PORT ANGELES — “Quaint.”
That’s how Port Angeles impressed a plurality of people in a rambling, random sample of passengers from the ms Statendam.
The luxury liner emptied hundreds of its passengers onto the harborfront Saturday afternoon during a stopover on its voyage from San Diego to Vancouver, B.C., via Polynesia.
Some boarded buses to Hurricane Ridge, to Lake Crescent Lodge/Madison Falls, to area wineries or to Hurricane Ridge, which was perversely clouded over.
Others got onto shuttles into downtown. Many simply strolled up Front Street to see what they could see.
Once there and questioned by a reporter wandering Oak, Front, First and Lincoln streets and a bit of Railroad Avenue, many mentioned “friendly.”
That verdict started with the score or more of volunteers who greeted visitors after they walked down the Port of Port Angeles’ new gangplank.
The visitors also applied it to the merchants who eagerly awaited their trade.
“Small” was a few people’s judgment. “Interesting” was one man’s noncommittal opinion. “Unique” was another.
Only one visitor seemed unfavorably struck by the town’s quality or character or whatever it made them feel.
“I don’t think enough people knew how to get over to Victoria,” said Jim Puckett, who added that the British Columbia capital was his hometown.
His wife, Karen, however, called Port Angeles “quaint.”
Janet Grieshop of Dayton, Ohio, echoed that judgment. Her husband, Don, called it “a cute little town.”
Then there was the trio of moms of teens who’d become enthralled by Twilight, asking how much of the series of movies — which were based on the vampire and teen love novels by Stephenie Meyer — was filmed here. (Answer: None.)
A woman who’d say only she was Leslie from Arlington, Texas, was disappointed that location shots were done in Oregon but brightened when she heard that the Bella Italia restaurant was but a block away on First Street.
She and her shipmates from California and Minnesota (“the weather is just like home”) last were seen scurrying off toward that eatery.
Not, however, before one of them called Port Angeles “quaint.”
“It’s so picturesque, and we’re really pleased that the cruise ships are coming in here,” said Louella Houston of Bremerton. She seemed disappointed that there’d be just this one such stop this year.
“Very friendly,” observed Rick Sleeper from Anacortes. “There was a great big banner when we got off the ship.”
The 719-foot Statendam sidled up to Terminal 1 with more than 1,200 passengers and 500 crew aboard and started putting people ashore at about 1:30 p.m. Passengers were required to be back aboard by 9:30 p.m. for an 11 p.m. departure to Vancouver.
Willie Nelson, owner of All Points Charters & Tours, said fewer visitors had signed up for motor coach trips to Lake Crescent, Hurricane Ridge or the wineries than during last year’s visit by the Statendam.
It was hard to determine how many passengers shuttled or walked into downtown Port Angeles, said Charlie Comstock, member services manager of the Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce.
It also was too early to estimate the economic impact of their visit, although few of the visiting pedestrians were seen carrying parcels as they walked through downtown.
But business was great for a trio of musicians — Ron Munro and Greg King of Sequim and Strider Yocum of Port Angeles — who at Yocum’s spur-of-the-moment suggestion went busking outside the E-Z Pawn shop, 113 W. First St.
“Oh, yeah, they’ve been great,” King said as a dollar bill tossed by a passer-by fluttered into his open guitar case.
“They’ve been very nice to us.”
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Reporter James Casey can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jcasey@peninsuladailynews.com.