About This Event
Set out on a post fall colors driving tour through the brown landscapes surrounding Wenatchee, Washington, where we can imagine autumn had painted the hills, valleys, and orchards in vivid shades of crimson, gold, and amber in the weeks before our drive. We'll start from Monroe and travel over the Cascades on Hwy 2 where we'll then take a two lane back road through a rural mountain valley dotted with aspens and maples, which had undoubtedly been glowing with golden and fiery hues prior to our drive, and follow that toward Leavenworth. Next, meander through the apple orchards near Cashmere, where rows of trees probably burst with vibrant leaves under the crisp sunlight. Continue up into canyons, where larch trees and grasses add a golden shimmer to the evergreen backdrop, framed by the dramatic peaks of the eastern Cascades. Loop through the south Wenatchee apple orchards, their leaves a dull brown color by now, before concluding our journey with an either a scenic drive over Blewett Pass or retracing our path on Hwy 2.
Estimated Duration and Timing
This will be a full day's drive but do-able in daylight. We'll start with the morning meeting in Monroe at 8:30am and then head east over the Cascades on Hwy 2. Rest stops will be approx 1 - 1.5 hrs apart. Lunch will be in Cashmere about 12:30pm. After lunch we'll explore a loop south of Wenatchee. If we head south over Blewett Pass on Hwy 97 where we'll finish the drive in Cle Elum. From there, folks can head for home and we'll be maybe 90 min from the Seattle metro area. For folks going back on Hwy 2 it’s maybe a couple hours from Leavenworth
From the start in Monroe to the finish in Cle Elum the drive will be approximately 250 miles. Anyone with less range than that can top off during the lunch break (~120 miles) in order to finish the drive without needing to stop again.
What to Bring
Bring a sense of adventure. Due to the time and distances involved this route will NOT be pre-driven so we'll find out route conditions on the go. But we should be good to go.
Also bring an FRS or GMRS radio set to channel 5.
Any snacks desired before / after lunch stop.
What to Expect
This will be a "more relaxed paced" drive, heh. There will be plenty of twisties to play on but there will be some segments of our routes where we'll simply be enjoying the scenery. We'll also have three canyons we'll explore where they are an in-and-back-out drive with a turn around at the end of the canyon. Mostly an excuse to get out of town, enjoy stretching the legs of our Miata’s, and bliss out to some tunes.
Rever map
A Rever route will be available before the event for those interested in using the routing app. For more info on the Rever app, see Rever App How To document (must be logged-in to view).
Date and Time
Saturday November 7th, 2026
8:30am - Meeting time
8:45am - Drivers meeting
9:00am - Departure
Location
Meet in the south end of the parking lot along the east side of Lewis St at the Lewis Street Park / Al Borlin trailhead. Please see map for reference. There will be bathrooms there while we wait.
Event Coordinator
Jay Greening