Neah Bay Day 8

On Monday we had fish chowders for lunch at The Warm House restaurant and enjoyed the panoramic views of the bay, with telescope provided.

We then visited the Mahah Museum which had been highly recommended by several friends. We spent an interesting and informative 90 minutes learning about all aspects of Makah history and culture. One of our highlights was a visit into a full-sized replica of a Long House which was very large and was set out as historically accurate as possible.

On Tuesday just after noon our visitors from Port Townsend arrived: Burl and Jean with friend Francis. They arrived with much appreciated supplies that cannot be obtained in this dry reservation: two cases of Heineken beer and two 3-liter casks of red wine. It is wonderful to have friends who understand the priorities and needs of a modern sailing boat.

After a conversation over drinks and nibbles on the boat we went to The Warm House for lunch where we all had fish chowder. Laura, who seems to run the place single handed, is a keen fisherman who lit up when she talked to us about fishing and cooking fish. She recounted how she caught a giant squid with her bare hands ("Did you wrestle it? asked Burl.) and took delight in describing the cooking of squid and tasty result. I mentioned how inadequate I felt, not having caught one fish since Australia and she ran into the kitchen and after some digging around returned with a brand new "buzz bomb" lure and told me how to use it. Laura is quite a person. She once ran the family restaurant/motel, is a diesel mechanic who once owned her own Kenworth truck and, by the way, raised three children while fishing whenever she got the chance.

We then visited the fish smoke house where sampled the smoked fish, had a great chat with the man who runs the place, and purchased smoked salmon.

After that we drove to the west end of the small settlement and visited a memorial to a wooden Spanish fort that was operating just before the American revolution. The Spanish explored up to Vancouver Island but relinquished their claim later under some treaty.

By then it was 5 PM and it was time to say a reluctant good bye. We very much appreciated their making the three-hour journey each way to see us. But the rewards were there. It was great to be with each other and we all had a great time.


The top photo is of the entrance to the Makah museum grounds. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photographs inside of the museum.

The second photo shows Laura regaling her guests with her favorite topic, fishing.

Th next photo is of the smoke house with the proprietor holding his smoking rack.

Then there is Francis and myself discussing the history of the Spanish fort. The Spanish Government were very involved in the establishment of this memorial.

The last view is of the Coast Guard pier with Waadah island behind it and Canada under cloud in the background.

We expect to depart for California on Friday or Saturday. It appears that a stationaryHigh off the California coast will provide us with good weather and favorable (though maybe weak) winds for several days.