it frequently.

Your suggestions sound like the itinerary for a fall outing. I haven't spent nearly enough time in the area.

Oh, and nice photo too!