It's not about... ok, yeah. It's about the beer.

Leavenworth. A “Bavarian” town at the base of the Washington Cascades, a place that revels in the sheer audacity of it’s fake history. This town is no more “German” than Seattle or Paris, but that isn’t going to stop the residents or visitors from enjoying it just the same. Especially in October. Because while Oktoberfest in Munich starts in September, in Leavenworth it starts the first weekend of October.

Which is good, really. The temperatures of Eastern Washington have finally started to drop so that the nights are cold. It feels like fall. There’s snow in the mountains and the fires have finally stopped pouring smoke into the air. October is a beautiful time of the year.

I travelled with friends, many of which were running in the annual Leavenworth marathon/half marathon. I certainly was not. I don’t mind running, but 13.1 miles, that’s more than I want to do to. But I’m more than happy to support my friends. While they ran counter-clockwise along the Icicle creek canyon, the “support crew” walked clockwise along the first three miles of the course, cameras in hand. We drank beer as they passed, taking photos along the way. It was a great way to spend the morning.

Of course, since we had to travel a far shorter path to the start/finish, we were able to beat the runners to the finish and eagerly awaited their return. Once the race is done, we can go drink beer. Sure, I was there to support my friends, but it was really all about the beer.

The rest of the weekend slipped away as a set of memories that became increasingly fuzzy as the night went on. The Cougs beating Cal was a highlight of the early afternoon, the Huskies losing to Stanford isn’t something I can remember at all (though I am assured I was awake to see the trees win). The night ended quietly, with me sleeping on a slightly short couch, drifting in and out of sleep until the hangover of the morning began.

No embarrassment. No puking. No regrets. I don’t think I could ask for a better weekend.