Lake Chelan - what the locals know

As I mentioned in an earlier post for Lake Chelan, I took a trip up the Lake to Stehekin. This town is only accessible by boat or seaplane and is located at the top of Lake Chelan. It's very rustic and beautiful, if you have time for a day trip - definitely put Stehekin on your list. Locals know that upon arrival you can rent bicycles to explore the area, including an incredible waterfall called Rainbow Falls. On the journey to the Falls, you pass the old one-room school that's still set-up with desks and drawings from the students around the room. It's fascinating to see what things used to be like for the small population of students who live here. On the way back from the Falls, we made a quick stop for drinks and ice cream before getting back to the dock where the boat was.

If you don't want to take your own boat all the way up to Stehekin (it's a pretty long drive and usually pretty choppy waters), you can also take a more comfortable trip on the Lady of the Lake. There are two options currently based on budget and time, you can take the Lady II for $39 with a 4 hour trip or the Lady Express (or what we call, The Little Lady) for $59 with a little over 2 hour trip.

If you are looking for a view from above, seaplanes are a great way to see the beauty of the Lake from above and get to Stehekin quickly. Chelan Airways offers trips to Stehekin at $149 roundtrip or $89 for one way. They offer a variety of other flights as well that are great ways to experience all that the scenery has to offer.