Central Reservations Blog

Snow has arrived in the valley!

We are very happy that the snow has finally arrived. We got several inches this past weekend and more snow is on the way. Any day now the MVSTA should start grooming the cross-country ski trails and the winter skiing season can begin.

Early November Snow

For those staying in the valley this Holiday week and itching to put on their skis, we heard skiing up at Wasington pass is great! Another exciting thing to do this week is watch the Winthrop Fireworks. It's part of the annual Winthrop Christmas at the End of the Road celebration and it's the best firework show around. All the businesses sponsor the event so be sure to check it out. It should be even more spectacular this year with the snowy backdrop.

If you still need lodging, there are plenty of great cabins left. Many of them are running off-season specials too....
Winthrop Lodging

It's hard to believe autumn begins next week. Summer, we hardly knew ye! We keep thinking we'll get one last week of warm weather but now that the leaves are starting to turn yellow that seems less likely. On the upside, we're sure that our cool summer portends a very cold winter with lots of snow!

We're very proud to be sponsors of the 24th Annual Fall Bike and Film Festival, October 1-3, 2010. There will be great activities for everyone in the family. The festival has grown every year and this year promises to be spectacular. The MVSTA has a GREAT new sponsor for the event — check out their website at mvsta.com to find out who it is. If you are a serious bike-rider, your heart will skip a beat!

Bring your bike into town starting on Friday. There be a kiosk set up in town with maps and information on all of the self-guided rides. On Saturday, ride over to The Barn for the film festival itself. Shows will be at 10 a.m., 3:30 p.m., 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Admission is $15 with kids under 10 free. A "bike valet" will be onsite to watch over your bike while you enjoy the cycling films.

A bike rodeo will be set up in the Winthrop Park (adjacent to The Barn) Saturday afternoon starting at 2:00. Kids 10 and under will be introduced to the joys of mountain bike riding on a dirt trail created in the park. There is no pre-registration, just show up ready to have fun and grab a goodie bag.

For all the fun activities associated with the bike and film fest, as well as details on any of the activities listed here, check out the MVSTA website.

We hope a lot of you will be able to come over and enjoy the fall weather and the film festival!

This past July 4th weekend the Central Res staff attended the Methow Valley Arts Fest, put on by the Methow Arts Alliance and held in the Twisp Park. While we didn't learn to juggle, we did have a great time.

The Arts Fest had great child-oriented activities. Kids were having a fun time building sailboats and then sailing them in a large above-ground pool. There were long lines at the face-painting booth and at the tie-dye your own shirt booth. There were mosaic booths, beading booths, painting booths, and too many others to mention. A very patient horse stood in the middle of the park allowing children to approach and pet him.

Onstage, there was continuous entertainment throughout the day, including music, dancing and a comedy show.

Come hungry! We made the mistake of eating beforehand, but we still indulged in some goodies from Arrowleaf Bistro, which had a booth there. Also available were hot dogs, cold drinks, tacos, candy and healthy snacks such as energy bars and fruit rollups.

Admission was $5 per person. Most of the activity booths charged from $1 to $5, but some were free. Food was extra but the entertainment was included in the price of admission. Next time you are visiting the valley over the 4th of July weekend be sure to check it out!

We are now selling tickets to the Methow Valley Chamber Music Festival! The dates are July 29th through August 7th. If you are a classical music lover, this is a must see event.

With our surprisingly wet spring this year the Valley is lush, green and beautiful. The rivers are all running very high and fast which makes now a great time to enjoy river rafting!

Photo courtesy of Blue Sky Outfitters

The Central Res staff thought we should experience rafting on our very own Methow River and did a really fun trip a couple weeks ago with Blue Sky Outfitters. We had an extremely knowledgable and competent guide who was able to keep the beginners and the more seasoned rafters from getting bored. All the gear (including wetsuits) was provided and it even included a steak dinner afterward.

We would highly recommend Blue Sky Outfitters to anyone who wants to do some great white water rafting. We will definitely be doing more rafting in the future. In addition to the Methow River, Blue Sky Outfitters also has trips on the Wenatchee River for those who are staying with us in Leavenworth too!