TOUR CASHMERE
9/11 SPIRIT OF AMERICA MEMORIAL
The 9/11 Spirit of America Memorial was made possible by the original Spirit of America Foundation. Their vision and hard work began this journey that continues to grow and flourish today. Memorial dedicated to all those that perished on September 11, 2001 and provide remembrance and education on the fateful events of that tragic day.
Aplets & Cotlets Candy Kitchen Tours
The Aplets & Cotlets Candy Kitchen is located at 117 Mission Street, one block south of Cottage Avenue. Tour hours are: April through December from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; January through March 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and closed Saturdays and Sundays. The candy kitchen also has an extensive gift shop. Come and enjoy a Cashmere tradition at the Aplets & Cotlets Candy Kitchen!
Cashmere Museum & Pioneer Village
History buffs will revel in the extensive collections of the Cashmere Museum and Pioneer Village. Artifacts from the Wenatchee Indians include hunting and fishing artifacts, a sweat lodge, native food and medicine items, an exhibit about the Hudson Bay Company and a Meso-American collection. Some artifacts date back 9,000 years. Displays from local pioneer history include tools, mining, veterinary equipment, memorabilia, and dioramas depicting the lifestyles of the early settlers, including a trapper’s cabin. “Old Mission,” the Pioneer Village, consists of 20 original structures brought in from the local area. The museum is also home to the annual Apple Days celebration, held the first full weekend of October each year.
Cottage Avenue Historic District Walking Tour
Cashmere took shape and survived as a rather traditional American small town, the accident of its topography defined by valley walls and the sweep of the river. The forethought of its early town-builders, the planting of its countless street trees and the laying out of a public park, even the luck of losing the highway to a bypass, all seem to have played some role in preserving the Cottage Avenue Historic District.
Cottage Avenue and its craftsman-style bungalows survive as an authentic, visible reminder of the early 20th century in an up-and-coming orchard town. Self-guided walking tour brochures are available at the Chamber lobby, 103 Cottage Ave., and at the Cashmere Museum and Pioneer Village, 600 Cotlets Way.
Gnomes of Cashmere Self Guided Tour
Take a self-guided tour around Cashmere searching for small doors built by The Gnomes of Cashmere. Pick up a free trail map outside the Chamber office at 103 Cottage Ave (downtown). Follow the yellow footprints through town and be surprised by the sights of tiny doors no bigger than 6 inches tall. Gnome Trail Map (pdf).
Orchard Tours
Cashmere is at the heart of some of the most beautiful and productive orchards in the world. Grab your free culinary tourism driving map from the Cascade Foothills Farmland Association in the Chamber lobby, 103 Cottage Ave. It lists the valley’s fruit stands, wineries, tourist attractions and more. Book your orchard tour from cherry harvest time to peach and apple picking, courtesy of Washington Apple Country.
Scenic Drives
Cashmere is one stop along the spectacular, 400-mile Cascade Loop Scenic Highway. And it’s our favorite stop. Surrounded by canyons, each offering a unique perspective of the valley, Cashmere is a part of the Cascade-Leavenworth Foothills portion of the loop. Once here in Cashmere, take a right after the railroad tracks on Aplets Way, on to Sunset Highway and take a left off Sunset onto Pine Flats Loop Road to view the orchards and Cascade Mountains beyond. Another nice drive is up Yaksum Canyon Road, Mission Creek Road, or Brender Canyon Road, which are all on the south end of town. Off Highway 2, Nahahum Canyon and Ollala Canyon are also beautiful drives.
Wildflower Viewing
Balsamroot, with its bright yellow blooms, is the first harbinger of spring in North Central Washington, painting the greening hills yellow. Phlox, from snowy white to delicate pink, and eastern Washington lupines add to the palette of color. Desert parsley, penstemon and violets can also be found peppering the surrounding foothills. To keep up on the annual bloom, go to Wenatchee Outdoors’ wildflower report.