Chelan is closer than you think and a wonderful destination for a weekend getaway! Just three hours east of Seattle following i90, the 50.5 miles that is Lake Chelan is waiting for you year round. Chelan has a variety of activities both on land and on the lake. Thousands of hikes surround the lake. The Echo Ridge Summer Trails consist of 25 miles of what use to be Nordic skiing and snowshoeing trails, weave around the lake intersecting with roads here and there. It’s perfect for any experience level and gets you outside! Alternatively, Pot Peak (9.5 miles) will give you a real workout! Chelan is also known for its wine country. We spent the weekend there exploring the area and here are a few places we recommend! We stayed at the Lakeside Lodge and Suites hotel. Most rooms face the lake and they even have a pretty good included breakfast! When it comes to food, Sorrento’s Ristorante has spectacular views of the lake and vineyards (bonus! it’s surrounded by one), and has a fantastic selection of foods to choose from. This is one of the fancier destinations in town. Because it’s wine country, we figured, what’s a trip to Chelan without going wine tasting? Right next door, connected to the restaurant is Tsillan Cellars. $5 wine tasting every afternoon in a room built by local artisans was a perfect way to spend the day. In fact, we spent three hours sitting on the outdoor patio, tasting wine produced from the same estate, and enjoying the garden and the afternoon sun.
Another popular place to grab some grub is at the Drive In right downtown by the water. There is outdoor seating on a deck overlooking the lake. Their burgers and fish and chips are great but their shakes are amazing (the blackberry milkshake was the best and yes they blended real blackberries into it!). Chelan is also a great place to try parasailing, jet skiing, wakeboarding, or boating. Chelan Parasail and Watersports has great summer deals like 10% off all rentals and others so make sure to check them out! Shoreline Watercraft and Boat Rental also has a variety of boats to rent for the day.
We found overall that Chelan is a wonderful place to relax or get outside for a weekend getaway whether it’s you and a few friends or you and your family. It’s also super close to Seattle so no excuses! Grab your jeans, carpool to save the environment and your wallet, and venture out to the east side.