If you journey to the most extreme place in the Pacific Northwest, you’ll find yourself on the property of the Makah Tribe to the West of their small town of Neah Bay. The Cape Flattery Trail is a relatively short hike through the woods before the cliffs open up to the Pacific Ocean. Narrow inlets are filled with rocks and islands. There are more eagles than people out here. The sounds of the wind through the trees, crashing waves, and barking of seals dominate the setting.

I was last here almost four years ago with my son. We took a weekend trip from his Seattle home out to the Olympic Peninsula. Hurricane Ridge was still snow covered, so we headed out and around as far as you can go in the lower 48. This is a solid 5-6 hour drive from Seattle. It is not really a place where you should be trying to make time on the roads. In early Spring it is quite deserted.

It is such a remote place. It is ironic that now my son is even further NW of here - almost 2400 miles away, out along the Aleutian Islands, bouncing around in a fishing vessel. For a few more weeks. Hopefully he’ll be back in the PNW shortly after that. Back among the people, just as we come out of our forced hibernation.