Retreat Center Covers All Needs

Harriet Bullitt hadn’t originally planned to build a conference retreat center near Leavenworth.

But when a former Civilian Conservation Corps and church camp was put up for sale, she bought the 67 acres of woodland, across Icicle Creek from her family home, to protect the site from intensive development.

Today, it is Sleeping Lady, named after the profile of the mountains overlooking the center. Opened last September, it is a collection of smallish buildings and cabins, many of them salvaged from the original camp, that can house up to 200 guests in a rural, low-key atmosphere.

“We wanted to make as little impact as possible,” says Bullitt, a former co-owner of King Broadcasting in Seattle who is active in environmental causes.

The goal of the center is to host business and educational meetings away from daily distractions. The guest list already includes Microsoft and American Express.

The staff includes a naturalist and a horticulturist, whose produce from an organic garden frequently shows up on the menu of Damian Browne, a former hotel chef. Meals are served cafeteria style (Browne works on the serving line, making suggestions), but are superb, with heavy emphasis on Northwest cuisine and seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Other on-site amenities include a resident string quartet, a boulder-lined swimming pool (under construction) and sauna and massage rooms. There’s also a lovely 200-seat theater converted from a former chapel.

Sleeping Lady is primarily aimed at groups, but accommodates individuals or families on a space-available basis, especially when nearby Leavenworth fills up on busy summer weekends. Rates for comfortable but simple rooms (no TV), begin at $115 per day, not including meals. For more information, call (800) 574-2123 or (509) 548-6344.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: See related story under the headline: Bavarian dream