Neah Bay and Makah Beach

 

  

Rosie is at the road to welcome us to Sekiu

Sekiu is a very busy fishing village this time of year. There were RV's everywhere and anywhere one could be squeezed in.

Hobuck Beach

 View out our front window.

 Beach all to ourselves

Neah Bay

Makah Cultural and Research Center

Home to the Ozette Indian Village Artifacts.

The Ozette Indian Village Archeological is the site of an archaeological excavation at Ozette on the Olympic Peninsula near La Push, Washington. The site was a village occupied by the Makah people until a mudslide inundated the site around 1560. Archaeological test pits were excavated at the Ozette site in 1966 and 1967. However, it was not until 1970 that it became apparent what was buried there. After a storm in February 1970, tidal erosion exposed hundreds of well preserved wooden artifacts. The excavation of the Ozette site began shortly after. University students worked with the Makah under the direction of archaeologists using pressurized water to remove mud from six buried long houses. The excavation went on for 11 years and produced over 55,000 artifacts, many of which are on display in the Makah Museum at the Makah Cultural and Research Center.  These artifacts representing many activities of the Makahs, from whale and seal hunting to salmon and halibut fishing; from toys and games to bows and arrows. Of the artifacts recovered, roughly 30,000 were made of wood, extraordinary in that wood generally decays particularly fast.  Hundreds of knives were recovered, with blade materials ranging from mussel shell,  to sharpened beaver teeth, and iron, presumed to have drifted from Asia on wrecked ships. The oral history of the Makah mentions a "great slide" which engulfed a portion of Ozette long ago.  The Makah Museum opened in 1979 and displays replicas of cedar long houses as well as whaling, fishing, and sealing canoes.



Gift Shop

This was a great little museum. Proceeds from admissions and the Gift Shop benefit the Makah Tribe.

 Pictures in the Museum

Ozette Indian Village Archaeological Site in 1970

Ozette Indian Village Archaeological Site today 

Traditional Indian Longboard house

 Memorial Sign

Bones found on the beach by hikers laid at the memorial marker.

  

Cape Alava, located in Olympic National Park and the Ozette Indian Reservation is the westernmost point in the contiguous 48 states.  However, the westernmost tip of Cape Flattery is almost exactly as far west as Cape Alava, the difference being approximately 5 seconds of longitude, about 360 feet.

 Cape Alava Trail

Through moss-covered trees, dense underbrush and shoulder high ferns, past prairies burned by early settlers, this 3 mile trail leads to the Pacific.  On the beach 1/2 mile north is the site of the Ozette Indian Village Archaeological excavation

These boardwalk trails were lots of fun to hike on. Although you have to watch where you are walking as Dave experienced when he bumped his head on a low hanging branch....ouch!

Ozette Island

We thought we might hike 3 miles south on the beach to another return trail. This beach being covered in rock changed our minds.

  

Standing on Cape Avala. At least that is what the GPS claimed.

Ozette Lake

The Ozette River

Trail to Shi Shi Beach 

We started hiking the 2 mile trail to the beach.  It wasn't very scenic to start.



When we finally got to where the scenery was looking up we saw 3 snakes within 10 steps.  Each one bigger than the one before.  That was time to call it quits for me.

Cape Flattery is the northwestern most point of the contiguous United States. Where the Strait of Juan de Fuca joins the Pacific Ocean. It is also part of the Makah Reservation. Cape Flattery can be reached from a short hike, most of which is boardwalk. 

A boardwalk trail through old growth forest leads to the Cape.

For retirement Cindy's bosses gave her a bottle of Dom Perignon Champagne.  In our travels we had been looking for a special place to enjoy it.  Well we found it!

Tatoosh Island

The Cape Flattery Lighthouse is on Tatoosh Island, just off the cape. Makah Bay and Neah Bay are on either side of the cape. Neah Bay, Washington is the closest town to the cape.

This was truly a beautiful place we found hard to leave.

Mark these coordinates, 48.385830, -124.725909. If you are ever anywhere close, this is well worth the extra time to visit. The hike in is only a 1/2 mile on a very well maintained trail.