Lake Chelan - so much to do, so little time

While in Chelan, there are a variety of activities to keep you busy. While I am there, I always stay in Manson, which is about 7 miles east of Chelan on the Lake. Whether you are right in Chelan or in one of the smaller towns around the Lake, there are plenty of things to entertain you while you're there.

First off, I have to mention the water activities. When you go, I HIGHLY recommend renting a boat. The Lake is so fun to explore and is so vast that without a boat you'll never get the full experience. My personal favorite is to motor out to a nice sunny spot in the middle of the Lake and park - then you can lay out, swim, play games, drink, eat, you get the idea. Aside from my lazy days, you can also wakeboard/water ski, tube, parasail, rent jet skis, go fishing, the list goes on. And before I move on from water activities, I have to mention the areas near Chelan that have fun amusement parks on the water - they are giant blow-up toys that live on the Lake and look like they could be a blast for the younger kids in your group. There is also a waterpark called Slidewaters that has a variety of fun activities for a family-style trip.

Aside from all of the fun you can have on the water, my next pick would be to check out some of the wineries. Over the years, Chelan has grown to be quite the wine country and my favorite is Wapato Point Cellars. On this visit, I had the pleasure of meeting Mama Carol and she was just as sweet as she could be. If you go, definitely ask for her. :) The winery does tastings starting at noon daily and they are complimentary. The bottles are pretty reasonable ranging from around $15-$30 and glasses starting at only $5. They also have a great little restaurant (Winemaker's Grill) on the property and during our tasting I discovered that if you buy a case, you receive a free dinner for two! Dinner begins serving at 5 p.m. If you'd like to check out the rest of the wineries in the area, click HERE

If you are still looking for something different than what is mentioned above, maybe you would be interested in exploring the orchards. Chelan is known for it's soil and all of the wonderful food that is able to be grown there. I will come back to this spot when I go over places to eat but for now, let's talk about their berry farm. Blueberry Hills is a fantastic little family homestead that has a restaurant and also a u-pick berry farm. You can choose from blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. They are all delicious and it's the kind of experience that is only found in small towns - which I personally don't get to enjoy often enough. So do me a favor and check this place out while you're there! :)