Author Rachel Valencourt

As a writer, I’ve learned that sometimes the best inspiration comes from personal experiences and connections to the places and people we write about. And as a mother and wife, I’ve learned that sharing these experiences with the people we love is what makes life truly fulfilling.

That is why we have decided to visit Washington State for our Spring Break. I can’t help but feel grateful for this adventure. After years of writing my novel, I’ve decided it was time to take my family on a journey to Washington state, and specifically to Neah Bay, to visit all of the places I’ve been writing about.

Although I have spent a lot of time in the great state of Washington, this will be my daughters first time taking in the majestic beauty and friendly yet adventurous people of the Pacific Northwest. A place where my grandmother was born in 1927.

It’s amazing to see how things have come full circle. Neah Bay is a special place for my family. It’s where my grandmother spent some of the happiest years of her childhood, as a child growing up during the Great Depression, and it’s where a large part of my novel takes place. The town is steeped in history and culture, particularly for the Makah tribe. As a writer, I’m excited to do more research for this project, while also share my ancestry with my husband and daughters.

We’ll start our journey in Seattle and then visit some of my extended family, in Puyallup. While we’re in the area, I hope we can do some whale watching on the Puget Sound. No visit to Washington would be complete without a visit to Forks, which fans of the Twilight series might recognize. Then, we’ll go to Olympic National Park and spend our days exploring the beautiful and wild coastline of wilderness and rainforests. Finally our trip will culminate in the natural beauty and serenity of Neah Bay.

We will spend our time there, on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, exploring the town and learning more about it’s history and culture. We plan to visit the Makah Cultural and Research Center, a museum dedicated to the preservation of the tribe’s traditions and artifacts.

As a family, I’m excited to connect with our roots and gain a deeper understanding of our family’s history. As we walk in the footsteps of our ancestors and share stories and memories of times gone by, my hope is to pass down our family’s legacy to the next generation. I know this trip will provide me with a wealth of inspiration and knowledge to prepare me to write my final draft of this manuscript that will be released in October of 2023.