The City of Port Angeles (population 19,000) is nestled between the Olympic Mountains on the south and the Straits of Juan de Fuca (pronounced FEW-ka) on the north and is the county seat of Clallam County.  As with many northwest communities, its economy is based in the logging industry.  Nippon paper is a paper mill located at the base of Ediz (EDD-ies) Hook, a 3.5-mile long natural land formation that forms the north side of Port Angeles’ deep natural harbor.  All foreign ships entering the straits pause at Port Angeles to pick up a U.S. pilot to guide them into Puget Sound.  The end of Ediz Hook is the home for Coast Guard Base Port Angeles.  The harbor also supports a yacht building industry and log exports. 

A recent industrial project on Port Angeles’ inner harbor uncovered the remains of Tse-whit-zen (ch-WHEET-son), a 2700 year-old Native American village and the ancestral home of the modern-day Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe.  This is the most extraordinary archeological site ever found in Washington.  It is also the sacred burial grounds of Klallam ancestors.  Over 365 intact burials were unearthed before the project was abandoned and the Klallam Tribe were allowed to return their ancestors to the ground with proper ceremony. 

The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe on the east end of the county operates a casino that is incrementally being built into a destination resort.  The Makah Tribe resides at the west end of the county at Neah Bay and has been prominent in the controversy over whale hunting.  Their annual Makah Days is a wonderful family event with native games, dancing, and salmon roasted over open fires.  There has been a great upswing in pride in native culture in the last several years centered on the annual Paddle Journey, an event that brings native paddlers in hand made cedar canoes from villages up and down the coast for a great potlatch at the host village.  Our church helped the Lower Elwha’s host this event three years ago by preparing and serving the meals so that they were free to attend to the ceremonial events. 

Port Angeles, by (Coho) ferry, is the gateway to Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, Canada.  Known as the “Paris of the West”, it boasts beautiful Victorian architecture, the Provincial Museum, many quaint shops with a British flair, and a variety of dining options from many cuisines.  The next closest metropolitan area is Seattle, 2-1/2 hours away by car and Washington ferry.  Seattle is home of Mariners baseball, Seahawks football, Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, and any number of arts and entertainment venues. 

Port Angeles has been called “The Center of It All” for the Olympic Peninsula.  In addition to the Victoria experience to the North, magnificent outdoor activities abound in every direction.  Twenty-minute’s drive to the west is Lake Crescent, an 8.5-mile long, 624-ft deep lake carved out by the last ice age.  Log Cabin Resort and Lake Crescent Lodge provide fine dining in an otherwise natural setting with hikes to Marymere Falls, the Storm King lookout high above the lake, or the Spruce Railroad Trail on the north side of the lake.  Drive fifteen minutes north of the lake and your at the Salt Creek Recreation Area, where you’ll find sandy beaches, rocky tide pools filled with sea life, deer-filled meadows and forested campsites.  Just past Lake Crescent is the road to Sol Duc Hot Springs, a resort and campground with hot-springs-fed swimming pools.  Less than a two-hour drive west of Port Angeles are the Hoh Rainforest and miles of pristine ocean beaches. 

Olympic National Park is at Port Angeles’ back door.  Twenty minutes drive south of town is Hurricane Ridge, a ski area in the winter and the starting point for many back-country alpine hikes in the summer featuring beautiful alpine lakes and meadows, deer, mountain goats and whistling marmots.To the east of Port Angeles is the Dungeness National Wildlife Recreation Area; acres of camping and trails on the bluffs and on Dungeness Spit, one of the world’s longest natural sand spits.  The hike to the lighthouse at the end of the spit is 10 miles round trip. 

About 15 minute’s drive east on Highway 101 is our sister city, Sequim (pronounced Squim), a traditional farming community that has become a retirement Mecca because of our mild climate. The Pacific Northwest is known for rain, but Port Angeles and Sequim, being in the rain shadow of the Olympics, are significantly drier than the greater Puget Sound/Seattle area (16"-25” annually compared to Seattle’s 38”).  Snow, which falls two or three times per winter, melts within a day or two.  Winter temperatures hardly ever dip below 25 degrees and summer highs are rarely above 80 degrees, making it pleasant to be outdoors most days, and yes Palm trees do grow here.

            Sequim is experiencing the challenge of balancing growth with maintaining farmland, open spaces and rural character. The Sequim Elk Herd is a fine example of the balance drawn between growth and nature. The North Olympic Land Trust works to preserve farmland and sensitive areas in Clallam County from development.  Our church helps at StreamFest, their annual fall fund raising event at Ennis Arbor Farm in Port Angeles. 

            Port Angeles has an active arts community.  The Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts is celebrated Memorial Day weekend with multiple venues offering music from cultures around the world, crafts and food.  JFFA also brings musicians in concert to our area throughout the year.  Arts in Action is a mid-summer arts and craft fair that incorporates a sand sculpture competition that draws contestants from around the world.  The Port Angeles Light Opera Association produces a musical each summer; this summers offering is Peter Pan.  The Port Angeles Community Players stage 5-6 excellent plays per year.  Our city also has an 85-member all volunteer symphony which has been providing quality live music since 1932.  We host a variety of events throughout the year such as hydroplane races, car shows and jazz and bluegrass festivals.  We’re also home of the Clallam County Fair.  Port Angeles is also home to Peninsula College, a community college that also offers some four year degrees in cooperation with Western Washington University. 

            If you value a small town atmosphere, mild climate and natural beauty, Port Angeles might be the place for you.