The New Year ushers in changes for North Olympic Peninsula residents who want to fly to Seattle or take a ferry to Victoria.
* On Wednesday, San Juan Airlines replaces Horizon Air and begins daily flights between Port Angeles’ William R. Fairchild International Airport and Seattle’s Boeing Field.
* On Sunday, the 44-year-old, auto-passenger ferry MV Coho goes out of service through March 10 to get new engines.
While the Coho is out, the locally owned, foot-passengers-only Victoria Express, which normally operates only in the summer, will serve Victoria from Port Angeles.
* Rite Bros. Aviation in Port Angeles offers charter flights to Seattle, Victoria and other points. Flights to Seattle are as low as $80 per person. Reservations can be made by phoning 360-452-6226.
Until the Coho returns to service, the only way to get to Vancouver Island by auto, truck or bus will be B.C. Ferries.
Its ferries leave from the Tsawwassen ferry terminal, just south of Vancouver, and land at Sidney, about 20 miles north of Victoria, and Nanaimo.
Indeed, for a week, Victoria Express will be the only way to get to Vancouver Island by a U.S. ferry.
Washington State Ferries has suspended service between Anacortes and Sidney through March 20.
The passenger-only ferry from Seattle, Victoria Clipper, is out of service from this coming Monday through Friday, Jan. 16.
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The rest of the story appears in the Sunday Peninsula Daily News.