A few weeks ago while on retreat in the mountains we had a couple of hours of free time so several of the ladies decided to make a quick trip into the little historic town of Cashmere, WA. Nestled in the foothills east of the Cascades and surrounded by fruit orchards, Cashmere is a quiet place that is a far cry from the hustle and bustle of the Bavarian tourist town of Leavenworth just a few miles away.
The first place we stopped to visit was the Aplets & Cotlets factory and Country Store. I didn't think to take a picture while we were there, so I had to borrow one. These candies are shipped all over the world. If you would like to see how they are made you can go here. No tours were taking place that day, but there were samples to be tasted and a number of ladies decided to pick up some goodies to take home.
Those of you who have read C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, will recognize this confection as Turkish Delight. Although I'm not really a fan of the taste, I think it looks very pretty on a plate.
Upon leaving the factory store, we began wandering down the street, stopping to look in the little antique shops along the way.
It was there, in one of those little shops that I spied this carousel horse. I have always loved carousels, watching them spin round and round as the prancing horses glide up and down the poles to the sound of the music. In fact, I have several little carousel horses as well as music boxes packed away. This has inspired me to think about bringing them out again and putting them back on display.
As we continued our stroll along the street we discovered this bakery. There's me reflected in the window taking a picture. It seemed like a good place to stop and take a little break.
There were lots of delicious looking goodies to choose from.
As we waited our turn to be served we found this basket filled with Bunnies made from bread. The shop had made them as Easter decorations. Aren't they cute and clever?
After our break, there was just time to hurry across town to check out the Pioneer Museum.
But after a quick consult, we decided there wasn't enough time to check it out properly and we decided to head back to the retreat center. So that was our short little jaunt into town. Hopefully we will be back for another retreat weekend and another opportunity to stop by for a visit.
It was lovely that you and a group of ladies were able to look around the area during your retreat and good to make contact with the local community. Cashmere looks like an interesting and quiet town. Thank you for the sweet factory link as I looked at the fascinating video. The Turkish Delight made with real fruit must be rather tasty. The employees look happy in their work for this well-known company which seems smaller and less automated than most and therefore more personal.
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