n WENATCHEE VALLEY Wenatchee is listed as a hot destination: Here’s what

World photo/Don Seabrook A speedboat makes one of its last runs of the day up the Columbia River in front of Pybus Public Market with a rain cell looming upriver.

Wenatchee

If you love quiet, riverside strolls and discovering cute downtowns, you'll be right at home in Wenatchee.

You could spend a full day in the historic downtown alone, exploring the shops, restaurants, wine bars and pubs you will find there. If downtown isn't quite your scene, you can spend your afternoon in nature instead, soaking in the sunlight and losing yourself amidst the sounds of rushing water and the sweet, trilling song of birds.

Want to head out to Bavarian Leavenworth and the amazing Lake Chelan for the day? With Wenatchee as your base, you’re closer than your daily commute.

Wenatchee has the best trail systems in all of Central Washington. Bring your wheels or rent them and spend the day exploring miles of paved paths or hike the Wenatchee Foothills Trails — a collection of well-maintained trails just three miles from downtown that cross huge land preserves on the city’s western edge.

Visitors can also choose to boat and swim in the beautiful Columbia River that

World photo/Don Seabrook Storm clouds brew over the Wenatchee Valley as a group of young men from Awaken Church in Wenatchee challenges a group of friends, former students of Wenatchee Valley College, to a volleyball match at Walla Walla Point Park.

World photo/Don Seabrook Abram Rodriguez with the Eastmont Jazz Band plays at the Memorial Park’s Gesa Entertainment Stage during the Apple Blossom Festival

carves its way between the cities of Wenatchee and East Wenatchee. Several companies, such as Columbia River Boat Rental, provide rentals at rates around $70 per hour. People can also choose to fish off several docks along the Columbia River.

Head 20 minutes south of Wenatchee and you'll reach Squilchuck State Park and Mission Ridge, where hiking and mountain biking opportunities abound through pristine Ponderosa Pine forests. At Mission Ridge you can a 3.2 mile hike to Clara and Marion lakes, two low-elevation alpine lakes surrounded by majestic larches, whose needles turn a shocking yellow in the fall.

When it’s time to celebrate and eat, Wenatchee doesn’t disappoint. The valley has a huge roster of restaurants, including the best Mexican food scene in the state from taco trucks to sit-down restaurants.