Port Angeles Washington - The Authentic Northwest.

Come enjoy the 17th Annual Juan de Fuca Festival on the beautiful Olympic Peninsula, Memorial Day Weekend, Friday, May 28 - Monday, May 31, 2010. It’s A World of Performance in Four Days an exhilarating mix of music, dance, ethnic performance, workshops, world beat, theater, comedy, juggling, jazz, art and science programs, ethnic foods, art & craft booths, children's activities, and good old fashioned family fun mixed into four festive days! For more information go to http://www.jffa.org/index.shtml.

Nearly all Olympic National Park destinations are now open to park visitors, just in time for Memorial Day and the unofficial start of summer. Warmer temperatures and longer, drier days bring increased park visitation, along with road construction and repair projects, several of which have been scheduled within Olympic National Park this summer. The 12.2-mile long section of Highway 101 that skirts the south shore of Lake Crescent is scheduled for pavement repairs during the week of June 1 through 9, from 6:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. daily. Travelers should expect delays of up to 15 minutes while the repairs are being completed. Campgrounds and roads that are currently open are: The Staircase Campground, The Heart O' the Hills Campground, The Elwha Campground, Fairholme Campground and the Lake Crescent Lodge, Sol Duc Road, the Sol Duc Campground and the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort, The Hoh Road and campground, The Queets Campground, The North Fork Road and North Fork Campground, Kalaloch Lodge remains open year-round, Hurricane Ridge Road will be open daily throughout the summer season, road and weather conditions permitting. The Olympic National Park Visitor Center is currently open daily from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.; and will be open 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. beginning May 28; the visitor center will also stay open until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 28 and Saturday, May 29. Campgrounds Opening soon: The Deer Park campground is scheduled to open June 11, snow permitting, the Altair Campground will open May 25, South Beach Campground, located just south of Kalaloch, will open May 28. Several feet of snow remains on the ground, beginning at elevations above 3,000 feet. Even at low elevations, hikers are reminded to use caution and be aware of downed trees, trail damage, high and swift creek crossings, and changing weather conditions. Have a safe and fun summer!

Are you from Victoria and looking to spend the day In Port Angeles or from Port Angeles and looking to spend a day in Victoria? Well I have good news for you the MV Coho ferry will be adding a trip to their daily run; they will now have three round trips a day. The ferry will leave Port Angeles at 8:20a.m., 12:45p.m., and 5:15p.m. It will return from Victoria at 10:30a.m., 3:00p.m., and 7:30p.m. The ship will add the additional round trip May 20th. A passport or enhanced drivers license is required to travel between the U.S. and Canada so make sure you have yours with you. For more information Phone 360-457-4491 or visit www.cohoferry.com. Happy Travels!

Port Angeles Welcomes Blow Hard Glass Gallery by Paul Labrie and RBS Sculpture Studio. It is a gallery filled with a mixture of metallic and glass art. They will be having a grand opening this weekend (May 14&15), doors will be open from 10am to 5pm Friday and Saturday and will keep those hours Mondays through Saturdays. Labrie will host a "blow your own glass" opportunity for those who want to make a paperweight or other small piece. The class will cost between $60 and $75, depending on the complexity of the piece. The Blow Hard Glass Gallery by Paul Labrie and RBS Sculpture Studio is located on the Port Angeles waterfront (Railroad) accost the street from the ferry terminal. Go check it out!

Don't forget the Port Angles Salmon Club's 10th Annual Halibut Derby coming up at the end of the month on Saturday, May 29th and Sunday, May 30th. With the quality of halibut fishing that we are seeing in the Straits this season I am sure that there will be some really nice sized fish entered in the derby this year. There are 30 cash prizes ranging from $5,000.00 for the largest halibut down to $135.00 for the 30th place fish. Tickets are available at Swans General Store in Port Angeles for $40.00 per person for the two days of the derby.

What an amazing Friday, I don’t think we could have asked for a nicer day to show of our town! On Friday May 7th Port Angeles welcomed the Zuiderdam cruise ship of Holland America. It was so much fun watching just under 2,000 passengers come off the ship and marvel over the beauty of the Olympic Peninsula and there excitement to get out and explore the area. Some of the comments from many of the passengers were about what a nice clean little town we have and how friendly everyone was and how beautiful it is. Some of the Crew members even told me they would love to live in a place like this. We are looking forward to the next ship to come on May 15th and hope we have another Blue sky sunny day!