At the heart of the Wenatchee Valley, surrounded by apple orchards and bare-brown eastern Cascade foothills, Cashmere (pop. 2,965) has an attractive downtown district, its unusual red columns and brown-shingled awnings both shading the sidewalks and giving the town some visual identity. The main sight here is the large Chelan County Historical Museum (daily; $4), off US-2 at the east end of town, with an excellent collection of Native American artifacts and a free outdoor Pioneer Village made up of 18 different historic structures from around the county.
Cashmere is also the home of Aplets and Cotlets fruit-and-nut candy, started here in the 1920s by two Turkish brothers. These sweet treats are so dominant in the local scheme of things that the main route into town has been renamed Aplets Street. The Liberty Orchards factory, across from the railroad depot, is open daily for free tours and samples.
For road food, stop by Rusty’s Drive-In, at the east edge of town near the big Tree Top apple juicery, or head to the block-long downtown district, where you’ll find a handful of cafés and taverns, and the quiet Village Inn ($50 and up; 509/782-3522) at 229 Cottage Avenue.
