Speaker 1: 0:00

Hi, I'm Alexa and I'm Rory, and together we are the Romies. We are married.

Speaker 2: 0:07

To each other Right.

Speaker 1: 0:09

We are a touring musical duo.

Speaker 2: 0:11

And our music has taken us to all kinds of places all around the world and keeps us always on the go.

Speaker 1: 0:16

So we hope you enjoy our stories and adventures while running around working to keep all your plates spinning.

Speaker 2: 0:22

And we hope, to facilitate your busy lifestyle and feed your inner travel bug.

Speaker 1: 0:30

As we continue our Olympic Peninsula adventures. A huge thank you to Larissa's Kitchen for being our sponsor this month. They specialize in clean, portable protein snacks made with zero sugar, certified allergen-free ingredients and simple sourcing. You can feel good about it. Plus, everything they make is preservative-free and non-GMO verified Love that, seriously, snacks you can trust when you're on the move, like we are.

Speaker 2: 0:56

Yes, and in our previous episode we shared specifically about our visit to Forks, washington, and today we want to dive deeper into the Native American influences that we encountered in Washington State's Olympic Peninsula.

Speaker 1: 1:11

Get this. Forks gets about well. You get this because they get this. They get about 120 inches of rain a year, but the locals are so used to it they don't even carry umbrellas. We try to be cool and do the same. It's part of the experience, but we got a little bit damp and cold here and there. Yep, this area is seriously packed with beauty, though Rainforest. It's amazing, beautiful greenness, greenness. There you go, you can really feel this beautiful blend of cultures. There's a tribal heritage mixed with the pioneer families who settled there. It's all packed into Forks. Now, just outside of the town of Forks, you find the Ho Rainforest. Yeah, alexa went for a day trip there. I was sleeping in, or no?

Speaker 2: 1:53

what was I doing? You were writing.

Speaker 1: 1:54

I was writing, that's right. I was writing W-R-I-T-I-N-G because I'm a writer. She went for a day trip to the Ho Rainforest. Of course, she wouldn't miss visiting one of the most iconic parts of the. Olympic Peninsula, so she went without me.

Speaker 2: 2:07

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 2:08

The Ho Rainforest.

Speaker 2: 2:09

Right. This area is lush, it's misty, it's breathtaking, it's just outside of Forks and it's also steeped in Native American history and culture.

Speaker 1: 2:22

Yeah, the Ho tribes lived in this region for generations. They thrive off the river fish and the rich forest life around them the name Ho itself, actually.

Speaker 2: 2:27

Ho spelled H-O-H.

Speaker 1: 2:29

Yeah, ho Comes from the Quinault word Hox-wool. Hox-wool, h-o-x-w, I guess, is how we would spell it. Okay, referring to the river's fast-moving waters. Walking among the ancient trees, you can really feel the spirit of the land. I mean, it's not just a natural wonder, it's a cultural treasure. The rainforest was vital to the tribes, provided materials for shelter, clothing, tools and even canoes carved from the giant cedars Really cool, lots of old growth. Everywhere you turn you sense that deep connection between the people and the land. It's really awe-inspiring.

Speaker 2: 3:01

Everywhere you turn you sense that deep connection between the people and the land. It's really awe-inspiring. Now, in the whole rainforest, my hike was a totally different vibe from all of the other hikes that I or Rory and I did in the area, like the ones in Squim, port Angeles, la Push, at Neah Bay. Those were all beautiful, but the rainforest just has its own thing. The foliage was totally different. But here's the thing Right when I got there I was hit with a little bit of a shock. At the very start of a trail there was a warning sign saying do not hike alone because there are dangerous animals in the area. And I'm standing there like well, I just drove over three hours to get here alone.

Speaker 2: 3:44

So yeah, I'm going to hike. Going back to get Rory wasn't happening, so I just mentally prepped myself to be like extra alert during the hike. So this was the most high alert I'd felt on any of my hikes. Just because of that sign and like the eerie stillness.

Speaker 1: 4:00

Very cool eerie stillness.

Speaker 2: 4:02

Yeah, there really weren't any other people out there. It was February so it was extra quiet. It was not tourist season and honestly I've kind of felt like I had the whole entire forest all to myself, which sounds magical and cool, until you realize it also means that there is no noise to scare off the wild animals, so you can be pretty noisy Well, I can be, yeah, but luckily I ended up running into another solo hiker not long after I started and so we were totally going at different paces. But I chatted with him quickly just to kind of like check in, and I was like, hey, did you see that sign back there about the animals? Should I be worried? And he was like super chill and reassured me that it was going to be fine and to just be smart, stay aware, keep an eye out.

Speaker 2: 4:47

But it actually gave me peace of mind just knowing that like someone else was out there. So I asked his name, kind of joking but kind of serious, like okay, cool, now if I need to yell for help I can know who I'm yelling for. And so he hiked ahead of me and then on his way back we crossed paths again, which was also comforting because I figured if he had made it through okay, things up ahead were probably going to be fine. So, despite the little adrenaline spike at the beginning, the hike turned out to be gorgeous and peaceful and I had no scary encounters, thank goodness. It was like just wet enough to feel like misty and magical and I really wanted to catch some like waterfalls, which was a big reason I picked this trail I have a big cup to catch a waterfall, big bucket oh, you're so funny I'm so funny now there was a mix of like this lush lower greenery on like the bottom floor of the rainforest bottom floor.

Speaker 1: 5:39

Yeah, there's tons. Oh, it's cool, ferns galore.

Speaker 2: 5:43

Yeah, mossy trees and then like these subtle hills and different levels, that made the trail like visually interesting and the rainforest wasn't so dense that I felt so closed in, like I could see everything around me, and that also helped me feel a bit safer too and it was absolutely worth the drive. And while I did end up hiking solo, I definitely say like if, if you can do, bring a buddy to do it, just for peace of mind. But even going alone, it was one of those experiences that just sticks with you.

Speaker 1: 6:12

Now, together we made it to La Push, which was another Twilight must-see.

Speaker 2: 6:17

Yes.

Speaker 1: 6:17

It's where we see Bella interacting with her classmates outside of school and running into Jacob. We all know who Jacob is. This is also where Jacob first hits at his secret his werewolf background and it was really funny because while we were driving around the Olympic Peninsula every day, taking two to three hour road trips to different locations, which is really cool because everywhere you drive, it's beautiful driving.

Speaker 2: 6:40

So it's not like you're driving.

Speaker 1: 6:41

oh, I got to drive two hours to get there. It's an awesome drive to get there. It's totally part of the experience. We kept passing this sign for LaPool. It cracked us up because you know there's LaPush and then LaPool, so of course we had to go see LaPush. I don't know, did we see LaPool for ourselves?

Speaker 2: 7:00

I kind of feel like we went to LaPool. I'm not sure we realized it.

Speaker 1: 7:05

On these trips there's always a give and take, a push and pull. Yes, yes so there's La Push and La Pull, literally.

Speaker 2: 7:11

And the drive closer to La Push was super cute because we started seeing little signs in the town of like no vampires allowed and so like the whole town knows that people are going to visit just because of Twilight and they just lean into it instead of fighting it. It's fun, so it makes it really fun yeah.

Speaker 1: 7:27

We went in February, which turned out to be a great time. The annual festival is in September, so it wasn't crowded at all when we got there.

Speaker 1: 7:35

Not many people hit cold beaches in wintertime like we did. Of course, we didn't go swimming, but we did hit the beach. We were going to do that, dang it. So we had that off-season advantage plus lower lodging prices and way more nature to ourselves. Really, it was a great time to be there. The beach at La Push was so peaceful and quiet. Hardly anyone was there. I think we saw maybe two or three other people. That was it, yeah. Yeah, we had on our keens, our waterproof hiking boots, which kept us dry and warm and made walking along the beach a breeze. Totes win. Can you say that? Total win? No, totally. Totes. Totes win. Can you say that? Total win? No, totally totes, totes win.

Speaker 2: 8:13

Don't try to be cool, just keep going.

Speaker 1: 8:14

Sorry, I'm not that cool. There were branches, driftwood, like I mentioned before, so cool Pieces of huge timber washed up along the rocks. It gave the beach a really cool deserted, cryptic vibe. Very moody, very beautiful Climbed all over that driftwood. It's apparently from the 1921 blowdown which leveled nearly 8 billion feet of timber.

Speaker 2: 8:36

That's not much.

Speaker 1: 8:37

Yeah, let that sink in. That's enough to build around 600,000 three-bedroom homes. That's wild, yeah, and things from that storm are still washing up today. Like I said, some awesome driftwood to see. La Push is also home to the Quaalute tribe and their story is absolutely fascinating. There's so much depth and history in the area. It's not just the scenery that's rich, there's so much depth and history in the area. La Push a place that a lot of Twilight fans know as home to Jacob Black and the Wolf Pack, which that story was birthed out of the ancestral homeland of the Quaalute tribe.

Speaker 1: 9:13

The real Quaalute people are incredibly resilient Living out there you gotta be. Their language is unique, one of the few in the world without nasal sounds. That's really cool. And their culture goes back thousands of years. How many of us can say that They've lived on this coastline forever, long before the books or movies made the beaches famous? Obviously, when you're standing on First Beach looking out the driftwood, the mist, the stacked rocks in the area, it feels sacred. This isn't just a pretty place to take pictures. It feels deeply spiritual. It's alive with legend. You can sense it. We didn't visit the tribal center this time, but their ongoing work to preserve language, history and sovereignty is a powerful thing they're doing. The Quaalude Nation is also in the middle of moving parts of their community to higher ground due to tsunami risk and climate change and stuff like that. Wow yeah, apparently we couldn't get enough of the beach because we also made it down to Ruby Beach.

Speaker 2: 10:08

And if you're a meat eater like Jacob and the wolves and Rory and you're going to visit all these beaches. You want to have your Larissa's Kitchen or LK, as their packaging says meat sticks along with you. Have those with you for a convenient way to fuel up with protein for all these adventures. Now, another place we visited that is on Native American lands, the Maka tribe is Nia Bay. Now, nia Bay was such a fun highlight of the trip for us.

Speaker 1: 10:38

Yeah, there's a parking lot where you can stop and from there signs point you to a trail that takes you to the furthest tip of the continental US y'all Circle, literally the top left corner of the country. That was super cool. Yeah, right after we parked we saw this giant. Well, kind of adorable chair.

Speaker 2: 10:54

Obviously, we had to get our picture taken in it you had to climb.

Speaker 1: 10:58

Yeah, we didn't have a tripod so we waited until somebody walked by and they were kind enough to snap a pic. We'll share it in our social posts so you can see.

Speaker 2: 11:07

I'm sure you're all very interested how cute we are in our little chair.

Speaker 1: 11:10

The trail was amazing, so different from anything else we'd hiked. And not like the rainforest no, not like Squim, which we'll hear about in a couple of episodes from now Just its own thing. The terrain was super unique. The trees had these wild shapes, some looked like natural benches or like you could climb onto them and just chill, which I did. Totally cool, yeah which you did. It was like the trees were saying, hey, come sit with me.

Speaker 2: 11:35

And it wasn't like this dense forest where you can't see anything, but it wasn't open and dry like a desert. It was like this perfect in-between where you could see full landscape around you while hiking yeah.

Speaker 1: 11:47

That makes sense. Very cool. It was like stepping into a storybook.

Speaker 2: 11:51

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 11:53

Really cool. The trail was also laid out really well. Wooden planks in some areas helped guide your steps, made it easier to get through the trickier sections. It felt very accessible and very intentional. I felt like I was on a movie set. It was so cool looking. I kept saying this is like a movie set, Like I'm expecting to come up on a village of some- Like everything's perfectly placed. Magical people or something. Yeah, Eventually the trail.

Speaker 2: 12:15

They purposely put this tree here. Yeah, totally.

Speaker 1: 12:17

I mean, eventually, this trail takes you to this incredible cliff. You're standing there looking straight down at the ocean as waves crash against the rocks way below. Tons of caves Really really cool. I mean caves. You look at the water splashing down into caves and stuff. Really cool and powerful.

Speaker 2: 12:32

And I didn't mean to get too close to the edge, but I totally did, and Roy had to grab me back. Dork, he scolded me a little bit.

Speaker 1: 12:38

Yes, I did. Don't do that again. I mean, it was beautiful. You're staring into these layered cliffs with swirling ocean waves crashing over colorful rocks. It was wild, gorgeous and scary Not your everyday view. No, at least not where I'm from.

Speaker 2: 12:55

And there were all these fun little like nooks and crannies along the way too like twisted tree shapes, like we said, and like cool rock formations, and so it made exploring to the edge so fun and just knowing we were literally standing at the end of the world or at least the edge of the country, like that was such a moment. I was doing all of these like funny jumps and stuff.

Speaker 1: 13:14

Yeah, and just as we started heading back, of course, it began to rain.

Speaker 2: 13:17

Right, because you know, hello, you're in the OP.

Speaker 1: 13:20

Yep, just a light sprinkle. At first. We made it back to the car just in time before it started pouring, so definitely check out our socials. We'll be posting some of our favorite moments from Nia Bay. This was seriously one of my favorite stops the entire trip. It's remote, it it's remote, it's rugged, it's rich with story. Like I said, it felt like I was in a movie set and these steps were going to lead me to some fantastical group of people and huts built in the trees and into the sides. It was just the hillsides. It was really cool.

Speaker 2: 13:46

The Maka people did a great job with it.

Speaker 1: 13:48

Yeah, yeah. Another highlight to visit India Bay is the Maka Museum, the only museum in the nation dedicated to artifacts from the ancient Maka coastal village of Ozet. That's cool. Okay, quick backstory. In 1970, a storm unearthed a group of longhouses that had been buried for centuries in a mudslide. That's really cool, perfectly preserved, like a time capsule. What followed was one of the most important archaeological digs in North American history. Over 55,000 artifacts were uncovered. Just a few Wailing harpoons, woven cedar baskets, tools, artwork, and today, about 500 of the most incredible pieces are on display at the museum, alongside replica canoes, a full-size longhouse and dioramas that put your right back into Maka life.

Speaker 2: 14:40

The Maka people were whalers, sealers, fishermen, warriors, artists, and today they remain protectors of that ocean connection that they have. And this museum isn't just about the past, it's about cultural survival and identity for them. And heads up, if you're visiting Neah Bay, you'll need a Maka Recreation Permit to access the beaches and the trails. It's only about $20, at least it was when we went and it helps support the tribe and preserve these lands.

Speaker 1: 15:09

Yeah, and that reminds me too, you can also get a parking pass from the Quaalute Reservation for your visit to the beaches at La Push. Yes, so you support their efforts while enjoying the cool mystique and mystery in the enchanting area that is La Push.

Speaker 2: 15:23

And speaking of supporting, we want to thank again Larissa's Kitchen for supporting this episode.

Speaker 1: 15:30

Thank you. Larissa's Kitchen, remember. They offer clean on-the-go snacks, like today's feature, herbalicious. It's a savory herb turkey stick made with free-range turkey and packed with 8 grams of protein. Perfect for fueling up without all the bad stuff. Certified allergen-free. So grab yours, because I like mine. You can't have mine. Grab yours at Costco, at Walmart.

Speaker 2: 15:55

And because they're certified allergen free, you're going to be looking for Larissa's Kitchen in the gluten-free aisle.

Speaker 1: 16:01

See you there and see you next time.

Speaker 2: 16:06

We hope we've inspired you this episode, so join us next time. Please subscribe to rate and share our podcast with your friends or you know whomever? And please like and follow us on Instagram, youtube and Facebook.

Speaker 1: 16:16

We're also on X and on all social platforms. We are at TheRomies that's T-H-E-R-O-A-M-I-E-S, and our main hub is our website.

Speaker 2: 16:28

At wwwtheromiescom, that's right, that's. T-h-e-r-o-a-m-i-e-scom. We'll be there until next time. Yeah, thanks for listening, bye.