Tillicum Village, Blake Island Tour

This is a 4-hour adventure to Tillicum Village on Blake Island State Park from Seattle waterfront. Blake Island, is a Washington State Park accessible only by boat. On the northeast end of the island is Tillicum Village, a showcase for Northwest Coast Indian arts, culture, and food.

We booked the tickets over the phone with Argosy Cruise, $79.95 per person. We arrived at Pier 55 directly from the office. The adventure begins with an Argosy cruise on Puget Sound to Blake Island having relax and enjoy the magnificent scenery during the 50 minute cruise.

Upon arrival you will be welcomed by a path strewn with white clam shells bleached by the sun and greeted with an appetizer of steaming clams in nectar broth. The Visitor experience includes a greeting from Tillicum Village employees costumed in Northwest Coastal Native tribal costume.

Inside the longhouse, guests can watch the whole Chinook salmon are cooked over an alder-wood fire on cedar stakes in the traditional Northwest Coast Indian style. Your meal is served buffet-style and includes a menu of Traditional Indian-style Baked Salmon. Fresh fruit salad, Assorted Melons, Grapes, Strawberries and Pineapple, served with a Strawberry Honey Dipping Sauce is the option for vegetarian other than wonderful combination of wild and regular rice, cooked to perfection with onions, garlic and a fragrant vegetable stock. I liked it, Atul and Sumit didn't.

Tillicum Village Menu:

Steamed Clams in Nectar

Traditional Alder Baked Salmon

Signature Northwest Stew

Wild Grain Harvest Rice

Warm Whole Grain Tillicum Bread

Field Greens Salad

Tri-Colored Bean Salad

Fresh Fruit Salad

Northwest Dessert Treat

Coffee and Tea Service with the Meal at Tillicum Village.

As you finish your meal, the lights dim while the myth and magic come to life in the spellbinding performance featuring the Tillicum Village dancers. Tip: Try to grab the front seats, so that performance can be enjoyed and captured closely.

Prior to the return trip to downtown Seattle, time is provided following the performance where visitors may have the opportunity to visit a gallery featuring regional Northwest artwork, watch a totem pole carving demonstration by Native Americans, and walk along the beaches and trails of Blake Island. People used to come here in Summer season for camping and relaxing with nature as well. The beautiful Mount Rainier can be enjoyed at the evening.

The cost of $79.95 (non-refundable) includes a one-hour narated trip on Argosy cruise, clam appetizers upon arrival to the island, a Chinook salmon feed, and entertainment, Native American-inspired dance show, exploration time on the island and the return cruise to Seattle.

So if you are in Seattle, It can be a one time go trip to Blake Island to enjoy marine camping park with five miles of saltwater beach shoreline providing unobstructed views of the Olympic Mountains and the Seattle skyline.