Working Remotely in Peshastin & Leavenworth, Washington
working by the river
This is part of my remote work travel series where I review places I visit as a digital nomad. Check out the rest of my posts and follow me on Instagram, YouTube, Substack, or on TikTok for more travel content! This post contains affiliate links*, meaning I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting my blog!
Our remote work quarantine roadtrip 2021 continued as we moved from Galena, IL to Peshastin, WA where we spent another full month — and what an insanely beautiful month it was.
When we arrived to our rental*, we weren’t sure what to expect: but as soon as we walked into the backyard, we saw the river rushing underneath the shimmering moon. The river was only a few feet away from our home.
My new favorite daily routine became making a cup of tea and writing and working outside by the river. I watched the river rafting tours go by — and then a few weeks later, we went on our own river rafting adventure on the class 3 rapids that ran right behind our house.
the perfect morning combo
Peshastin was one of my favorite spots in part because of the gorgeous nature framing every corner of our stay. Our favorite walk was one that took us down by the river, and we often sat on the riverbanks under the shade of trees while we watched the water flow by. We also climbed a few mountains and ate a bunch of great vegan food.
The town of Leavenworth, Washington is also nearby. It’s a cute old-world Bavarian/Dutch village town where even the Starbucks is designed in that alpine style. It feels a bit Disneyland-ish and attracts crowds on weekends, but is altogether a delightful distraction from the workweek and we found ourselves there several times per week.
If you’re looking for a lush location to work remotely, look no further.
Best Places to Eat in Leavenworth, Washington
We went to Yodelin on our first night out for dinner, and kept coming back almost on a weekly basis. This was above and beyond some of the best food we’d had on our entire trip, and I highly recommend the Hollywood bowl for a great vegan noodle bowl. Their food is locally sourced and sustainable and organic, and everything on the menu is delicious. Oh, and the view? It’s easily the best in town.
After Yodelin, our next favorite place is the Munchen Haus, a must-stop for vegan sausages and pretzels. They have a beer garden as well, lots of outdoor seating.
If you’re willing to spend a bit more for a high-end dining experience, Mana Restaurant is top of our list. We went with some friends who were visiting, and had an array of organic dishes in a five-course meal that was paired with non-alcoholic “elixirs” — clever mocktails and health drinks that stole the show from the wine pairing (not as novel!)
an artfully designed plate at Mana
We went to a bunch of other places as well, but these three are the can’t miss dining in Leavenworth.
Where to Work Remotely in Leavenworth, Washington
The only downside of Peshastin is that it’s a tiny little river town, and you need to go to Leavenworth for all of the coffeeshops, restaurants, and other activities. We chose Peshastin because of the incredible Airbnb we landed, and spent most of our days working in the open-concept kitchen with skylights bringing in the afternoon light or out back by the river.
If you’re looking to work remotely in Leavenworth, you should pick an Airbnb or other vacation rental with good workspaces, because most places won’t have adequate remote work setups. However, there are a few remote work hacks if you’re trying to find a makeshift workspace in Leavenworth or Peshastin.
The Argonaut Espresso Bar was one of our favorite coffeeshops. It’s on the far end of Leavenworth and away from the bustle of the main parts of Leavenworth that get a lot of foot traffic, so it’s a bit quieter. There’s also a cute patio with high-top seating and it’s a good place to grab breakfast and coffee and people watch. The breakfast burritos and avocado toast was good, but it didn’t quite have a lot of vegan options. If you’re working remotely in this area, you could get to Argonaut early, grab a coffee and breakfast, and then walk across the street to the park and work at one of the picnic benches if you need a quieter setup for the day. You could then go back into Leavenworth for a lunch and walk break, and then head back to the park for the second half of your workday.
There’s also a wonderful little bookstore I bought too many books at, so if you need a reading book I’d highly recommend taking a stroll in to A Book for All Seasons and then getting ice cream at the local ice cream place next door.
not pictured is the box of books I had to mail back to LA after buying too many
During the week, Leavenworth isn’t too crazy, but if you’re trying to get any work done on weekends, it’s best to find a different place.
Other than that, there really isn’t a ton of good seating or places to chill with good WiFi, so plan ahead.
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What I Learned in Our Month Working Remotely in Peshastin, Washington
Our month in Peshastin was as beautiful as it was challenging. I deal with quite a bit of anxiety, and I was feeling frayed and burnt out after six months of dealing with medical stuff along with a lot of new business things. I recently found out that I’ve been living with a pretty severe iron deficiency this year, which explains ~ a lot ~
(If you’re a woman and feel tired, consider this your sign to go get your iron levels checked — particularly your Ferritin levels!)
I was also in the midst of writing the bulk of my upcoming book, How to Write a Memoir, which goes into my process of how I write memoirs for my clients. Most of the month was spent preparing and working on content for that, along with reading a dozen other books about how to write memoirs to see what advice others were sharing.
Peshastin was also an outdoorsy month, with lots of hiking and river rafting, and it was refreshing to get outside and do fun things in nature with friends. That helped me get centered and reset after what was probably the longest winter of my life (not an exaggeration: I grew up in the godforsaken endless summer of the Arizona desert and then spent this year in cold places with real seasons.)
Nights were often spent in the hot tub underneath the bright stars, as we were secluded in a river town with not very many streetlights. A lot of lovely long conversations were had about the meaning of life, work, and our place in all of it.
Looking back, Peshastin was one of the sunniest highlights of our quarantine road trip across the United States, and I feel lucky to have spent a month flowing alongside the river.
Next up? Europe! Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter and check out the rest of my remote work series. I can’t wait to continue to share our travels with you!
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