La Push is a town known for surfing, whale watching, and more Twilight series memorabilia. The largest community on the Quileute Indian Reservation, which is home to the Quileute tribe. There are three numbered beaches on the way to the center of town. Number one is known for huge waves and surfers paradise, while the other two are woodsy and have rugged rock formations off the coast. We were fortunate enough to catch a sunset on La Push Beach. Right at sunset, locals and tourists alike gather around the coast and watch as the sun disappears behind the horizon.
Exploring La Push
We spent our time here mostly beach combing and then crashing their Quileute Days which I go into detail in the next section. The beaches here, like the entire Olympic Coast, are lined with sea stacks and awe-inspiring vistas. Walking around La Push, you can see and hear waves crash at all times, which is very relaxing. Each beach is lined with driftwood that you can find people burning as sunset comes. There is a sense of calmness here as everyone you meet seems to have no worries. I absolutely loved La Push and the locals who showed us secret trails and gave us the history of La Push and their tribe.
Quileute Days
Without knowing, we came to La Push the day they were celebrating their tribal culture. The town was alive with carnival-style games, tents full of local art and goods, and food stands. The members of the tribe were more than excited to explain their culture and history to us.
We were fortunate enough to be there the day they do their traditional salmon bake. Large king salmon caught from nearby rivers are butterfly filleted open and speared onto large wooden sticks around a small smoldering fire. The Quileute then sells the baked salmon to eat right after they were smoked. Hands down the best salmon I have ever had in my life. Thank you, everyone, I had the pleasure of meeting within the Quileute Tribe. I was not expecting such an amazing cultural experience while visiting the Olympic Coast.