After a glorious drive through the North Cascades National Park, I was a little surprised by the arid scrub brush and rolling hills we encountered after that as we journeyed east. Then, we came across a massive apple, pear and cherry area. 10,000 contiguous acres of fruit as far as the eye could see. It was eye-opening how massive the operation was.. We then came to the little town of Winthrop, which was exactly what I was hoping it would be. It had a small down town area done in historic old buildings that included shops and restaurants. It had wooden walkways and a lot of character. To my happiness, right in the middle of town was a brewery called, Old Schoolhouse Brewing. It looks like an old schoolhouse from the prairie and actually had the only dining on the river that runs through town. Unfortunately, due to wildfires nearby, the air was not good outside and we had to sit indoors.
I tried my damnedest to find the history of the building, but was unable to, which may mean it isn't an old schoolhouse, but it doesn't really matter. The place was busy, though it was a Sunday evening and several of the other establishments were not open. I jumped at the chance to have a Big Valley Brown, which is a dark ale with hints of chocolate and caramel. It tasted good with a hoppy bite at the end. I really cannot remember what I ate, but I do remember there being an unusual amount of attractive women in this small building. Perhaps, that explains why I can't remember the food. I'm sure the owners would not be happy with this comment, but distractions are part of life.
Life in Winthrop got started in 1891, well, as far as settlers were concerned. The Methow Indians inhabited the area before that for 8,000 to 10,000 years. Their settlement sprung up on the confluence of what we now call the Methow and Chewuch rivers. They wintered here while hunting and fishing the rivers. Settlers, moving west, first stopped here in 1890 and made it an outpost. A small town sprung up soon after. When gold was discovered in the 1860's, more of an influx happened. A large fire destroyed much of the town in 1893, which was one of many floods, fires and massive snows to make life here hard. The Columbia River north and west of Winthrop was a severe obstacle to westward movement. Indian trails were not passable by wagons and there were no bridges for decades. Cable ferries were used along with dugout canoes. In 1924 Winthrop was incorporated. The town was just a speck on the map for much of the century, though Highway 20 was built through the North Cascades in 1905 and paved in 1938, which made travel much easier. Still, a terrible flood in 1948 wiped all bridges out for some time. It survives through tourism now and they smartly kept the town's frontier look and charm. There's only about 370 people living here full time, but it is a must stop if traveling that way.
The brewery is a must stop too. They make mostly traditional brews and have a unique ingredient, completely chlorine free water flowing from the Cascades, that enhances the hops and malts. So, get educated at the Old Schoolhouse Brewery.
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