# Any Dopers live in Port Angeles, WA? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 20, 2007, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-live-in-port-angeles-wa/400880 "2007-04-20T01:55:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-live-in-port-angeles-wa/400880/1 "2007-04-20T01:55:57Z")
I live in Victoria, BC and on a clear day I can see clearly across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the cliffs that line the shores of the Olympic Peninsula. From here, some 25 miles away, the cliffs look very high and quite impressive. How high are they above the water? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-live-in-port-angeles-wa/400880/2 "2007-04-20T02:18:15Z")
Have you ever noticed how they look less impressive when you’re on Dallas than when you’re, say, at the top of a hill on Cook? I was delighted when someone explained that when you’re at sea level, you actually have to overcome looking beyond a certain degree of the earth’s curvature that doesn’t obstruct your view when you’re on a hill! Cool, eh? I think you should hop the Coho someday and go have a looksee for yourself. I plan to. ---
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-live-in-port-angeles-wa/400880/3 "2007-04-20T02:24:08Z")
[QUOTE=Quiddity Glomfuster] Have you ever noticed how they look less impressive when you’re on Dallas than when you’re, say, at the top of a hill on Cook? I was delighted when someone explained that when you’re at sea level, you actually have to overcome looking beyond a certain degree of the earth’s curvature that doesn’t obstruct your view when you’re on a hill! Cool, eh? I think you should hop the Coho someday and go have a looksee for yourself. I plan to. [/QUOTE] Wow, I wouldn’t think the curvature of the earth would have a noticeable effect over such a relatively short distance but it seems I’m wrong. I’ve thought about taking the Coho over- it would be fun to kill a day having a look around ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-live-in-port-angeles-wa/400880/4 "2007-04-20T03:04:49Z")
I mean no disrespect towards the fine citizens of Port Angeles… but, well, it doesn’t compare favorably with Victoria - or with Vancouver for that matter. Nothing bad, just pretty ordinary. I’d follow the signs to Port Townsend, instead - not too far away, I think. Port Townsend has an interesting historic waterfront area. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-live-in-port-angeles-wa/400880/5 "2007-04-20T03:05:05Z")
[QUOTE=Quiddity Glomfuster] Have you ever noticed how they look less impressive when you’re on Dallas than when you’re, say, at the top of a hill on Cook? I was delighted when someone explained that when you’re at sea level, you actually have to overcome looking beyond a certain degree of the earth’s curvature that doesn’t obstruct your view when you’re on a hill! [/QUOTE] I am so going to have to check that out next time Clover and I go to Dallas Road. ::waves at other Victoria dopers:: Hey… Where’s **Rodd Hill**? I haven’t seen a post from him in a while. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-live-in-port-angeles-wa/400880/6 "2007-04-21T04:59:44Z")
[QUOTE=Shamozzle] I live in Victoria, BC and on a clear day I can see clearly across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the cliffs that line the shores of the Olympic Peninsula. From here, some 25 miles away, the cliffs look very high and quite impressive. How high are they above the water? Thanks [/QUOTE] They are cool enough, but if you’ve ever been to Alberta you’ve seen better. Last summer my parents took me on a trip to Victoria and we took the ferry over to Port Angeles. I’ll, uh, agree with **Civil Guy** on the impressiveness (or lack thereof) of the place. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-live-in-port-angeles-wa/400880/7 "2007-04-21T05:14:01Z")
[QUOTE=Civil Guy] Port Townsend has an interesting historic waterfront area. [/QUOTE] Yet, compared with Victoria, it’s a dump. Completely touristed up over 25 years ago. Definitely not worth the trip. My bros (Bainbridge Is & Berien) and I (not from around those parts) did the Victoria from the top of a bus tour and were impressed with the town and the real estate prices (together good enough for us to consider, if only for a moment, living within shooting distance). Port Townsend, not so much, and Port Angeles, well, it’s the town from _Northern Exposure_ and the “cliffs” are tall hills. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-live-in-port-angeles-wa/400880/8 "2007-04-21T07:27:25Z")
I’ve got a friend living in Port Angeles. If there are any specific questions, I can probably track her down and ask. [QUOTE=Shamozzle] [Quote=Quiddity Glomfuster] I was delighted when someone explained that when you’re at sea level, you actually have to overcome looking beyond a certain degree of the earth’s curvature that doesn’t obstruct your view when you’re on a hill! Cool, eh? [/QUOTE] Wow, I wouldn’t think the curvature of the earth would have a noticeable effect over such a relatively short distance but it seems I’m wrong. [/QUOTE] Depends on how accurate you’re trying to be. I was on a ship a few months ago, and got to try using a sextant for navigation. Once you get the sun’s angle above the horizon at Local Apparent Noon, there are some correction factors to apply before calculating your latitude. One of them is the height of your eye above the water when you took the reading, and in my case, that was less than 20 feet. [QUOTE=dropzone] …and Port Angeles, well, it’s the town from _Northern Exposure_ and the “cliffs” are tall hills. [/QUOTE] Not quite. The exteriors for _Northern Exposure_ were shot in Roslyn, Washington, on the eastern slopes of the Cascades. (A quick paint job created the “Roslyn’s Cafe” sign seen in the opening credits.) ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-live-in-port-angeles-wa/400880/9 "2007-04-21T07:34:05Z")
[QUOTE=kushiel] They are cool enough, but if you’ve ever been to Alberta you’ve seen better. [/quote] Bah. I lived in Calgary for six years. You have to drive to the mountains and they’re only really splendid once you’re in the midst of them. The Olympics are gorgeous and much closer to Victoria than the Rockies are to Calgary and you get [ocean plus mountains](http://www.victoriabc.com/hosts/dreemskerry/dreemskerry_view.jpg) in your view. And good ol’ Mount Baker pokes his pointy head up out of the clouds and looks quite spectacular, too, when the weather’s right.