Idaho

Hells Canyon National Recreation Area

From the 50 State Visitors Guide :

Idaho Code 2025 §§18-8301 through 18-8414.  I.D.A.P.A. §11.10.03.000 through 11.10.03.012.

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

Two working days for initial registration and updates.  Transient registrants must report location every 7 days.  §§18-8307, 18-8308.

Visitors: Statutes do not address registration requirements for visitors.  However, "Temporary lodging" means any place in which the offender is staying when away from his or her residence for seven (7) or more days. 18-8323 (1)(h). “Residence” now includes any place a person visits for longer than 5 hrs./visit more than 5 times in a 30 day period (!) Updated Aug. 2026

Also, “any person who enters this state … & makes an application for an identification card or a [drivers] license in this state” is presumed to be establishing a residence. §18-8306(4). Sheriff will notify you of the 2 day obligation to register (see above).

Temporary volunteers or employees:  Must register if in state for more than ten consecutive days, or for an aggregate period of 30 days in a calendar year.  If “employment involves counseling, coaching, teaching, supervising or working with minors in any way,” must register “regardless of the period of employment.” §18-8303(6).

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

May not reside or loiter within 500 ft. of school or day care, and may not reside within more than one person also required to register, with certain exceptions.  §§18-8331, 18-8332. Updated Aug. 2026

Loitering restriction:  Schools and Day cares, unless picking up or dropping off one’s own children.  §18-8327.  Updated Aug. 2026

Duration & updates:

Lifetime.  Petition to remove – 10 yrs.  Sexually Violent Persons must update every 3 months.  All others update annually.  §18-8307.

Per Rolfe Survey, Visiting Registrants once placed on state’s registry ARE NOT REMOVED.

Deer feeding at roadside

Most recent visits: August & September 2023

I have read through Idaho’s statutes several times and still have a number of questions about it, but calling the Idaho SOR office proved useless because all you get is an outgoing message that says they only answer questions from attorneys.  Therefore in discussing the number of days you can be in this state or what restrictions might apply to you while visiting I need to err on the side of caution. 

For example, Idaho Statutes do not address registration requirements for visitors.  However, “transient registrants” must report location every 7 days (§§18-8307, 18-8308) and I notice that the Rolfe Survey claims visits of 7 days or more require registration.  Putting those two things together I conclude that if you’re in state for 7 days or more that would automatically make you a  “transient registrant” and you have to register … so just be gone by the end of Day 6.

Do partial days count?  I don’t know and they won’t answer that question, so your safest bet is to assume they do.  Idaho Statutes sets no maximum number of days per calendar month or year, and they won’t answer that question either, so I my assumption is that return visits are okay.

To add to the confusion, the Idaho legislature recently decided to redefine the word “Residence” so that it now includes any place a person visits for longer than 5 hrs./visit more than 5 times in a 30 day period (!).  The only other state that has this kind of draconian hours per visit standard is Alabama (!).

And yet (!) they apparently haven’t made any other changes, such that the definition of “temporary lodging” which allows you six days (because it’s “seven or more”) remains in place.  Notice that the new “residence” definition specifically says “more than 5 times …” so in that scenario you get all five days.  Thus, for all the legislature’s idiotic effort they have only shaved one day off your grace period in Idaho – from 6 to 5 days – and made their state more confusing than ever.

Scenic Idaho river

Most recent visit - August 2026

In August 2026 I had no intention of testing the limits of Idaho’s grace period.  I was on the return leg of a Pacific Northwest road trip that called for two partial days and one full day in Idaho.  In fact, Partial Day 1 consisted only of entering from Oregon and finding a campground in Boise National Forest.

Full Day 2 – While traveling to Craters of the Moon Nat. Monument, I stopped first at “Idaho’s Mammoth Cave and Shoshone Bird Museum,” a small private attraction that has nothing to do with either birds or the Shoshone. See photos.  It’s also near a town named Shoshone, and this was my indication that I was entering traditional Shoshone territory.

Idaho’s Mammoth Cave and Shoshone Bird Museum

Craters of the Moon National Monument

Having been so alerted, I was not surprised to see Shoshone (and Bannock) displays and references at Craters of the Moon.  Like Lava Beds National Monument only bigger (see California), it consists of vast lava beds (laid down only 2000 years ago) and twisted formations.  I walked the Devil’s Orchard Nature Trail, drove the park loop road to see Inferno Cone and Big Sink Overlook.  It’s like a dream world.

Devil's Orchard, Craters of the Moon National Monument

Little did I know that for the remainder of my Pacific Northwest trip – and a month later for the first half of my Southwest road trip – I was about to be immersed in Shoshone places and culture.  Even as I headed east looking for a place to stay for that night, I stopped to explore the Fort Hall Shoshone and Bannock reservation.  I will have more to say about all these places and people when I write a separate post about the Shoshone Nations.

Partial Day 3 in Idaho consisted only of waking up and heading for Wyoming, where I would be getting my first true wake up call about who the Shoshone Nations really are.

Bruce Hossfield, Atwo Zee Registered Traveler

 Wyoming

From the 50 State Visitors Guide :

Wyo. Stat. 2025 §§7-19-301 through 7-19-320

AWA Compliant

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

Three business days for initial registration and updates, including temporary trips and vacations. “Temporary residence” includes hotels, motels, camping areas & parks. §7-19-301(xi)(C).

Visitors must register within 3 business days. §7-19-302(c)(iv).

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Residence restriction: Adults “who are required to register … pursuant to §7-19-302” may not reside within 1,000 ft. from schools. §6-2-320.  Cannot reside within 1000 of a child care facility (WS §7‑19‑302; Act #52 (2026)).  Updated Aug. 2026.

Presence restrictions:  Adults “who are required to register … pursuant to §7-19-302” may not enter school grounds if s/he “has reason to believe children … are present and are involved in school activity or when children are present within 30 minutes before or after scheduled school activity” and may not “knowingly loiter on a public way within 1,000 feet from the property line of school grounds.” Various exceptions apply. §6-2-320.

NOTE: Because §6-2-320 says these restrictions apply to adults “who are required to register … pursuant to §7-19-302”, and visitors in state for less than three business days are not required to register, such visitors would, in theory, not be subject to these restrictions.  However, this theory remains untested.

Duration & updates:

Lifetime; petitions for removal available. §7-19-304.  Updates: §7-19-302.

Trilobite Mass Death at Wyoming Dinosaur Center

Most recent visit: August 2026

Wyoming is yet another one of those states where visitors are required to register within three business days.  Partial days count and the third day triggers your obligation to register, so make the most of the two business days you actually get here.  The silver lining is, if you enter the state on Friday morning and include a weekend, you can be in Wyoming for four days.

Also, Wyoming has no limitations on the number of return visits per month or year.  This is an important consideration for registered visitors because it means that if you leave the state for at least two nights and one business day (so that the intervening day can’t be counted against you as a “partial day”) you can return and restart the clock.  You can leave Wyoming late on Tuesday, spend Wednesday somewhere else, then return early on Thursday for another extended weekend in Wyoming.

As noted above, because Wyoming’s law explicitly says that its residency and presence restrictions only apply to adults “who are required to register … pursuant to §7-19-302”, and visitors in state for less than three business days are not required to register, such visitors would, in theory, not be subject to these restrictions.  

However, this theory remains untested and I’m not going to be the one to test it.  My advice is to act like these restrictions apply to you anyway while in Wyoming just in case.  Fortunately all of Wyoming’s restrictions involve schools, which are relatively easy to stay away from unless your son has invited you to attend your granddaughter’s middle school graduation.  Then you’re screwed.

Devil’s Tower Mato Tipila (Bear Lodge) National Monument

Although I was heading for the Pacific Northwest in August 2026, I left time for a side trip on I-90 about 75 miles west of the Black Hills to see Devil’s Tower Mato Tipila (Bear Lodge).  Mato Tipila is the Kiowa name for this 50 million year old magmatic intrusion.  They imagined that a giant bear clawed the grooves into the igneous rock cliffs.  Sounds reasonable to me.

Mato Tipila is, of course, the main event at this national monument.  The main trail, which is paved with asphalt (see photo), goes around the Lodge column.  It’s pretty easy and only 1.4 miles. Part of it is handicapped accessible.

Grand Teton National Park

In August 2026 I was in Wyoming for parts of three consecutive days, but because that third day when I was out before 8:30 am was a Saturday I was in compliance with state law no matter how harshly you interpret it.

Grand Tetons National Park

I entered Wyoming from Idaho early on Day 1 on State Road 22.  My plan was to spend the morning at Grand Teton National Park, which I knew from a 2015 visit wouldn’t be nearly enough time to see it all.  Nevertheless I got many fine photos of the mountains, gawked with a crowd watching a few moose frolicking in the water of the Laurence S. Rockefeller Preserve, and walked the Lakeshore Nature Trail near the Colter Bay Visitor Center.  

That night I camped in the mountains of Bridger-Teton Nat. Forest.

Wind River Canyon and Reservation

I spent Day 2 of my 2026 visit exploring the Wind River Shoshone Nation and its surroundings.  For more about this extraordinary place, see my Shoshone Nations blog post (coming soon).  That evening I camped at Boysen State Park, which is at the mouth of Wind River Canyon.

Wind Canyon - a Wyoming must-see

The town of Shoshoni buts up to Wind River Reservation (Shoshone and Arapaho).  I wasn’t paying much attention to reservations in 2023 but I was so impressed with Wind River Canyon, which is on the reservation, that I vowed to come back and see more.  Now that I’m paying attention, I returned on the last leg of my 2026 Pacific Northwest road trip, and when I post about it later in this series I will have much more to say about the truly magical place that is the Wind River Reservation.

On my 2023 trip through the canyon I happened to meet a geologist who was there making videos to use in his university classes.  He couldn’t stop gushing about how important this canyon is, how its exposed rock layers show the geologic history of the region, etc. etc.  And yet this canyon isn’t on anybody’s map.  I mused that the tribes must consider this canyon sacred and would rather keep tourists away but he said Nope!  The Arapahoe and Shoshone tribes were both dragged here from somewhere else, the canyon is not sacred, these two tribes are not exactly bff’s and live uneasily together on the reservation.

Ayer's Natural Bridge

Day 3 I said goodbye to Wind Canyon and proceeded east on U.S. 20 and I-25, stopping to take in Hell’s Half Acre (which is actually 320 acres) and Ayer’s Natural Bridge on my way out of state. Next stop - Iowa and home.

Bruce Hossfield, Atwo Zee Registered Traveler

 Yakama Nation

From the 50 State Visitors Guide : Washington State

Rev. Code Wash. 2025 §4.24.550, §§9A.44.128 through 9A.44.145.

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

Initial registration for permanent residents, students, and in-state workers is 3 business days from arrival; updates within 3 business days. §9A.44.130(4).

Visitors who intend to reside or be present in the state for 10 days or more must register with county sheriff within 3 business days of arrival. §9A.44.130(4)(a)(iv).

Transient registrants must re-register weekly, and report any movement to a new county for 24 hours or more within 3 business days. §9A.44.130(4).

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Residence restriction: Certain L2 and L3 offenders on supervision may not reside within 880 ft. of a school.  §9.94A.030(6)

Procedure available for removal from registry after departure.

Duration & updates:

10 years to life.  Updates:  L2&3 – 90 days; L1 – Annually. §9A.44.140.

Why am I posting Yakama Nation separately from the State of Washington?

Because of this display board that I saw at the Yakama Nation Cultural Center:

As you can see, the Yakama Nation is pretty clear about the fact they don’t consider themselves part of the State of Washington.  From the sound of it, they actually consider themselves to be a truly separate Nation that had a treaty forced upon them in 1855 by another separate nation that they are not part of either, i.e. the United States.

But my job here is to discuss what might be the registry implications of all this.  Surely by now you must be asking yourself the same question I asked myself upon seeing this display – Gee whiz, if you’re not part of Washington State or even the US generally, do you even have a registry law?  And if not, could I move to the Yakama Nation and escape the cruelties of the American registry system?

Yes, I fantasized about that for a few minutes.  And here’s my answer:

ABSOLUTELY NOT !!

First, NO I have done no research at all into whether the Yakama Nation has its own registry law.  It’s pointless to even do this research because as sure as the Sun will rise, the State of Washington isn’t buying any of the Yakama Nation’s bravado and asserts that their laws (including their registry) apply everywhere including on the reservation. 

Furthermore, the Yakama people are unlikely to roll out the welcome mat for some outsider that’s moving there to escape “justice.”  In fact, once the Yakama Nation Police Department figure out why you’re there, their most likely reaction will be to kick you out and hand you over to State authorities.  Now you’re looking at a Failure to Register charge with whatever consequences that might bring in Washington State.

Also, why would anybody of sound mind want to confine oneself to a single reservation that would effectively become your prison?  There are few services or towns on the reservation, and any time you had to go into the off-reservation town of Yakima to get something you’d be taking a risk.  After a few moments of thought the whole idea sounds pretty stupid, doesn’t it?

Last but not least, Washington State has one of the most humane registries in the entire US.  If you’re not on paper, there are no residency or presence restrictions at all, and you can come and go as you please, including interstate travel and entering the Yakama Nation whenever you want.  Why would you want to, essentially, send yourself to prison to escape from that?

All that aside, the Yakama Nation is an interesting place

The Treaty of 1855 was a really shitty deal that took away 9/10 of Yakama traditional lands, but looking at a map these days their reservation is bigger than most.  And as you can see, they jealously defend their rights and sovereignty under that treaty.  Here are a few photos from the cultural center:

 

However, history has a way of taking odd turns, and so it is that 170 years later the Yakama Nation finds itself in the middle of Washington State’s wine country!  I admit I stuck pretty close to State Road 22 a.k.a. “Wine Country Road” but everywhere I went there were grape vines as far as the eye could see (and some corn).  So the Yakama now find themselves in the interesting position of being wine exporters.

As a result, towns like Wapato and Toppenish seem economically in pretty good shape.  However, as major grape growers the Yakama have had to bring in a specialized agricultural work force (stealing them from California perhaps).  Spanish is the dominant language in the towns.  That’s no problem for me but seeing it I had two thoughts:

1.  It’s interesting that in this case, the imported latino work force can be viewed as “fellow Native Americans” instead of the carpetbaggers seen elsewhere, and

2.  I wonder how the Yakama Nation might feel about ICE (whose authority they don’t even recognize within their Nation) entering their territory and snatching their specialized agricultural work force that they worked so hard to steal from California?  I’ll bet they wouldn’t take kindly to that at all!

So there you have it.  Although moving to the Yakama Nation is a ridiculous idea for us as registered people, if you are a latino agricultural worker with specialized grape growing skills, living under the protection of the Yakima Nation might seem like a really good idea.

Bruce Hossfield, Atwo Zee Registered Traveler

 Washington State

(except Yakama Nation)

World's largest Sitka Spruce

From the 50 State Visitors Guide :

Rev. Code Wash. 2023 §4.24.550, §§9A.44.128 through 9A.44.145.

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

Initial registration for permanent residents, students, and in-state workers is 3 business days from arrival; updates within 3 business days. §9A.44.130(4).

Visitors who intend to reside or be present in the state for 10 days or more must register with county sheriff within 3 business days of arrival. §9A.44.130(4)(a)(iv).

Transient registrants must re-register weekly, and report any movement to a new county for 24 hours or more within 3 business days. §9A.44.130(4).

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Residence restriction: Certain L2 and L3 offenders on supervision may not reside within 880 ft. of a school.  §9.94A.030(6)

Procedure available for removal from registry after departure

Duration & updates:

10 years to life.  Updates:  L2&3 – 90 days; L1 – Annually. §9A.44.140.

Wildflowers at Mount Rainier National Park

9 days in Washington State: August 2026

Washington is one of the states that say that visitors who intend to reside or be present for 10 days or more must register within three business days of arrival.  Most of the other states that have this “3 if 10” rule also have a 30 day limit per calendar year … but Washington does not.  So that’s one less thing for you to worry about on your cross-country trip.

Also note that Washington’s few residency restrictions only apply to “L2 and L3 offenders on supervision.”  If you’re able to travel cross country freely you obviously are no longer on supervision so this doesn’t apply to you.

However, this is a good place to point out that, as with so many other states, the wording says “10 days or more.”  In other words, the 10th day triggers your obligation to register, so what you really get is nine days, not ten, and as I have said many other times, you have to assume that partial days count.  

In August 2026 I didn’t set out intentionally to test the limits of Washington’s hospitality.  I was planning a Pacific Northwest road trip and wanted to go further north and west than I had on my previous trip 3 years earlier.  I wanted to stop in Seattle, where I’d never been, and I wanted to visit a WA State friend for a day.  All together that came to nine days. 

Partial Day 1 (Sunday) I entered from Idaho.  I had no campsite reservation.  Instead I drove up SR 31 looking for Crescent Lake Campground, which was on my Rand McNally map and looked to be the closest place to British Columbia I’d be sleeping on this trip.  It was, too – only about 1/2 mile from the border.  But although the campground is open and I camped there, there are no directional signs to it at all.  I only found it kinda accidentally when I was about to give up, and had the whole place to myself.

Day 2 – I visited Colville Confederated Tribes – see Washington State’s Native Nations below.

North Cascade Nat. Park & Rec. Area Complex

Diablo Lake Overlook

Day 3 – This may not be the most famous national park, but it’s big, and sits within a complex that includes two national recreation areas organized around dams and reservoirs, as well as surrounding national forests.  Most of it is protected wilderness but all the recreation and points of interest are along the North Cascades Highway (SR 20), so this is a park complex you can drive through in a day.

Happy Creek Forest Trail                                   Gorge Creek Falls

My stops included: Happy Creek Forest Trail, Ross Lake and Diablo Lake Overlooks, and Gorge Creek Falls.  At the end of that day I was surprised to find the campgrounds in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Nat. Forest pretty crowded for a weeknight, so when I found a site that I could have for two nights I grabbed it.  I wanted to know where I was coming back to on Day 4.

International Peace Arch – Blaine, WA

Day 4 – See separate blog entry in my Flirting With Canada Series.

Whale Watching in San Juan Islands National Monument

The Whale Watching Boat

Day 5 – Having had a satisfying and Canada-flirting whale watching tour in New Brunswick only one month earlier (see separate blog entry), I wasn’t looking for another one now, but the easiest way to tour San Juan Islands National Monument is on a whale watching boat.  True, there is a ferry that makes three island stops and then returns to Bellingham, but that’s, like, once per day - - so it doesn’t work as an on-off tourist trolley.

San Juan Islands

This whale watching tour was different again from either of the ones in Maine.  Most importantly, there’s been a lot of research and monitoring of Pacific whales, to the point where most of the whale pods are known and numbered, and pod members all have names.  Plus, there is a regional association of tour boats that are sharing information about where all the pods are on any given day. 

A good whale photo

This was an all-day tour, from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, and included an all you can eat lasagna lunch.  Our tour boat’s crew knew right where we were going and who we were there to see – Orca Pod T-19, which consists of an elderly mom and her two adult sons.  We joined several other boats and “followed the pod” for over an hour.  The pod would breach several times, then go down to hunt for about 5 minutes, then come back up again, often right where the crew predicted.  It was a good way to get a lot of photos even with my old iPhone. 

Eagle

All this happened as we toured San Juan Islands Nat. Mon.  We also saw great stuff besides the whales – see photos.

Sea Lion

Seattle

Seattle is a great city that just happens to be in a state that gives you nine days and has no restrictions at all if you are off supervision.  That means you can visit any attraction or conduct your business and have no concern about mistakenly making a wrong turn.  On Day 6 I spent an afternoon in Seattle, and that was only just enough time to see a few highlights.  Those highlights were:

Space Needle                                                   View from the Top

Chihuly Garden & Glass, which is next door to the Space Needle

Public Market Center & Pike Place Market (you can see the Seattle Great Wheel from there)

Jimi Hendrix Statue – Why are monuments to pop icons always a disappointment? (see Kurt Cobain below.  See also The Everly Brothers in Central City, KY).

Olympic National Park

One thing to know about Olympic National Park is that there’s no E Z tourist drive through it.  You have to use U.S. 101 (Pacific Coast Highway) to circle around the park and use several access roads that extend like the spokes of a wheel into the park’s attractions like Hurricane Ridge, Sol Duc Hot Springs (and waterfall), Hoh Rainforest and Quinault Rainforest.

View from Hurricane Ridge

Day 7 of my August 2026 road trip I didn’t have enough time to drive all the way around Olympic Nat. Park but I did go someplace I had skipped in 2023, Hurricane Ridge. Just like everything else at Olympic, it’s great.

Hoh Rainforest

Wow the rainforests are spectacular!  You have to be willing to get out of your car and at least walk the nature trails to see them, but if you do you’ll never forget it.  Since I was traveling south along the Pacific seacoast, these rainforests became the first of about a week’s worth of majestic giant trees and forests.  

Altogether in 2023 it took me 1 1/2 days to drive each of the spokes into Olympic (except Hurricane Ridge) and see it all.  The second day took me to my very first view of the Pacific Ocean at Ruby Beach (“Ocean in View – O the Joy!”).  Continuing south on the Coast Highway I tried to stop at as many ocean viewpoints as possible before the highway turned inland, skirting the Quinault Reservation on my way to Olympic’s last stop for me, Quinault Rainforest.

Ruby Beach

There are several Indian reservations on the Olympic peninsula but like many elsewhere they are located primarily off the main roads, the people there are not interested in being your tourist attraction and they generally turn a cold shoulder to the Pacific Coast Highway.

Small Town Notes

Aberdeen, Hoquiam and the Kurt Cobain Memorial – On the morning of Day 8 I had some extra time.  Although I want to see the Pacific Ocean, I only got as far west on SR 8 as Aberdeen and Hoquiam. Notes: Crappy town, one-way pair system from hell, no oil changes on Sunday, and the scenic view ain’t scenic.  No wonder Kurt Cobain died of a drug overdose.

Then there’s the Kurt Cobain Memorial.  I know we’re talking about Grunge here, but why do these pop culture memorials always suck?

That afternoon I visited a good friend, staying over at their house that evening.  

Regional Fruit: Bing Cherries

As you travel through Washington State you’ll see gift shop displays for cherry jams, candy bars, taffies, pancake mixes and syrups.  I saw plenty of it at the Seattle Public Market.  Most native people of the region have also adopted the cherry as their tribal fruit.  The only trouble with that is that Bing Cherries are not native to the region.

Mount Rainier (Tahoma) National Park

As noted above, you get 9 days in Washington State.  My plan for my Day 9 was to visit the Yakama Nation (see separate blog entry coming soon) before jumping over the state line into Oregon.  From my friend’s house that meant driving through Mt. Rainier National Park.  How bad can that be?

Tahoma

Mount Rainier is, of course, a large and majestic volcano which is called Tahoma by the native people of the region (from which the city of Tacoma derives its name).  I was pleased to see that – unlike Glacier National Park – Tahoma still has glaciers near its peak.  

In 2023 I traveled through this park from east to west, first viewing the volcano from the north at Sunrise Visitor Center, then following the main park road around the south to take in the view at Paradise Inn.  As with most national parks, there’s more to Tahoma than just the mountain.  I stopped to take a look at Box Canyon, Christine Falls and to walk the Trail of the Shadows.

All this took most of the day but still left enough time to hurry over to the east side of the Olympic Peninsula to camp close to my next destination.

Washington State’s Native Nations

Colville Confederated Tribes

Grand Coulee Dam

Day 2 – Colville Confederated Tribes are home to something very famous, the Grand Coulee Dam.  When I passed through the reservation on SR 155 it’s the first thing I came to and it is impressive.  However, if you think the Tribes are benefitting from this dam, you can think again. The dam itself, and the anglo employee towns of Coulee Dam and Electric City are all just off the reservation.

Chief Joseph Rest Area

The principle tribal town is Nespelem.  It is a typically poor, but has the distinction of being Chief Joseph’s final home after holding out against invaders as long as possible.  There is a memorial to him, but strangely, it’s at a small rest area and as you can see in the photo, the graffiti covered bathrooms are right behind his statue.

Because this reservation lies east of the Cascades, the agricultural land looks pretty poor.  But from Nespelem to Omak are forested mountains.  The towns of Omak and Okanogan are just off-reservation but appear to be tribally influenced.

Tulalip Nation – Welcome to the Suburbs!

Day 6 – The Tulalip Nation is a former tribal fishing village that has maintained its cultural traditions even as it has become a prosperous suburb just 25 miles north of Seattle.  The reservation is the size of a large suburban township, which is exactly what it functions as.  Not only has the tribe inherited great waterfront property, but they also have what every suburban township wants – their own exit on I-5.

The casino is strategically located right at the exit.  Behind that, the Tulalip Nation’s fine new suburban-style high school sits on a long straight road, along which every utility pole holds banners celebrating the Class of 2026.  There I saw all those bright young graduates dressed for their senior photos – most wearing native feathers or garments to show, not just their school pride, but their national pride.  Wouldn’t it be great to have a senior photo like that?  I’d be showing it to everybody!

Location, location, location.  Unlike so many other reservations, if those young graduates wish to stay with their tribe they still have their pick of the region’s colleges and universities, then move on to some tech job in Seattle.  All the while, when they return home it’s to their own traditions, maybe getting together on weekends to build totem poles or something.  Anyway, that’s my fantasy for them.  And even if opportunity calls those young graduates far away, they know they can always return to a tribal home they can really be proud of.

Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe (The Strong People)

From the display board at the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal Campus:

At the time of european arrival, around 1790, the S’Klallam tribe were one people whose territory stretched from the northern Olympic Peninsula to western Whidbey Island, Vancouver Island and the San Juan Islands. 

Today the Strong People are comprised of four tribes:  the Jamestown S’Klallam, Port Gamble S’Klallam, Lower Elwha S’Klallam, and S’Klallam First Nation in Beecher Bay, Canada. 

S’Klallam information kiosk and Tribal Campus

After the Jamestown  Tribe regained federal recognition as a sovereign nation in 1981, we purchased land at the head of Sequim Bay to establish our Tribal government campus.  Since then, the campus and Tribal enterprises have grown steadily to what you see today.  See photos.

Yakama Nation

See separate blog entry coming soon.  Why am I doing that?  Because as you will see, the Yakama Nation says it’s definitely NOT part of Washington State.  As usual, I’m taking their side.

Bruce Hossfield, Atwo Zee Registered Traveler

 Alaska

From the 50 State Visitors Guide :

Alaska Statutes 2025 §§12.63.010 through 12.63.100; §18.65.087; §28.05.048

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

Alaska Stat. §12.63.010(a)3 requires in-person registration for any SO “present in the state” by “next working day.” 

However Alaska DPS states that visitors for less than 30 days do not have to register, but must inform law enforcement of their presence by submitting a Temporary Presence Form available at https://sor.dps.alaska.gov/Home/Documants

Confirmed June 2026

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

None found.

Duration & updates:

15 years to life.  Tier I – annual reg.  Tier 2 – quarterly reg.  §12.63.020

Alaska Marine Highway (Ferry) – Don’t even think about it!

No I have not been to Alaska – at least not yet.  Instead, in 2026 a person who DID travel to Alaska posted about it on the ACSOL travel discussion page, saying they had submitted the Temporary Presence form described above and reported that the system works just fine.  They were able to submit the form on-line and didn’t have to report in person either upon arrival or departure.

Also, while on my 2026 Pacific Northwest road trip I stopped in the town of Bellingham to see about a whale watching tour for the following day.  Turns out the Alaska Ferry is next door, and I had been wondering about it for a while, so I investigated it so you don’t have to. 

I was wondering about this ferry because, as I’m sure you know, it’s not possible for registrants to travel by car to Alaska because Canada won’t let us in – not even “just passing through.”  Is the Alaska Ferry a realistic alternative?

NO.  It’s outrageously expensive even if you don’t bring your car (double everything if you do), it takes 3 1/2 days to get to Skagway, and oh by the way there’s no roads from Skagway to anywhere else without going through Yukon Territory which you’re not allowed to do.  Instead, you’ll have to get on yet another outrageously expensive ferry to have any hope of reaching Anchorage.

You’ll save time and money and have way more fun if you can find an Alaskan cruise that doesn’t do a background check.

Bruce Hossfield, Atwo Zee Registered Traveler