Winthrop

From Lake Chelan, continue north on Hwy 97 to Hwy 153, and then to Hwy 20, traveling in the direction of Winthrop. Spring through fall, Hwy 20 would deliver you back to the coast, but in winter it dead-ends at Washington Pass. With the towering peaks of the Cascades looming in the distance, Hwy 20 travels a picturesque route through a beautiful valley, following the wide sweep of river that cuts it. It is a region populated by large ranches, grazed by cattle and reportedly the source of inspiration for poet and author Owen Wister. He lived in Winthrop back in the early 1900s, and many Winthrop sights and characters appear in his novel The Virginian. Today, this once-busy mining town is little more than a faux Old West façade, with wooden sidewalks and early 20th-century storefronts. You might enjoy the Shafer Museum, though, which re-creates a turn of the century pioneer mining town. Nine buildings (some reproductions, others original and relocated here) offer a glimpse of life in the Cascades more than a hundred years ago. (Castle and Corral Avenues; open May to September, Thursday to Monday, from 10 am to 5 pm.)